As first-time parents, one of the most challenging things is knowing how to wash baby hair. It is something that, as parents, most of us feared the most. However, after years of parenting, we have some tips to help you learn how to wash baby hair finely.
This comes from our personal experience that washing baby’s hair is the hardest thing you will ever face. You have a lot of fears, and you must have fears. It is something that, if done wrongly, the water may enter your baby’s nose or ears.
So, to help you avoid such things, we will be sharing some of the best methods that we have learned to wash baby hair. These methods would surely allow you to wash your baby’s hair with ultimate care and perfection.
When can you wash a newborn baby hair?
You can start washing your baby’s hair immediately after birth. Even the nurse at the hospital gives the first bath to your baby before handing it over to you. However, you should not start using shampoo. Babies do not have a lot of hair, and they can be cleaned with clean water and soft wipes.
Furthermore, if your newborn has slightly long hair, a drop or half of the shampoo would be enough on wet hair. So, you are good to wash baby hair immediately after birth, but avoid using shampoo if the hairs are not long. It would keep your baby clean and healthy.
How often should you wash baby hair?
We have always offered regular baths to our kids. However, we never wash their hair with shampoo regularly. A bath a day keeps your baby fresh and healthy, but avoid doing their hair every single day.
Unlike adults, baby hair produces very few amounts of oil and needs no shampoo regularly. So, for your newborn, we suggest you wash their hair twice a week. However, if your baby has a cradle cap, things may differ.
Our youngest kid developed a cradle cap, and it was such a bad experience to have. But this is not something you must worry about. You only need to get a mild cradle cap baby shampoo and wash baby hair thrice or four times a week. Doing this would allow you to avoid cradle caps in your baby. All in all, normal baby hair needs shampoo only twice a week.
Tips to help you learn how to wash a baby hair finely
If you wanna learn some of the finest methods to wash baby hair, below is the treasure for you. Here, we have introduced some of the best methods to wash baby hair.
How to wash short baby hair?
Most of the babies have short and small amounts of hair. What you need to do is lay the baby down in the baby bathtub. After it, put a very small amount of water or simply apply wet baby wipes.
Once done with this, take a drop or half of the baby shampoo. Massage the shampoo smoothly with your fingers on the scalp and repeat the process for a minute or two.
After that, you will have to wipe off the shampoo with the help of a wet wipe or use water. Now use a dry, clean, and a soft cloth to dry the hairs of your baby. Repeat this process twice a week, and with babies having cradle caps apply shampoo four to five times a week.
Remember that if your baby has developed a cradle cap, you will have to use mild cradle cap baby shampoo.
How to wash long baby hair?
For washing long baby hairs, what you need to do is lay down the baby in the bathtub. After it, wash the entire body of the baby first and leave the hair dry. Babies are more vulnerable to cold. So, doing the hairs, in the end, will keep them safe and healthy.
After washing the body, now apply a small amount of water to the hairs. Ensure that no water is heading towards the nose or eyes of the baby.
Once the hairs are finely wet, you need to apply the shampoo gently. Massage the shampoo for 2 to 3 minutes, and then wash your baby’s hair with clean water.
Always shield the eyes and nose of the baby while pouring water.
After washing out all the shampoo, wrap the baby in a warm and clean towel and prepare to dry the hair.
Methods to dry baby hair smoothly
Drying baby hair is not a hard nut to crack, but you must do it with care. Therefore, we will be mentioning below some of the most gentle ways to dry baby hair.
Use a soft and clean towel
One of the best and most commonly used methods to dry baby hair is by a clean towel. What you need to do is take a clean and soft towel, rub it gently against your baby’s hair and continue until the hairs are dried finely. This method will work finely on both long and short hairs.
Brush baby hair using a soft bristle brush
Using a soft brush is also one of the widely used methods. However, this method will only work for short hairs, and not all kids love this way of drying hair. So, if you are not feeling comfortable with a towel, use a brush.
Rub the brush gently on the scalp of your baby and continue until the hairs are dried finely. The benefit of this method is that you will not have to worry about how to fix baby hairs. While drying, use a soft towel and you will be able top fix your baby’s hair finely.
Use a blow dryer (only experts)
Here are the methods that are used by most parents, but we will never recommend them. It is something that you must be very careful about. Using a blow dryer for drying baby hair is no good option to follow. A single mistake and your baby may feel uncomfortable.
First, you should never use hot air while drying baby hairs. Secondly, if you are doing it in winter, you cannot do it without the hot air. So, if you want to keep your baby healthy and comfortable, we ask you to follow the above two methods or follow this method only if you are an expert. We have been parenting for five years, yet we never use a blow dryer for drying our baby hair.
Benefits of washing baby hairs: Few tips that help
A lot of benefits are associated with washing baby hair. However, below you will find two of the most crucial benefits of washing newborn’s hair.
Helps to avoid dandruff
Development of cradle cap and dandruff is one of the most common things in newborns. The only way to get rid of them is by keeping your baby head clean. So, doing shampoo and giving your kid a proper bath will allow you to avoid dandruff. Along with it, with no dandruff, your baby will stay calm and remain healthy.
Prevents infections
Newborn kids are prone to head infections, with cradle caps topping the list. At this stage, no parent would like to use medicated things for their babies. So, if you want to prevent your kid from developing infections, keep them clean.
Give your kid a proper bath regularly and wash their head with shampoo twice a week. This will allow you to keep your baby clean and healthy.
Things to avoid while washing newborn’s hair
Never wash hair first
Most of the parents make this mistake. Washing or even putting water over hairs initially is a big mistake. Doing this would allow your kid to catch a cold quickly. When you wash hair first, the water in the hair gets cold, eventually leading your kid to catch cold.
So, what you need to do is wash the body first and then wash the hair. This would allow you to finely clean your baby’s hair and will keep the baby safe and healthy.
Do not pour water quickly
Babies are sensitive, and we must keep this in mind while washing newborn’s hair. We do not know whether your kids do the same or not, but my younger one fears the sudden pouring of water over his head.
So, if you want to keep your kids relaxed and calm, do not pour water quickly onto their heads. This affects the baby’s health, and some of them start to fear bathing. So, while pouring water over the baby’s head, always use your hand instead of a mug.
Washing baby hair while sitting up
Washing baby hair while they are sitting up is no sane thing. This is one of the most dangerous methods to wash your baby’s hair. If your kid is young and you have no experience of washing their hair, always use a baby bathtub.
Lay your baby in the bathtub and then wash their hair. Washing newborn’s hair while they are sitting up may lead water into their nose or mouth, and this may be pretty dangerous. So, if you want to learn how to wash baby hair without getting water in eyes, avoid washing baby hairs while they are sitting up.
Avoid shampooing your baby’s hair regularly
Unlike adults, kids have sensitive skin. So, if you want your kid’s skin to remain safe against harmful chemicals, avoid shampooing during baby bath. As told earlier, a baby’s hair produces very little oil and does not need shampooing regularly.
So, what you need to do is apply shampoo to your baby’s hair twice every week, and this will be enough. However, if your kid has cradle crap, you can shampoo their hair either regularly or four times a week.
Conclusion
If you had no idea how to wash baby hair, this was the article for you. In this article, you did not only learn how to wash baby hair, but we also schooled you on when to wash baby hair, how to dry it, how to wash baby hair in bath, and how to fix baby hair.
All in all, there is no better place to land than this article to learn about washing baby hairs and baby bath. However, if you find anything missing or need any assistance, do let us know. We will always be there to help you out.
Parents Also Ask
Will it be fine to wash baby hair regularly?
No, it is not. Washing baby hair regularly can jeopardize baby skin and affect the hairs. So, it will be insane to wash baby hair regularly. However, you can wash and gently rub baby hair regularly only if the baby has a cradle cap. Other than that, you should only wash your baby’s hair twice a week.
When should I start to shampoo my baby hair?
Introduce your baby to shampoo once they are at least two months young. Most parents try to wash newborn baby hair with shampoo, and this is heartily wrong. Newborns have sensitive skin and do not need shampoo for cleaning hairs. So what you need to do is use clean wipes, wet cloth, or clean and warm water for washing baby hair and baby bath until they are two months.
Can I use coconut oil on baby hair?
Using coconut oil is never an issue for babies. It allows you to avoid dandruff, dryness, and even cradle cap in your baby. So, if you want to use coconut oil for your baby’s hair, go for it. However, never forget to gently rub it.
Is Vaseline a solution for dry scalp in babies?
No sane person would suggest you use Vaseline for dry baby’s scalp. Vaseline adheres to the flakes leading to the worsening of the condition. We suggest you talk to a doctor first and follow their instructions. Self-assessment and treatment in these cases are never appreciated. However, what you can do is reduce the usage of shampoo, as it leads to dry scalp sometimes.
