A child”s first haircut: is it possible to cut hair before a year?

For parents, a child’s first haircut is a significant turning point. Many people are unsure of the ideal time to cut their baby’s hair. Parents are unsure of what to do when their child’s hair is cut before a year because of old beliefs that cutting hair before that time can harm a child’s health or bring misfortune.

In actuality, each child grows hair uniquely, so there is no set standard for when to begin cutting. Some newborns have almost no hair at all, while others have a full head. The child’s needs and one’s own preferences ultimately determine whether or not to cut one’s hair.

For practical reasons, such as when the hair is getting in their eyes or becoming difficult to manage, parents may want to give their child a haircut. However, some people would rather wait for sentimental or cultural reasons. Making the best choice for your family can be aided by your understanding of the benefits and drawbacks.

For many parents, their child’s first haircut is a memorable occasion, but there’s a misconception that cutting a baby’s hair before their first birthday could be dangerous. In actuality, there is no medical or scientific justification for delaying getting a haircut. Based on their own personal or cultural preferences, the parents have complete control over the choice, which will not have an impact on the baby’s health or hair growth. If you’re thinking about it, just make sure the infant is at ease and select a gentle, safe method for their first trimester.

Folk traditions

Children’s hair starts to grow during the intrauterine development stage, long before they are born. The fetus’s genetic makeup determines whether it will grow more quickly or more slowly and what color it will be. This explains why newborns differ so greatly from one another: some are bald, some have solid hairstyles, and some are brunettes or blondes. But regardless of the child’s hair type at birth, the parents eventually receive a legitimate question: "When can I cut my child’s hair?"

There is an opinion that you can"t cut a child"s hair before the age of one year. And this quite noticeably worries parents whose babies were born with long curls. Already by 3-4 months, the hair begins to stick out in all directions, the child"s head sweats, the hairs bother him, and if it is a hot summer outside, then prickly heat regularly forms on the head. If, in addition, the child has a bald spot on the back of his head (a normal phenomenon and has nothing to do with rickets), then the child looks absolutely terrifying, the baby looks like a disheveled sparrow with feathers sticking out in different directions and makes a very pitiful impression.

While many parents are eager to give their child a short, tidy haircut, they are constantly receiving advice from friends, family, older people, and online advisors saying that a baby’s hair should never be cut before the age of one.

This information has its roots in the distant past. Hair has magical qualities for a long time.

It was thought that they gave him a subtle connection to God or higher powers and served as a storehouse of experience, strength, and knowledge. Amulets were fashioned from the hair of the first children, which was believed to possess magical properties, for both the child and the mother. As a result, they kept their hair like the apple of their eye and never even discussed what to do with it after cutting.

A child’s first hair was thought to be the most healing for him. It was thought that they could bring luck into his life and heal him in the event of a sickness. In order to create amulets, hair was braided, wrapped in a tourniquet, and concealed inside a medallion that was worn around the child’s neck. Mothers in Armenia and Georgia used to tuck their newborns’ hair between the pages of a book, choosing a thicker volume in the hopes that it would help the child grow up to be intelligent.

In order to prevent evil sorcerers from using the hair in their rituals and birds from using it to build nests, some of the first children’s hair was burned or buried in a secret location. The hair was buried in an anthill in the forest if parents wanted their child to become wealthy.

In terms of haircuts, it was not common practice to trim a child’s hair in its early years. In order for the girl to have long braids when she got married, girls were not cut at all and boys were cut after two to three years.

Ethnic tradition researchers assert that the high infant mortality rate resulting from primitive medicine is what led to the reverent attitude toward the hair of the first children. Mothers attempted during the first year of the child’s life to avoid becoming accustomed to him because they were unable to withstand bacteria, viruses, and other threats. As a result, they claimed that the newborn simply had eyes and is aware of his family; he has the right to leave the world at any time.

That was the first year that was deemed important. It was customary to cut a child’s hair only after a year, as it signifies acceptance and full membership in the family.

Claims regarding the dangers of haircuts before a year were gradually overwhelmed by a variety of indicators. For this reason, you can hear justifications for this prohibition nowadays.

• If you cut a child"s hair before a year, he will not speak well. It was believed that cutting hair in a mental sense shortened the language and memory.
• A haircut before a year can greatly frighten a child. This fear can deform the personality as a whole – the child will grow up cowardly, faint-hearted.
• Cutting hair before the age of one year can lead to the fact that the child will experience severe financial difficulties all his life, he will be literally tormented by need, poverty.

A boy in Rus received his first haircut on Maundy Thursday, which is a few days before Easter.

At the ceremony was a midwife who had delivered a baby three years prior (they had cut their hair when they were three years old). The godparents of the infant were also invited. The godfather or the oldest male in the family had the right to cut the first lock of hair. Before the haircut, they slashed a cross across the child’s head in the belief that this would shield them from the influence of evil spirits and cruel people. A thread was used to gather and draw back the hair. Up to adulthood, they were kept in storage.

Once more, a grown-up young man chopped off a strand and combined it with baby hair. Amulets were created in this manner to help men who were heading to battle.

The optimal age for the first haircut

Recalling the motivations behind the creation of the ancient signs regarding children’s hair of various peoples makes it clear that such rituals are no longer necessary in the modern era of advanced medicine and low infant mortality.

Now let’s take a scientific look at baby hair. Genetics determines a child’s hair type, not when or how they received their first haircut.

If a child does not have a thick hairstyle from birth, parents will not be able to improve the thickness and quality of his hair by shaving his head bald, cutting his hair only after a year, or following other myths.

The first hair resembles fluff because it is extremely thin and has a weak medulla. However, once the neonatal period ends after the first month, it starts to grow at a pace of roughly one centimeter per month.

Thus, it can be concluded that when a child and his parents require it, they should get a haircut. At two months, trim his hair if it starts to get in the way. Feel free to end it sooner if it becomes too much after six months. If you want to appreciate your long child’s curls, do not cut at all. A lush shock of hair up to a year or year and a half does not bother, there is no diaper rash, and cooking does not sweat.

It is obvious that you must evaluate the circumstances sensibly, taking into account the season, the apartment’s temperature, the child’s dressing habits (warm or light), and the sensitivity of his skin. It is important to observe if the child is bothered by the hair and if it gets in their eyes.

The first haircut is decided upon by the parents. And it will be beneficial if they base this choice on common sense rather than omens and superstitions.

Regarding the necessity of shaving a child’s head bald, opinions differ. However, it suffices to state that there isn’t a single scientific or medical argument supporting the claim that people with shaved heads eventually grow thicker hair. As a result, parents ought to make this decision for themselves. If your child has bald spots on his head, let him shave; if not, let him get a cut yourself or take him to a children’s hair salon, where he will receive a model-quality haircut.

Even though there are now a lot of these places open, it is still advised to give the baby their first haircut at home since they are more comfortable there. Select scissors with rounded tips to prevent unintentional harm to the infant. Try cutting the baby’s hair while they’re sleeping if they’re erratic.

Hair care

You must take good care of the first baby locks, no matter what age parents choose to cut their child’s hair. This will assist in averting a few annoyances and challenges.

The following are general guidelines for taking care of a baby’s head.

• Do not use baby soap to wash hair. Buy special baby shampoos with neutral acidity. This will help to maintain a protective lipid layer on the hair shaft. Also, do not wash your hair with detergents more than once a week. Destruction of the protective layer is fraught with dry skin and seborrhea, since the work of the sebaceous glands is disrupted.
• Do not use herbal decoctions for hair care. Despite numerous tips and claims that chamomile decoction or oak bark strengthens the structure of children"s hair, doctors have managed to establish only one connection – between decoctions and childhood allergies. Decoctions do not affect hair growth or thickness at all.
• Do not comb wet hair of a baby. Wait until it dries. Do not use a hair dryer to dry. Comb your child"s hair with a baby comb with blunt teeth, so as not to damage or injure the scalp.
• If there is a tangled ball of hair (the so-called mat), do not try to untangle it, feel free to take scissors and carefully cut it out.

You should definitely consult a pediatrician if you notice seborrheic crusts, rashes, pustules on the baby’s head, or massive hair loss (falling out in clumps). A variety of problems may be present, and medical professionals are qualified to handle their treatment.

It’s a personal choice to cut a baby’s hair before they turn one, and there is no right or wrong response. It’s crucial to take the child’s comfort and the customs and values of your family into account.

There isn’t any scientific proof that premature hair cutting has any drawbacks. Waiting until your baby is more accustomed to sitting still might be preferable, though, if they become uncomfortable or agitated during the procedure.

In the end, you and your child should decide when it feels right to give your child their first haircut. When the hair gets in the way, some parents might feel it’s time for a trim, while others would rather preserve those first locks as a memory.

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