So, just as you’re settling into motherhood and getting the hang of the million skills you’re required to learn as a new mum, you start to notice your baba’s hair becoming thinner at the back.
Immediately, panic sets in: is something wrong? The short answer is no - baby bald spots are totally normal and much more common than most of us realise.
The long answer is that babies develop bald spots because they spend a lot of time sleeping on their back, creating friction between the back of their head and the surface they’re blissfully snoozing away on. This causes their delicate hair to tangle and break, and is known as pressure or friction alopecia.
Stay chill though, mama, there’s still no need to panic; this is only temporary, and there are many steps you can take to prevent baby bald patches and promote new hair growth. We’ve put together a list of the most effective methods, so that you can rest easy knowing that your little one’s hair is taken care of.
Switch to silk
Alternate sides
Encourage tummy time
Brush before bed
Avoid harsh chemicals
The first thing to look at changing is your baba’s bedding - this is what’s putting the friction into friction alopecia. Rough fibre materials like cotton rub the back of your little one’s head while they sleep, causing matting, frizz and hair loss.
We created the problem-solving Silk Sheet, and more affordable Silk Split Sheet, for this very reason. Our pure, 22-momme mulberry silk sheets reduce friction by allowing delicate hair to glide freely over the super smooth fabric, keeping your baby’s hair looking soft, healthy and bald spot free.
Not only do luxurious silk sheets for babies promote hair growth, they’re also naturally anti-bacterial, hypoallergenic and uninhabitable to pesky dust mites, making them perfect for little ones suffering with allergies, sensitive skin, or eczema. What’s more, they come in a range of gorgeous colours, so you can find the perfect fit for your little angel.
Available for Moses Basket , Side Cot Bedsheet, and our machine-washable cot bed silk sheet are here to support happy hair + silky skin through every stage of your baby’s sleep journey. Certified as Sleep Safe by The Lullaby Trust and free from harmful dyes and chemicals under OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, you can rely on the little silk for quality, safety and a dreamy night’s sleep.
Once routines are established, it’s likely you’ll find your groove at naptime and place your little one down in the same position every time, which leads to repeated friction and pressure on the same spot. According to paediatrician Eboni Hollier, “alternating your baby’s head from either side during sleep” to distribute the pressure more evenly, can prevent hair loss and also stop your baby’s head from becoming flat in one area.
When your little one is awake, let them spend lots of supervised time on their tummy. As well as encouraging healthy neck strength, this will reduce friction by reducing the amount of time your baby is on their back or having their head supported. When your bub gets a little bit older, they’ll naturally want to roll over more and keep their own head up, which will allow even more time for their hair to grow back.
Ensuring your baba goes tangle-free off to the land of nod will slow down the matting, and eventual breakage of hair, that can lead to baby bald patches. Gently brushing your baby’s hair before bed will get rid of any little precursor knots, putting you one step ahead in the baby bald spot prevention game. Just make sure you use a product designed especially for delicate hair and skin, like a baby brush or comb.
PSA: you probably don’t need to be washing your baby’s hair as often as you think you do. In fact, you might want to skip the shampoo altogether - your baba’s hair and skin is much more delicate than ours, and foaming products can be really stripping of nourishing natural oils. Though it may seem like it’s ‘not enough’, rinsing with just water is a great option as it leaves the healthy natural oils where they belong, promotes hair and scalp hydration, and makes the hair less likely to tangle and break.
We hope our top tips for baby bald spot prevention have really been helpful for you, and that we’ve put your mind at ease a little bit if your baby is losing hair.
Do you have any tips of your own that have helped with baby hair loss? We’d love to hear them - you can find us on Instagram @thelittlesilk to continue the conversation.
