All the mommies and daddies out there have definitely thought about this question a hundred times. When is the right time for my child’s first haircut?
How many of us would have actually thought about this problem before the birth of our child?
I know a lot of you out there are hunting for answers for this question.
The truth is that there is probably no right or wrong time to go with the first haircut. It probably depends on the length of the baby’s hair and if the hair is falling on their eyes. There are several regions all over the world, where there are cultural practices regarding the child’s first haircut.
Rituals about first haircut
In Hindu and Muslim cultures, they have a ritual of shaving the child’s head, within the first birthday in Hindus and on the seventh day in Muslims. The head shaving ritual is also present in some other cultures too.
The timing does not matter
It is best decided depending on the comfort of the child. Some infants are conceived with a head brimming with hair. These babies will have rapid hair growth and probably will need a haircut within a couple of months.
On the other hand, some babies do not have much hair during birth, and as they grow, the hair volume increases. For these babies, a haircut is not needed for a long time. So, it is best advised to decide on the length of the hair.
Is hair falling on the eyes?
Another factor you will have to see is if the hair is falling on the eyes of the child. Usually the hair on the front of the head have the tendency to fall on the eyes, especially if the child has straight hair.
In these circumstances, you can always chop off only the bangs if you are not ready to give the child a complete haircut.
Just make sure that the haircut is given after the child is fed or when the child is engrossed in something interesting on TV so that there is less chance of the child moving and getting injured or frightened.
Consider climate
The third factor is the climate. If you stay in a place which has hot tropical kind of weather, the heat is already an irritant for your child. All that extra hair on the head and neck will probably irritate your child more. If that is the case, it is easier if the child gets a haircut. The child will be relieved and so will you.
So, don’t fret about the right age for the haircut. Just get it done when it is needed. Make sure you take some precautions before your child’s first haircut.
If you are confident you can do it yourself, it is the best thing to do as you can wait till the baby is asleep. You have to see to it that the child does not see the scissors as it may scare the child.
Even if you are going to take the baby to a hairdresser, carry along some snacks, probably a few engrossing videos on your phone or the child’s favourite toy to keep him/her distracted during the entire duration of the haircut.
Now that you know that there is no fixed time for a haircut, relax and let the hair guide you to the right time.
