Most young parents believe that a child should have a haircut as soon as he is one year old. According to trichologists, this should not be done. Whether a child needs to cut his head a year or not, this article will discuss.
Do I need to cut my baby's hair in a year
Baby hair in a child up to a year
Baby hair begins to grow and form during the prenatal period. They are called cannon, or lanugo. Shortly before the birth of a child, they change to pigmented. Depending on a large number of factors, some babies are born with thick hair, while others are almost bald.
Important! The first baby hair is very weak, fine and soft. Therefore, they need careful and careful care.
Baby hair
Newborn hair does not look like adults. They do not have a medula, a microscopic rod responsible for keeping warm. This, according to Komarovsky, is not at all a reason to wear a lot of bonnets and hats.
Some parents get scared if they notice the bald nape of the baby. Because of this, they tend to cut their hair for even growth in the future. This is not worth doing - baldness in the occipital zone occurs due to the fact that the child often lies on his back for a long time and turns his head. Because of this, soft hairs break down and fall out.
Why do they cut the hair of a child a year
Haircut up to 1 year old is associated with existing beliefs. Not knowing whether it is necessary to cut a haircut in the year of the child, parents avoid doing this, because the hair supposedly has some kind of magical and energetic power.
Slavic tradition
The Slavs had such beliefs and omens associated with the prohibition of haircuts until the age of one:
- The kid can get scared.
- He won't speak. In some areas of Belarus, it was believed that during a haircut, a baby under one year old can remove part of the tongue. Therefore, he will lisp, lisp or stutter.
- Hair will grow poorly (this is especially true for girls). Their thickness was indicative of good health.
- The baby will not have health (hair in this case has some kind of energy barrier).
- Along with the haircut, the child will “go away”, he will not have the gift of eloquence and will not be able to get a good job.
- There is a custom that hair can be cut only during Great Lent - on Maundy Thursday. Our ancestors believed that hair has tremendous magical energy. If you lose it, you can lose your destiny.
- The godparents performed the ceremony of cutting hair at the age of one. In the middle of the children's room was a sheepskin. The godparents cut off the strands in four places. Then they were hidden behind an icon or buried in an anthill.
Features of the traditions of other peoples
The traditions of other peoples are no less interesting:
- In India, the strands are trimmed after the baby reaches one year of age. At this time, the child says goodbye to the "past life".
- In Mongolia, the first haircut is a big celebration. Each guest cuts off one strand, says wishes and gives a gift.
- In Israel, curls are not trimmed until the age of three.
- In Armenia, Georgia, cut hair was placed between the pages of a thick book.
Do I need to cut my child's hair baldly
Parents often wonder if their child needs a haircut per year. Pediatricians believe that it is still necessary to cut a baby's hair before they reach one year of age.
First haircut
Important! A haircut is a must for those children who have thick hair. This will make them sweat in the summer. The discomfort will lead to the fact that the child will be capricious.
Too long hair in a baby leads to the development of prickly heat. If long hair gets in the way, it is best to trim it. It happens that he pulls himself by the hair, causing pain. Hair should not be allowed to get into the eyes, because vision is formed at the age of one year. Particular attention should be paid to bangs.
When a child is small, this does not mean that one should not attach importance to the condition of the hair. The kid should look well-groomed. There is absolutely no need to shave him baldly. Don't use a hair clipper either.
Haircut myth
There are superstitions and myths about how to properly cut a one-year-old child so that it does not harm him. The most common ones are:
- you should not do this during the waning moon;
- it is best to get a haircut during the new moon;
- it is advisable to place the first curls in a light fabric;
- only certain people should cut their hair;
- trimmed hairs are also kept in a medallion;
- parents can keep them in the children's Bible.
Many modern parents prefer to keep their baby's hairs in a photo album or a special children's diary of the first year of life. However, there are a lot of options for where to save children's strands after the haircut procedure.
An equally common myth says that you should wash your child's hair more often with baby soap. Frequent washing damages fragile baby hairs. Parents need to know why the use of baby soap is often prohibited. Even a hypoallergenic and natural cosmetic product, used frequently, leads to hair loss. The soap can be used no more than once a week.
It is a mistake to say that shaving will cause hair to grow thicker. The density of the strands, their color determines heredity. All other statements are no more than a figment of fantasy.
Obvious cons
Shaving a child with a shaving machine has certain disadvantages. Careless actions can harm the baby:
- hurt the fontanel;
- leave a mark on the skin;
- damage hair follicles;
- scare the kid.
Grooming a baby with a clipper
After a haircut, bristles grow bald on the head. She is able to give the baby some discomfort. Cutting hairs can injure your skin. An infection will enter the wound and cause an inflammatory process.
Modern psychologists believe that it is not necessary to cut hair for children under one year old. At this time, the baby perceives his body as a whole. If they begin to trim strands of hair, he experiences fear and panic.
Note! There are cases when young children were sick after a haircut.
Expert opinion Komarovsky
The doctor believes that a child can be trimmed at any time before he is one year old. It is imperative to do this if long hair becomes uncomfortable. Moreover, a haircut is the main feature that distinguishes babies by gender.
According to Komarovsky, the child needs to be shown to a specialist if the young mother noticed the following:
- Hair began to fall out intensively. This can be the cause of ringworm.
- Large bald patches appear.
- The child winds his hair around his finger, pulling it out. This is one of the hallmarks of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
How to cut your baby correctly
The approach to a child's haircut should be individual. If there is no need for such a procedure, then there is no need to rush. The haircut should be done by the person whom the child trusts most.
The scissors must have blunt ends, even better - rounded. It is allowed to use special children's hair clippers. They have the necessary ceramic coating, they create less noise during operation.
Haircut with scissors
It is forbidden to use trimmers. They can damage not only the hair follicles, but also the delicate skin of the baby.
There are important rules for children's haircuts:
- Use scissors for children with rounded tips. With them, there is a minimal risk of injury.
- Hair should be slightly dampened before cutting. The procedure will then be much easier.
- Curls should be trimmed neatly and quickly. You need to cut from the most difficult places.
Trimming curls
- You should wait for the child to calm down. Doctors recommend choosing the most suitable time (for example, when the baby will have lunch, sleep). When crying, as well as sickness, cutting hair is strictly prohibited. If possible, the child should be seated in front of a mirror.
- It is important to create a welcoming and comfortable environment during hair removal. You can give your child his favorite toys or treats. You need to talk to him in a calm, even tone. To distract attention, you can turn on an audio story or turn on a cartoon.
- As soon as the procedure is completed, the child must be bathed. This will help get rid of the fine hairs that cause discomfort. The baby's head must be treated with an antiseptic, then a moisturizer. All this will relieve discomfort.
- After completing the haircut, you need to praise the child and show him in the mirror how beautiful he looks.
A ban on haircuts for children under one year old is absolutely meaningless and unreasonable. The answer to the question whether it is necessary to cut your child's hair per year is yes. The baby's hair needs to be cut as needed. In this case, you should adhere to safety rules so as not to harm the baby. The procedure should be postponed for a while if the crumbs are in a bad mood, or there are signs of a disease.
