As a parent, it’s an interesting experience watching your child’s appearance and personality change and develop as they grow. It’s a joyful experience and a fun guessing game to play when they’re young. One question you may find yourself asking is what their hair will look like when they grow up. It’s hard to tell in young toddlers since so many are still growing in their mature hair. Babies go through a lot of changes in their early years and their hair is no exception.
Will it stay light, will it be curly or straight? Will they inherit your frizz? There are a lot of questions that can be hard to nail down an answer to. But in this article, we’ll do our best to answer questions about your toddler’s hair, if it will stay curly as they get older, and address common misconceptions about what makes them lose their curls.
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When a baby’s hair texture will change
A toddler may have curly hair, but don’t get too attached. The hair a newborn child is born with isn’t the hair they’ll end up keeping as they grow and develop. Babies often lose all the newborn hair they were born with by the time they’re six months old. Around six months of age is when their permanent hair starts to grow. Babies are born with every hair follicle they’ll have throughout their life, just not with the mature hair or texture they’ll have as older children or adults.
Infant hair loss
Often, you’ll notice hair loss as your child gets older. This usually isn’t a reason for concern for a parent. There are lots of reasons for hair loss in infants, which is also known as alopecia. Typically, it’s because they’re losing their newborn hair before growing out their mature hair. Shedding the newborn hair is normal and usually peaks around three months old.
Friction from where they lay their head on the crib mattress while sleeping can often cause bald spots in babies. That’s most common in toddlers around three to six months old. The hair usually grows back once they’re able to sit up and can take about six to twelve months to regrow.
Another common cause of hair loss in infants is wearing tight hairstyles, like a ponytail or braid. If tight hairstyles are avoided, hair loss will start to improve. Similarly, using a comb too roughly can cause mild hair loss. Be gentle and try to make sure hairstyles aren’t held in place too tightly.
Will they lose their curls
It’s hard to say. If you notice curls when your toddler’s permanent hair starts growing in, it’s likely their hair will continue to have a curly texture. Especially if you take into account genetics, and if there are others in the family with curly hair, like mom or dad. But babies do go through a lot of changes as they grow, and you’ll probably notice significant shifts in your daughter or son’s hair texture throughout their childhood. It’s even possible their hair could grow straight to become curly later. So, if you’re hoping for curls or trying to preserve the curls you see, there’s absolutely a possibility those curls will last and be part of their hairstyle through adulthood.
A common thought among parents who want to keep the curls is that a hair trim will impact how they grow back. If you notice curliness at the ends of your toddler’s hair but straight hair on top, it’s possible their mature hair is going to grow in straight anyway. A hair trim doesn’t affect the way your child’s hair will grow in. Losing curls isn’t a product of a cut, but it’s common advice found on the internet. You can talk to a hairstylist about ways to keep your kid’s hair healthy and if there are any products, like a shampoo or hair conditioner that can preserve the curls.
Final takeaways
It’s impossible to say if a toddler’s curls will stick around even if you would love to know. Infants go through so many stages with their texture and appearance as they grow. But if you keep your child’s hair healthy, and wait patiently, it’s possible those curls will stick around. Only time will tell!
