How to wash baby’s hair
Babies can seem very fragile, and bathing them can be a tricky thing, especially when they’re too young to sit up, but old enough to be wriggly and slippery. Many mothers wash their baby’s hair during bath-time because it’s more convenient, but there are some key things to keep in mind on wash day.
As the child gets older, practices can be adjusted, but certain key steps should be maintained during hair washing.
Dermatologist Dr Neil Persadsingh says washing the hair can be a source of concern, especially for a mom with her first child. He encourages that this should be done using tepid water in a baby’s bath tub and with a mild shampoo which is applied to the baby’s hair.
Here are some other tips:
1. For young babies, keep the baby wrapped in a towel, put your arm under her back and your hand behind her head. With your free hand, wet your baby’s hair with the washcloth while standing over baby’s bathtub. Apply a small amount of gentle baby wash, rub and rinse. The baby shouldn’t need more than one shampoo. Dry with a towel immediately after.
2. For young babies, it’s best to wash the hair during bath-time. Do the washing first, following the steps above. Only once you’ve dried their hair gently and thoroughly should you proceed to bath time.
3. Note that many babies hate to have their hair washed, and shampoo in the eyes is no fun. Always use gentle, no-tears shampoo for your baby. This does not mean that you should allow soap to get into the baby’s eyes. As much as possible, try to avoid this.
4. As the child gets older, you can experiment with other ways to wash the hair. One suggestion is to have the child sit in the bath-tub, and purchase an extended shower head so the child can lean back while you wash. Continue this practice for as long as the child is comfortable. Do not switch to the lean-forward method until the child is ready, even if it is more convenient for you. Shampoo time shouldn’t be screaming time.
5. Do not use harsh shampoos and conditioners even on an older child. The child should not be using the same shampoo that you are using for colour-treated or damaged hair. The gentler, the better.
6. If your child is a screamer, it may be that you’ll need to employ other strategies to make her comfortable. Purchase special shampoo visors, which keep the soap totally off the face, and use earplugs so water doesn’t enter the ears. You can also allow the child to wash her doll’s hair at the same time, so her mind will be off the process.
7. For those with thicker locks, detangle the hair during the conditioning process, and braid or twist while the hair is still wet. This will prevent tangling later, and the pain for the child of you having you detangle.
Model: Isabella Dukram
