HOW HAIR AFFECTS (OR DOESN'T AFFECT) BABY'S HEALTH

Baby with a full head of hair sleeping peacefully

That Hair Thing

I write this with some strong feelings, but then what do I not 😅 Anyway I experienced the whole pregnancy journey and just when I thought it was all over then the hard part came;dealing with people's opinions on Every. Single. Thing. It should be a small matter but I was to learn there is no such thing when it comes to babies, as illustrated below;

They would greet me when we met, and then catch a glimpse of the hair and form a frown and then:

Them: sooo....... you haven't  shaved him yet?

Me: I don't even intend to haha

Them: (bigger frown, maybe some concern) but you should, immediately!

Me: (nonchalantly) why?

Them: babies born with hair should always be shaved

Me: why is that?

Them: (shuffling mental feet) because...so that...(brief bright light bulb goes on) so the hair will grow back stronger, uniform, and better!

Me: well I was never shaved, would my hair be better now if I had been?

Them: (uncomfortably and less confidently) well you should just shave him....culture dictates so...

Me: (victoriously) I see.

End of conversation.

This was fun for a while, until relatives came in with all sorts of bizarre reasons like he won't grow up, he will be unhealthy, his hair will grow in patches forever, he is uncomfortable, etc, etc.... And I was wondering is there actually any scientific or at least proven basis for this mambo jambo?  Did some research, and obviously there isn't, and this is due to the few reasons outlined below:

How It Grows

Hair grows from follicles on the scalp, what is visible is a result of what goes on underneath e.g. diet, oils used, general bodily health and hygiene, and genetics. If you cut off thin, light, hair, it won't do anything if the other factors are set for thin, light, hair. You actually risk injuring babies delicate scalp if done unprofessionally or carelessly, thus causing a PERMANENT bald spot.

The Illusion 

Baby hair is often soft, light, and very wispy with thin ends. Cutting this off gives the illusion of fuller hair because the ends get blunt, presenting a wider surface at the tip, same reason why an adult getting a haircut seems to get fuller hair instantly. Plus African hair will grow back curlier than what baby was born with, again seeming fuller sometimes so there goes that.

Healthy Baby

Hair, like nails, is just so much dead and dying tissue, and while you need to feed well for it to grow well, body cells will die either way so the hair does not in any way feed on you or your body's resources. Baby being unhealthy because of hair is just a very malicious rumor started to scare people into cutting it off because honestly, just try and put hair growth and baby health being inversely proportional in a sensible statement. Am waiting....

Actual Risks

There is one thing that should be taken care of with this whole hair affair, and this is if you do decide to cut it off after all, due to pressure from people (most of whom had/have bald babies) or just for your personal reasons. Toto has a very light and sensitive scalp, which is still developing, and any nick made by a shaving instrument can permanently scar their scalp, even leading to a permanent bald spot in the future. Also, the instruments used need to be totally pristine so as to avoid infecting the baby with internal disease in the unfortunate event of a cut, or external disease e.g. skin issues if the instrument had been used by a sufferer.

Myths

At the end of the day pregnancy and child rearing remain open to a lot of baseless and dysfunctional myths and beliefs due to the process itself being so difficult to understand and full of wonder, and this is just one of those unfortunate myths. All around the world you will find a version of it, and yet there are millions of mums like me who are living proof of the whole hair affair being a lie. If you feed your baby well and care for them and love them unconditionally then the results of your labor of love will be evident for all the world to see. So until the day I or someone I know and trust comes up with solid evidence in the contrary, the hair will remain.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks post, and of course if you have any feedback concerning the same then let me know about it in the comments section, as I would love to hear a few different people's perspectives on this issue. Take care, and see you again next week! 💖