How to Grow out Bald Spots – Babies/Children

Hello everyone I know it’s been quite a while and I thought to create a post on how to grow out bald spots in babies/children. In a future post I will tackle bald spots in adults. Now before we get into the post we first need to identify what a bald spot is. A bald spot is any area of the hair – usually a designated spot on the scalp which contains no hair. Babies usually tend to have one huge bald spot at the back of their heads however they may also have several bald spots. This type of hair loss usually occurs where a baby is between 3-6 months old.

Next we need to identify what causes bald spots in babies. A common reason for bald spots in babies is due to the fact that they are constantly placed on their backs to sleep. The friction from the baby’s head rubbing against the cotton sheets can result in bald spots where the hair around the back of their heads begins to thin out until it eventually becomes a bald spot. The bald spot can continue to spread and grow even wider if the situation is not addressed. Paediatricians recommend that we place babies on their backs to sleep to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). So it is absolutely crucial that you continue to place babies on their backs to sleep.

Babies also spend a long time on their backs when sitting or reclining on products made out of cotton or cotton/blend fabrics such as car seats, strollers, bouncers, bassinets, etc. The cotton fabric may end up gripping or tugging at their delicate hair strands which may also lead to bald spots.

In this post I will be sharing things that can be done to grow the hair in your baby’s bald spot. It is important that you remedy this situation so that your baby does not carry on having bald spots through the toddler stage. Now when my son was about 6 months old I observed he was developing a bald spot and I implemented some things to grow his hair out and by the time he turned 10 months his bald spot had completely grown out. Now I will be sharing what I did, here goes:

In the first picture he was about 8 months I had already started using the Wura's Secret Hair Growth Oil for Kids; in the next one, he was about 14 months and had got his first hair cut. You can see the bald spot had completely grown out

1. Use a Growth Aid: When your baby has a bald spot it is good to use a growth aid to encourage and stimulate hair growth around that area. I would recommend that you use a growth aid from when your baby is about 6 months. In my son’s case I waited until he was about 7 months before I started using anything on his scalp. It is important to remember that children’s scalps are sensitive so you must be careful about the growth aid you use especially when the child is under 1 year old. You may also want to conduct a patch test to be sure that your baby will not have an allergic reaction to using the product you choose. The growth aid I used for my own son was the Wura’s Secret Hair Growth Oil for Kids. This Oil is mildly formulated with all natural ingredients and yet it is effective to work on children’s tender scalps. Some mothers have used this product on their babies who are as little as 4-5 months old and they have experienced excellent results from using it.

For any growth aid you choose I recommend using a more natural alternative which may be safer for your baby. Other natural growth aids you may want to try out include coconut oil, castor oil, etc.

In using any growth aid be sure to apply it to your child’s scalp at least three times a week. For better results you may apply it daily. However for babies you would find that their scalp/hair tends to accumulate products easily. So you may want to rinse their hair and scalp daily with water to remove some of the oil to prevent product build up.

2. Use a Gentle Shampoo: Babies need to have their hair washed more regularly than adults (about one to three/four times a week). When washing their hair it is important that you use a shampoo specifically formulated for babies. Some good product lines to try include Shea Moisture - Baby, Johnson’s, etc. Always look at the label and check the product ingredients and claims to ensure that you use a good option for your baby.

It is important that when you are shampooing your baby’s hair you do so very gently because too much physical pressure on their heads is not good for them. Also towel dry their hair very gently you may use only a gentle patting motion to dry their hair.

3. Use Conditioner: If you want to grow out your child’s bald spot do not opt out of using a good conditioner. Now I know that shampoos that are specially formulated for children’s hair may have some conditioning/moisturising properties. However a conditioning shampoo is not adequate for a child’s hair especially a child that has a bald spot. Now babies in general may not take so kindly to deep conditioning and I honestly don’t feel like there is any need to use a deep conditioner for a child below the ages of 1 - 2.

However it is important that you use a good rinse out conditioner for your child’s hair. When selecting a conditioner be on the lookout for the product ingredients and claims on the bottle to make sure that it is something your child would benefit from using.

When applying the conditioner simply take a dime sized amount or less and gently apply it throughout the child’s hair – do not apply the conditioner to the scalp. Leave it on for about 2 minutes or longer if possible, you may choose to gently comb it through and then rinse out.

4. Moisturise and seal: When you are on a mission to grow out your child’s bald spot it is important that you keep your child’s hair properly hydrated and moisturised. Use a good moisturiser that is formulated specifically for babies/children especially when your baby is less than 1 year old. Always look at the product label looking out for the product’s ingredients and claims. I highly recommend our Wura’s Secret Hair Moisturiser which is mildly formulated for children’s hair to keep it properly moisturised and hydrated.

When using a moisturiser use only the tiniest amount as too much product on a baby’s fine strands would only lead to product build up. Also when sealing the hair the tiniest bit of oil will do.

If you adopt the above methods in caring for your child’s hair, the bald spot would definitely grow out. Also I will recommend the above methods for any child’s healthy hair care regimen in general as using the above methods consistently will yield excellent results. I suggest that you take a picture of your child’s hair prior to using the above methods. Wait about 3 months and then take an after picture. I look forward to the lovely results; please do send me a message with the pictures at wurassecret@gmail.com

Kindly share in the comment section below, how you care for your child’s hair and how you intend to implement the above methods. If you need clarification do share in the comment section below and I would be glad to respond to you. Please let us make the comments section interactive so everyone can benefit.

Now do not let me leave out my mums, if you are a new mum who is dealing with post partum hair loss (hair loss after child birth) then this post here is for you. For everyone I highly recommend my post on Bella Naija titled “5 Reasons why your hair is not growing”. I also share how you can prevent this from happening.

TONKA, xoxo

"... They transferred their trust to the storm itself. The believed the storm would win, that its power was stronger than their resources. This reaction is typical of most of us during trials . When our immediate resources, plans and remedies fail, we begin to trust the forces that are against us. David must have known that temptation. He wrote, "Do not trust oppression" (Psalm 62:10). That seems a crazy thing to trust in, but when other hope gives way, we often begin to believe more in the oppression than in deliverance... Jesus stood up and calmed the sea. Though every other resource failed, Jesus brought relief" - When a Woman Lets Go of Her Fears - Cheryl Brodersen

Reference:

http://www.expectantmothersguide.com/articles/infant-balding/