Shaving a Baby’s Hair for Thicker Hair - Is it a Myth?

To affect hair growth you have to affect the structure responsible for it, namely the hair follicle. The hair follicle is subcutaneous and unaffected by the act of shaving, in which a razor blade passes over the surface of your skin. With this in mind the answer is a simple yes, it is a myth that shaving a babies hair for a thicker growth works.

Why would people think that shaving a baby’s hair results in thicker growth?

Many babies use the hair with which they were born within 4 months of being born before a new mop of hair kicks in. Some mums may be concerned about this stage, where their baby can be bald and awaiting a new crop of hair, and so you can imagine that they would want to try something to encourage a new growth of thicker hair.


The perception that it might be growing at a different pace is because of the appearance of stubbly, newly grown hair on a previously clean shaven scalp. This is simply a misperception of otherwise normal hair growth, and is not indicative of any change in the texture of the hair growing back. Baby’s hair after birth also tapers to a natural point, giving it a finer appearance. In contrast, cut hair (even adult cut hair) leaves a sharp tip which is thicker than the older tip, but still no different.  

What does affect my baby’s hair growth then?

The main and key factor that determines a baby’s hair growth is genetics. It may take some time to grow hair, but ultimately a baby’s hair is only as thick as Mum or Dad’s! Rather than going ahead and giving your baby a haircut that’s not likely to be easy for either of you, provide your child with the nutrition they need to grow a healthy crop of hair.

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