The first haircut for babies and toddlers, liliput lounge

The hair falls into the small child’s face, is difficult to tame or just looks tangled – then the first haircut is due. But when should the first strands fall? Does it always have to be a hairdresser who cuts, or rather mom?

Two children. Two stories about hair. My daughter had a full head of hair at birth. Very cute, but not always practical because the hair had to be brushed properly and sometimes washed with a little baby shampoo. Because even the hair of infants does not smell so special when curdled breast milk dries up there. My daughter’s full head of hair remained; at just under nine months, individual strands were so long that they were always in front of her eyes. I pondered. Should I use scissors? Hair clips were unfortunately no solution, they were immediately plucked out again. Very, very carefully I trimmed the strand with the scissors. And was promptly reprimanded by the older neighbor: "This way, the child does not grow full hair, only from the age of two you can cut.".

The hair grew thick and long despite the gloomy forecast. When my daughter was 15 months old, I went to the hairdresser with her. I had inquired extra and found a salon that often made children’s haircuts and had a special children’s chair (with a steering wheel, the child was thrilled). It looked cute. But also a little strange. Since then, my daughter has had her hair cut about every eight weeks. I myself am mercilessly untalented and since various dolls show how bad it looks when I try to shorten my hair, I didn’t want to put my child through it.

The first haircut (© Thinkstock)

My son also has a hairy past. In contrast to his sister, there was not much on his head after birth. A little later he had cradle cap on his bald head. Only I saw the few hairs and affectionately called him "velvet head". At around one year the boy finally had some hair, and the question of trimming those first curls did not arise for me. This time an aunt had advice. I should cut his hair off completely, it would grow closer. But I didn’t stick to that either. The hair grew. Sparse. The little guy had plenty of high receding hairline corners for a long time. Only on the back of his neck did he have really curly curls. I was very tempted to trim it myself, but my husband saved our son. He insisted on a haircut. At almost two years the time had come, a real "boy haircut", the curls fell and, frankly, almost a few tears – from me. He suddenly looked very different.

When does a baby need a haircut?

In fact, there are many different views of when to cut a child’s hair for the first time. If the view is restricted or the hair can hardly be tamed, this is a good reason for trimming. Often purely optical reasons also play a role, because parents find the shorter hair cuter. If a child has particularly full hair, a cut is usually necessary earlier because the hair becomes too lush at some point. Neither does hair get thicker if it is cut early, nor thinner.

Must be a professional?

It can be difficult to handle the scissors skillfully at the same time while calming the restless child. Caution is advised here so that the child does not get injured; a slanted haircut is of course also likely under these circumstances. An alternative is a hair clipper, but it provides a less exciting hair style and can also scare children with its noises. Some parents swear by hairdressers that come into the house, others go to the salon around the corner or that they trust. Ideally, the mother or father and child feel comfortable and the child remains calm and curious.

What to do if the child is scared or very restless?

There are children who are afraid of cutting their hair. Just like there are children who are reluctant to have their nails trimmed. Picture books can help with preparation (for example, “Lotta goes to the hairdresser”, by Friederike Bostelmann or “Tim and Leo. Cutting hair doesn’t hurt”, by Michael Wrede), it is also good if the children their parents have accompanied you to cut your hair before. Fear should be taken seriously, perhaps an explanation will help, namely that hair can grow back. If the child is really very fearful or refuses, the visit to the hairdresser should be postponed. Incentives such as special chairs often help – or a self-experiment, then the offspring of a doll or even dad can carefully trim the hair.

If a child is very fidgety, can it take a seat at the hairdresser’s instead of the chair on mom? Reading stories or simply holding hands can also be helpful. It is best to inquire whether the hairdresser has experience with children, because then she often has good tricks in store for herself.

What to do if the haircut is messed up?

Unfortunately, the same applies as for adults. Wait. At some point the hair grows again. For little girls, hair clips or hair bands can hide the accident cut, for little boys a strubbell look with some gel can be seen.

What to do with the first curl?

Many parents want to keep the first strand of hair or curl. Why not? It can be glued into the photo album or placed in a treasure chest with a small ribbon. Point this out to the professional when visiting the hairdresser, then he or she will pluck something from the child’s shoulders before the hair is on the ground land.

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Christina Cherry
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