Having baby hair is usually a good sign as it means you’ve new hair growth. But it could also be a sign of damaged hair or hair loss and early balding. If your baby hair feels soft to the touch, then it’s new growth, but if they feel rough in texture and have split ends, then it means you’ve damaged hair.
They might need attention and hair care to become healthy again. Baby hair can be difficult to style, but there are different ways to style them with wax, mouse, or gel, depending on your texture and hair type. You can even choose laser hair removal to remove them permanently. Consult with a hair specialist for optimum results.
Every person growing out their hair will witness baby hairs on the front of their forehead at the beginning of their hairline. Usually, these have a thinner texture than your average hair strands.
When tying your hair in a pony, it’s almost perfect except for those small hairs that keep on sticking out no matter what ruining your ideal hairstyle for the day.
Because of their texture, these hairs can be difficult to style. But one thing that always leaves people wondering is how they get baby hairs in the first place?
Why doesn’t their baby grow out like their other hair on the scalp? Do they have more baby hair as compared to other people around them? Let’s keep reading to understand their origin and what you can do about them.
Why do I have lots of baby hair on my head?
Baby hairs are not just something you find on your hairline but also that you might encounter fine hair on other parts of your body.
This soft textured hair is known as vellus hair. It’s found on the arms, legs, stomach, back, and other parts of the body.
The reason it’s called baby hair is that this kind of hair is small and soft in texture.
You might notice it growing around your forehead, temples, around your ears, and the nape of your neck.
During our childhood, it serves three purposes:
- Protecting our skin from irritation
- Keeping away sweat
- Keeping our body warm
While these reasons work well when you’re a baby but as you grow into an adult, these baby hairs can become a nuisance for a lot.
As we reach adulthood, we have so many tiny hairs because the hair cycle’s growing (anagen) phase becomes shorter over time as hair goes from a lot of cycles to reach this particular point.
The growth of baby hair is also typical among pregnant women or those who have recently given birth.
But almost everyone has such tiny hair, and it could also mean new hair growth, which will then grow into an entire strand.
Depending on your situation and your hair cycle, there’re several reasons.
Vellus hair
Vellus hair is fine and soft textured hair 2mm long.
On all parts of our body, this hair is much shorter in duration. However, follicles of vellus hair produce lesser sebum as compared to that of the terminal hair follicles.
New hair growth
That pesky little hair you see around your forehead is baby hair, as these are smaller than regular strands of your hair but more significant than vellus hair.
Usually, this hair will gradually grow into long hair, but it stays the same throughout their lifetime for some people.
These baby hair not growing more than their length can be difficult for many people not knowing how to manage such short hair with their long hair.
The hair around the temples and forehead seems to grow at a slower rate than other strands on your scalp.
Another reason that determines your hair growth is your genes. So, if you’ve got a slower hair growth rate in your family, you can’t help but wait longer for these baby hairs to grow.
Damaged hair
Of course, several other factors can break your hair midway, causing them to appear like baby hair.
Extensive styling of hair over a more extended period can result in broken hair.
We will talk more about the distinction between healthy and damaged hair and how to tell them apart from each other.
Hair loss
Baby hair is also a result of premature hair loss.
It is a telltale that you need to go easy on your hair and start taking care of it more often.
One main reason for hair loss is putting too much pressure on your hair. It includes tightening them in buns, braids, or pony.
Your hair might weaken with follicles weakening and lead to thinning and eventual hair loss.
Stop using harsh products and chemicals on your hair and rely on natural-based products for a while to let your hair take a breath.
If you didn’t have baby hair much before and are starting to notice it recently accompanied by hair thinning, you need to visit a hair specialist as you might be going towards premature balding.
Baby hair vs. damaged hair
Baby hair doesn’t necessarily mean that your hair’s growth cycle has ended.
A popular reason you must be seeing lots of baby hairs on your scalp is that your hair is growing, which is a sign of new hair growth.
But another scary thought that people get along with having baby hair is how to identify if those tiny hairs are new or just broken inches.
Indeed, using many products in hair or over-manipulating your hair can also break them, giving an illusion of baby hair.
Most people get confused when figuring out if they need more care or just let their baby hair be. However, it’s not entirely difficult to tell apart from your broken hair from healthy new hair growth.
If your hair around the forehead has split ends and a dry texture, then it might be the broken hair you’re dealing with.
When your baby hair is healthy, a huge sign would be that they fall naturally on your forehead instead of sticking out.
So, when your hair sticks out, and you’re met with frizzy hair, then it’s a sign that your hair needs care and attention.
How can I take care of my baby hair?
It can be troublesome when you don’t know how to take care of them and style them with the rest of your hair.
By now, you know how healthy baby hair looks and how they are easier to manage since they fall on your forehead and don’t stick out too much.
But even the healthiest of baby hairs doesn’t always cooperate and be sleek when doing a hairstyle.
Also, your hair texture plays a significant role in how your baby hair will be, too, such as wavy, curly, or straight.
Regardless of the texture of your hair, there are some tips to remember when taking care of baby hair:
- When styling hair, don’t pull or put too much tension on your baby hair. Tight hairstyles include putting it in a bun, hair extension, tight pony, and more.
- If you use a wig, make sure you’re mingling your hair with the extension hair and that the glue on the wig doesn’t harm your baby hair’s texture.
- Always your heat protection before using any hair styling products to keep your baby hair healthy.
Different ways to style your baby hair
- It’s essential to style your baby hair in the direction they’re growing. If you try to style them in the opposite direction, your fragile hair will break off.
- Many celebrities are getting their hair styled with wax, gel, or mouse in wavy shapes around their temples and forehead giving them that sleek and chic look.
- You can even curl your baby hair into ringlets if they grow a bit longer.
- You can hide your baby hair by moving back hair to the front in a hairstyle that suits your face—using a bobby pin to hide the baby hair.
- When aiming for straight hair, it’s essential not to put your baby hair through too much tension. So, try to blow dry them straight rather than using a straightener.
- With curly or wavy hair, it’s important to style them but also not so much that it looks out of place. Using a product on wet hair, try to pull down your baby hair but with a slight force. Then leave them in a shape that isn’t so intentional.
- Giving your hair off days is essential as well. Not every day do you need to keep your baby hair styled. So when making a bun or plaid, leave your hair be and let them fall as they are.
How to treat damaged baby hair?
While baby hair is a sign of new hair growth, we also know it could be broken hair as well.
Leaving your damaged hair like that would only cause a problem in blending them with your other strands.
Broken hair tends to stick out and has a weird texture.
Following a hair care routine for your damaged baby hair can improve the quality over time as you keep taking care of them:
Styling hair
Roughly styling your hair every day can damage and break your hair in two, creating baby hair.
It can weaken the bonding among your hair and create brittle nodes, which leads to the cracking and breaking of hair strands.
Minimize using hot tools on your hair for the time being, and always use a heat protectant when you do.
Hydrate your hair
Just like your skin, your hair deserves nourishment too.
You can choose various options to keep your hair hydrated, including deep conditioning after every wash, using serums, getting a hair spa, oiling your hair, or using homemade lotions on your hair.
Whatever your routine might be, keep them hydrated enough.
Dyeing your hair
When dyeing your hair, it’s essential to ask your colorist to use a soft coat of bleach or other colors on your hairline and your baby hair.
I would suggest avoiding getting your hair colored for the time being and taking care of your damaged baby hair first.
Texture and hair type
You need to be aware of your texture and hair type.
Texture includes straight, wavy, or curly hair and hair type includes dry, oily, or a mix of both.
It isn’t easy to find hair care products that cover both these requirements, but you should mix and match and try to see which products are more beneficial for your hair.
Importance of protein
Protein is an essential binder for our hair. Not just from the inside but the outside too.
When hair strands are protected from a layer of protein, it will help create a strong barrier keeping it away from breaking.
Thus, using products with protein-rich ingredients and applying a homemade mixture of protein-rich ingredients can help your hair keep healthy.
FAQs
How do you get rid of baby hair on top of your head?
You can either learn to style your baby hair or get rid of them entirely by various methods.
Styling them would require you to use products like water, gel, mousse, or wax. Many celebrities have learned to appreciate their baby hair and style them to stand out from the crowd.
You can also get rid of your baby hair by choosing to opt for laser hair removal. Quite a few celebrities have gone this way to get a more even hairline.
Why do I have so many baby hairs sticking up?
If you notice a lot of shorter hairs sticking out while styling your hair, see if your hair is thinning or rough in texture. It’s a sure sign of hair damage and needs immediate attention and care to revive.
Another reason could be that you have new hair growth, and your hair needs some settling down with a fine comb or a bit of wax or gel.
Should I cut my baby hair?
Your baby hairs are a potential new hair growth. If you try to cut them off soon, you’ll have tiny hair sticking up just like a newborn baby, making you look even worse.
What you need is to learn how to style your baby hair. But usually, they need to grow a bit to fall smoothly on your forehead.
Are baby hairs a good sign?
Depending on the current texture of your hair, you can determine if your baby hair is just damaged hair or new hair growth.
Your baby hair can be both a good or a bad sign depending on how they feel about you.
Usually, when you’ve baby growth, it means you have new hair. If your hair feels rough to touch or has split ends, then that’s damaged hair.
To summarize
Baby hairs are a sign of healthy new hair growth, and only in some cases would you find yourself in a situation where it’s due to damage to hair or hair loss. It’s easier to tell healthy hair apart from damaged hair.
Just like you take care of your skin to maintain a healthy and hydrated look all year long, so does your hair need the same attention all year long. Considering your hair texture and hair type, you need to maintain a balance between natural products to keep your hair hydrated.
Everyone loves styling their hair, but it’s also beneficial to take breaks in between and give your hair a much-needed rest.
As always, if you still think you aren’t sure about your hair’s current condition and wonder why you’ve so many baby hairs, it’s better to visit a hair specialist and consult with them.