When a baby is born, he usually does not have any hair on his head. As he becomes older, the hair begins to grow. Baby hair is softer than adult hair, and hence requires different levels of care. This can pose some problems because many mothers are often unsure about their children's hair care requirements.Hair care varies with age and hair type. Read on and find out how you can mange the task of caring for your baby's hair easily.
Washing the hair
When your baby is young, you do not need to wash his hair often. This is because he is likely to be at home most of the time so his hair is not really dirty. Therefore, you need not wash his hair more than twice a week. If your child suffers from cradle cap, which is a form of dandruff in infants, you can increase the frequency to three times a week. Before each wash, rub a little olive oil into his scalp to loosen the flakes.
When your child becomes a toddler, his hair will grow longer and will needwashing at least three times a week. In addition, you will also need to wash his hair when he decides to see how his lunch looks in it. If you bathe your child in a tub, always wash his hair towards the end of the bath. This way, theshampoo suds do not remain in the water and irritate his sensitive skin.
Always use only baby shampoo to wash your child's hair. Shampoos for adults contain detergents and other chemicals that can dry out a baby's scalp completely. Another important point to remember is to make sure no shampoogets in your child's eyes. Even tear-free shampoo can sting if it enters your baby's delicate eyes.
Combing your baby's hair
Trying to comb your child's hair can be another ordeal. Your child's hair is likely to be full of tangles and any efforts to smoothen them will be met with screaming and crying. To comb your child's hair, it is advisable to use a wide-tooth comb or paddle brush. If you use a smaller brush or comb, the fine bristles can get caught in your child's hair and tug the hair at his scalp, causing discomfort.
While combing your child's hair, do not start from the top. Instead, begin at the ends and work your way up. Gently pull apart knots with your fingers, without tugging at your child's scalp. Comb the hair at the neck-region first, since it is shorter and more likely to get tangled. If your child's hair is very badly tangled,do not wet it before combing his hair. Apply a little leave-in conditioner and then gently comb the tangles out. The conditioner will soften the hair and enable you to comb the tangles without hurting your child.
If you child has a protruding tuft of hair, you may be looking for ways to tame it. One alternative is to simply let it grow out and then comb it back along with the remaining hair. Generally, tufts of hair can only be subdued if they are long or heavy enough to be weighted down. If you really need to tame a cowlick, try blow drying the strands from the roots onward and gently combing them back. Otherwise, dab a little non-alcoholic gel or styling cream to tame those unruly strands.
Taking your child for a haircut
After your child is a year old or so, you will have to start trimming your baby's hair. For a young child, this can be a scary experience. Have your child accompany you when you go for a haircut so that he sees there is nothing to fear. Schedule a haircut for your child when he is awake and relaxed. For example, after he has finished his nap. Parents often make the mistake of scheduling haircuts during naptime in the hope that the child will be too sleepy to know what is happening. This will only lead to a scared and cranky child.
Managing your baby's requirements properly is not impossible to accomplish. All you need is to be patient and know what your baby is comfortable with. Making your little wonder comfortable in small things will help to walk on thin line of parenting easily.
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