Fact: Babies’ hair is not like grown-up hair. It’s often finer and softer and cuter, and it needs to be washed a whole lot less.
Let’s get all science-y for a second: Most strands of adult hair are made up of three parts – the medulla at the centre, surrounded by the cortex (the main part of the hair), and the outer, protective layer, the cuticle. But the hair strands of tiny newborns have no medulla, which means their hair feels thinner and super soft. As your baby grows, and the medulla begins to develop, their hair may become thicker and coarser and trickier to comb.
There are differences when it comes to the scalp, too. Babies are slower to produce sebum (the hair’s natural protective oil), so they’re not prone to the same greasy build-up that adults can experience. And just like their skin, very new scalp is more sensitive and easily irritated, and so we need to be careful about the products that are used on it.
When your baby is brand new, it’s recommended to start off with just water, a very soft washcloth and, if you use product, a gentle, plant-based cleanser (like Sud Bud) to clean your baby’s head and hair. There’s no need to scrub! Keep movements soft, slow and steady. A light towel-off after-bath is usually enough to dry your tiny human’s hair. It’s really fine, so it’ll dry really fast!
As your kid gets a bit older, grubbier, sweatier and more likely to have Weetbix crusted on their head, it may be beneficial to start washing their hair more often and using a specially formulated kids shampoo. (And we’re not just saying that because we made a very effective, very gentle, conditioning cleanser that works fast on mini mops.) Adults and children’s hair products are usually formulated differently. Lots of adult shampoos contain chemicals called anionics, which can be very drying on young hair, so look for a wash that’s specially made for babies and kids, that’s kind on sensitive skin, and that won’t sting if it gets on your wriggly rascal’s eyes.
If your kid is toddler age, you don’t need to be lathering up at every bathtime (especially if they loathe hair washing) – three times a week is usually plenty. Less often for very curly or dry hair, more often if your kid enjoys mashing banana into their noggin at dinner. As your child’s hair gets thicker and longer, you can consider washing it every other day.
Remember that just like with grown-ups, every child is different – and chances are, as they grow, you’ll have to change things up to get it right. There are a bunch of factors that will affect how often your kid’s hair needs a wash: their age, their hair type (straight, curly, oily, dry), their activity level, even the changing weather. Keep an eye on your kid’s hair and fine tune, where necessary. It’s recommended that you shampoo more often if you find that your kids hair or scalp is oily, but shampoo less often if you notice their hair is dull and shedding, or that it feels dry.
However often they wash their hair, encouraging your kids to get messy with products at bath or shower time, and teaching them how to take care of their hair when they are little, will go a long way to helping them maintain good, healthy hair habits as they grow.
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