Baby Hairs: What Are They? Causes And 3 Tips To Style

Thin, wispy baby hairs crowning your hairline can be difficult to style and manage. Sometimes, making them lie flat can be a hassle. They always end up unruly, sticking out, and stubborn to style.

Baby hair strands have a different texture than the rest of your locks. Maintaining and styling them requires dedication. However, once you master the art of grooming them,  your hair will look spectacular! Keep reading to learn how you can style and care for your baby hair or remove it if you want.

What Are Baby Hairs? Is It True That They Do Not Grow Much?

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Baby hairs are short, wispy, and thin hairs that sit around the hairline. The baby hairs around the edges are known as vellus hair and are different from terminal hairⁱ  XDark, thick hair that grows in the armpits, on the scalp, and pubic area that helps maintain body temperature. that grows on the scalp.  Vellus or baby hairs have the same growth pattern as regular scalp hair, and they go through a normal hair cycle. However, the hair cycle phases of vellus hair are shorter than the phases of terminal hair.

Like terminal hair, vellus hair grows from the hair follicle that contains sebaceous glands. However, the glands of vellus hair are not as active as the glands in terminal hair follicles. Due to all these factors,  vellus hair does not grow beyond a certain length (2 mm).

Baby hairs are not likely to cause any trouble unless you try to fashion them to match your hairstyle.  Vellus or baby hairs form the hairline or the “edges” in adults. They are seen around the hairline, above the ears, and at the nape. If you wonder why adults get baby hairs, scroll through the next section.

Did You Know?

The idea of styling baby hairs was popularized by American-French actress, Josephine Baker, in the 1920s.

The Causes Of Baby Hairs

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Adults get baby hair due to a short anagen (hair growth) phase. During the anagen phase, the hair starts to grow. With a short anagen phase, the baby hair cannot grow as long as the terminal hair and cover the scalp. This can happen over several hair growth cycles.

However, sometimes, baby hairs are confused with short hair strands caused by breakage. There is a difference between the two. In the next section, find out how to identify breakage and regular baby hair.

How To Differentiate Between Baby Hairs And Hair Breakage

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You may experience baby hair-like breakage close to the hairline. Continuous traction, tight hairstyles, excessive heat, and chemical damage causes hair breakage close to the hairline. The broken and damaged hair strands appear shorter than the rest of the terminal hair and may stick up.

Here are a few tips to differentiate between baby hair and breakage:

• Damaged hair appears dry and may have split ends.
• If you notice more than usual baby hairs on the hairline, this could be a case of hair breakage.
• Pull up your hair in a tight ponytail. Lift all the short hair strands and observe them. If they are longer than the baby hair strands and sit close to the scalp than the hairline, they are the damaged strands.

You will need to bring your hairstyling techniques under control. Try a change in your usual hairstyle or look out for newer and friendlier hairstyles that do not pull down on your hair as much. This can help you avoid any hair breakage around the hairline.

If you have damaged strands, you need to check your hairstyling routine. Avoid using excessive heat and chemical hairstyling products to prevent hair damage. Managing and styling baby hair can be tough due to the texture difference. Follow these tips to make the baby hair a part of your hairstyling routine.

How To Style Baby Hairs

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1. If the baby hairs are sticking up, tie your hair in a loose bun or ponytail for a natural look, and to hide them.
2. Spritz some hairspray on a toothbrush and spread it lightly over the baby hairs. Lay it in the direction of their growth.
3. Use hair gel or hair wax and comb them down.
4. Blow dry the baby hairs in a specific direction while drying your hair. This will make the baby strands appear less fuzzy.
5. Part your front hair and pin it up in a way to cover the hairline and the baby hairs. Secure the section(s) with bobby pins.

Managing baby hairs can be tough but not impossible if you use the right tools and styling techniques. However, if you do not want baby hairs, you can remove them.

Quick Tip

You can also use a natural-fiber paint brush, a mascara wand, or the pointy end of a rat-tail comb to brush down your baby hairs.

How To Get Rid Of Baby Hairs

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You may consider options like:

• Waxing the hairline and nape
• Laser hair removal (you may need multiple sessions and make the strands fine and less noticeable)
• Cut the edges

However, think twice before removing your baby hairs. Kim Kardashian lasered off her baby hairs and now considers it one of her biggest beauty regrets. Hence, talk to a trichologistⁱ  XSpecialist in hair and scalp-related issues, including hair loss, thinning hair, scalp psoriasis, and itchy scalps. before removal.

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Martine LangsamCertified Trichologist

Martine is a certified trichologist with over 7 years of experience and a California licensed cosmetologist. She is also an established senior stylist with over 36 years of experience. Her interest in healthy hair and lifestyle led her to trichology.   She has a small clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she helps people achieve healthy scalp and...more

Ramona SinhaEditor

 

Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze with 11 years of experience in writing and editing. She has authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She graduated from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, and did her post-graduation from the University of Kalyani, West Bengal. She also did a certificate course in dermatology offered by the Novosibirsk State University...more