Life
5 Old Wives' Tales About Your Baby Being Born With Lots Of Hair
I can't go to a salon without the stylist commenting on the massive amount of thick hair on my head; it's happened every trip for as long as I can remember, even when I was a little girl. So I guess it should come as no surprise that my babies have all emerged from the womb with a full head of hair as well. Apparently, the strength of my mane obliterates my husband's gene pool. Luckily, we happen to think hairy babies are the absolute cutest kind and turns out, there are tons of old wives' tales about your baby being born with lots of hair. Come on now, who doesn't love a heaping dose of pregnancy myths that may or may not be true? It's fun to hear what has traditionally been said throughout generations, even if it turns out to be medically disproven. Because think about it: For every old wives' tale that's complete and total bologna, there is one out there that seems pretty darn true. Because hey, who better than old wives to know a thing or two about babies? I'm just saying.
Just for fun, here are five old wives' tales you should know about your baby's hair.
1Heartburn In Pregnancy Means A Hairy Babe
The idea that a woman with heartburn during pregnancy must be carrying a baby with a lot of hair is one of the most well-known old wives' tales. But surprisingly, science has backed this one up. Fit Pregnancy reported that research at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore found that, "When pregnant women reported moderate heartburn, they had hairy newborns 82 percent of the time; the majority of heartburn-free women gave birth to bald babies."
2Cutting A Baby's Hair Before Their First Birthday Is Bad Luck
There's no way to identify where this myth came from, but superstitions of everything from bad luck to bad hair — even to going blind! — abound, according to the Fisher-Price website. But this far-fetched old wives' tale has not been proven by research and is completely unsubstantiated. Breathe easy, mom and dad: If you give your baby a haircut, shorter hair will be the only lasting result.
3Shaving Baby's Head Creates Healthy Hair Growth
The myth that shaving a baby's head will result in hair that grows back thicker, fuller, and more luxurious is most popular in Asian cultures. But as Singapore trichologist Leonica Kei told the South China Morning Post, we are all born with the hair follicles that genetics gave us — follicles that determine how much and what type of hair we'll have. These can't be changed, so whether you live in the East or the West, shaving your little one won't change their genetics one bit — and could put them at risk for injury.
4Feeding Them Carrots Or Crusts Of Bread Will Make Your Baby's Hair Curly
Once your baby hits the 6-month mark and is able to digest some solids, you might hear about the old wives' tale suggesting carrots and bread crusts will give your little one the soft, luxurious tendrils of your dreams. Sounds pretty angelic, right? But alas, this again is nothing but wishful thinking. Still, you shouldn't skimp on the bread crust; its been shown to contain eight times the antioxidants of other parts of the bread, noted the University of Utah. So even if your baby's hair stays straight, she'll be the healthier for it!
5Baby Hair Should Be Washed Until It Squeaks
You know the term "squeaky clean"? There's a mommy myth that you should actually scrub your baby's hair until it squeaks, or else it's not clean enough. This is a totally bogus claim, and actually, lathering up your little one too much will strip their hair of its natural oils and make it frizzy and dry, noted What to Expect. Assuming that's not the look you're hoping for, this is another old wives' tale that's better left untouched.
