What is the matter with black hair on the newborn? Is it normal for a newborn to have black hair?

My baby is less than a month old. Today I found some black hair on his body. I am worried that he is sick. What is the reason for black hair on a newborn? Is it normal for a newborn to have black hair?

What's wrong with black hair?

When a baby is just born, not only his body but also his face will be covered with black hair. This is lanugo, don't worry, it will fall off by itself after about a week.

This is a normal phenomenon. It is what the old people call lanugo, the hair brought from the mother's womb. When the child grows up, it will slowly fall off and the skin will become smooth. There is no need to worry.

When to shave the lanugo

1. In some places, there is a custom that when a baby is one month old, they have to shave their hair and even their eyebrows. It is believed that in this way, the baby's hair and eyebrows will grow black, dense and beautiful in the future. Shaving can easily damage the skin and cause skin infection. If bacteria invade the roots of the hair and destroy the hair follicles, not only will the hair not grow well, but it will backfire and cause hair loss. Therefore, it is better not to shave the "full moon head".

2. Experts believe that there is no scientific basis for "shaving the baby's hair after one month". Whether the hair grows fast or slow, thin or thick, or how much or how little has nothing to do with whether or not to shave the baby's hair. Instead, it is related to the child's growth and development, nutritional status, and genetics. The baby's skin is thin, tender, and weak in resistance. Shaving can easily damage the skin and cause skin infection. If bacteria invade the roots of the hair and destroy the hair follicles, not only will the hair not grow well, but it will backfire and cause hair loss. Therefore, it is better not to shave the baby's hair after one month.

3. If the baby is born with thick hair and it happens to be a hot summer, to prevent eczema, it is recommended to shave the baby's hair short, but shaving the head is not recommended. Do not shave the scalp that has eczema, otherwise it is more susceptible to infection.

Is it necessary to shave the lanugo?

Many young parents like to shave their babies' hair and eyebrows after they are one month old. They think that doing so will make their children's hair and eyebrows grow dark and thick in the future. In fact, this practice lacks scientific basis.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "hair is the surplus of blood". As long as the body is healthy, the hair will grow fast and dense; while the hair of unhealthy people will grow sparsely or even fall off in pieces, and the hair will be dull and yellow. In addition, the skin of infants is thin and tender, and the stratum corneum of the epidermis is not fully developed. When shaving the head and eyebrows, the infant is ignorant and active and not easy to cooperate, which can easily damage the skin and allow bacteria to take advantage of the opportunity, thus causing suppurative inflammation of the skin and other infectious diseases. If bacteria invade the hair roots of the skin and cause folliculitis, it will also affect the normal growth of hair and even cause hair loss. If the eyebrows are infected and ulcerated, and scars form after the ulcer heals, then eyebrows will never grow again. Generally speaking, the eyebrows of infants will fall off and be replaced by themselves in the 3-6 months after birth for metabolism. Therefore, young parents should not shave the hair and eyebrows of full-month babies, which is harmful and useless.