1 Bald or long hair?
From keeping little heads almost entirely smooth to a few very fine and sparse hair, up to already thick and exuberant hair. Every newborn is different and their hair proves it. According to experts, these differences are based on hereditary and genetic factors combined with the influence of maternal hormones, to which the fetus is exposed in intrauterine life. It also appears that children with darker skin tend to be born with more hair.2 Hair already in the belly
Babies are not always born with hair, but it seems that everyone, when they are still in the belly, has it, or rather has the scalp covered by the so-called fetal fleece: a fine fluff that forms due to the massive presence of maternal-fetus estrogens -placental and which tends to disappear at the end of the eighth month of gestation. It will be during the following weeks that we will witness the formation of eyebrows and hair in the fetus. Curiosity within curiosity: premature babies have much thicker hair at birth (that is, what remains of the fetal fleece) not only on the skull but also on the back, arms and legs; late newborns instead have an almost completely regressed neonatal fleece.3 The change of hair
Whether they are few or many at birth, within a few months the first hairs tend to fall out, to be replaced by thicker and stronger ones. A physiological replacement that generally occurs within the first year of life, and more rarely within the second or third, due to the decrease in placental hormones. Usually, while the first hair falls out, the following ones are already growing, so that the baby's head is always more or less covered; other times, however, fronto-parietal alopecia can occur, but it is a temporary phenomenon that does not imply damage to the hair follicles.
4 Temporary and permanent colours
Babies who are born very blond, with hair so light as to seem Nordic, within a few years can take on brown or reddish tones, while newborns with brown hair can gradually lighten, reaching warm golden browns. One could say that, when it comes to hair and babies, more or less everything is possible: although the genetic heritage is certainly not to be underestimated, a significant weight at birth is in fact also covered by melanin, the pigment that influences the color of skin and hair, the concentration of which can vary with the maturation of the individual, under the influence of sex hormones.
5 When and how to wash the baby's hair?
In the first four months of life, the newborn has little hair, so warm water is enough to wash it, perhaps mixed with rice starch, or, for those who wish, a neutral shampoo. There is no precise timing, generally when you take a bath you can also cleanse your hair, taking care to touch the baby's head gently and pay attention to the fountains. After washing, dab the hair with a soft towel, while for the hairdryer (always at tepid temperature and at a distance of 50 cm) it is better to wait for more conspicuous hair.
6 The cradle cap
When it comes to hair in the newborn, it is inevitable to deal with the topic of cradle cap: a physiological and benign, but rather unsightly, condition which protects the scalp and, in itself, does not require any special treatments. When you remove it, in fact, it is essentially for aesthetic reasons. Here's how to proceed: at bath time, gently massage the baby's head with a cotton ball soaked in a delicate oil (for example sweet almond oil), to dissolve the sebum and soften the scales, which are then removed with a comb with soft tips. The procedure can be repeated daily.
There is no specific age, but certainly there is no need to be in a hurry. Generally, the logic behind the first cut is necessity: the hair starts to be cut when, growing up, it can actually annoy the little one or, with the summer, make him sweat too much. The first cut, as well as the subsequent ones, can be easily done by mum or dad with common scissors with rounded tips.
6 The cradle cap 
When it comes to hair in the newborn, it is inevitable to deal with the topic of cradle cap: a physiological and benign, but rather unsightly, condition which protects the scalp and, in itself, does not require any special treatments. When you remove it, in fact, it is essentially for aesthetic reasons. Here's how to proceed: at bath time, gently massage the baby's head with a cotton ball soaked in a delicate oil (for example sweet almond oil), to dissolve the sebum and soften the scales, which are then removed with a comb with soft tips. The procedure can be repeated daily.
7 The first cut
There is no specific age, but certainly there is no need to be in a hurry. Generally, the logic behind the first cut is necessity: the hair starts to be cut when, growing up, it can actually annoy the little one or, with the summer, make him sweat too much. The first cut, as well as the subsequent ones, can be easily done by mum or dad with common scissors with rounded tips.
Neonatal hair and maternal predictions
According to a 2006 study published in the journal Birth – Issues in Perinatal Care, there appears to be an association between the intensity of heartburn a pregnant woman may experience and the amount of hair on her baby's head lately. of pregnancy, and then at birth. According to scholars, those responsible for both phenomena would be high levels of progesterone and estrogen, which stimulate hair growth in the uterus and simultaneously relax the mother's esophagus, causing reflux and heartburn. A lot of burning, therefore, should presumably correspond to a lot of hair, and vice versa.
