Whether you're working with a cue ball or mop top, here's when your baby's permanent hair will grow in — and how to care for those locks (or lack thereof) in the meantime.
While a few babies come out with perfectly styled locks, many start off with a spiky mohawk, tufted patches or the scraggly comb-over of a little Homer Simpson. And even more have almost nothing at all. Whatever your baby’s hairstyle du jour, don’t worry too much — or get too attached. Newborn 'dos are hair today, gone tomorrow. Here’s a look at how your baby’s hair can grow and change — plus how to care for whatever coif your cutie’s got.
When do babies grow hair?
Even if your baby is totally bald when she’s born, the seeds of her future locks have long been planted. Hair follicles start to develop by week 14 or 15 of pregnancy, setting the stage for future strands to sprout.
That’s not to say your newborn will necessarily come into the world with a full head of hair — far from it. Most babies have almost none when they’re first born, and the tiny tresses that emerge in those early weeks and months could very well shed between 2 and 3 months.
As for when she’ll start sporting a permanent load of locks. Know that it’ll happen eventually. Exactly when that happens can be anyone’s guess — it’s different for every child. Some get a great new head of hair by 6 months, some not for two or three years. And even if those strands are sparse early on, it doesn’t mean your child’s hair will be thin when she’s older.
