If these scalp-sprouting, forehead-skimming micro-sized hair is the bane of your existence, join in on the hate-train because I’m their biggest-ever detractor. I’ve never been able to pull my hair into a sky-high updo, and been satisfied with the way I look—and I wonder whether I’m even destined to experience the joy of a neat, slicked-back ponytail that doesn’t need to be revised more than twice. Ah—thanks to my job, I’m always on the lookout for solutions to my first-world problems, and I’ve found a way to style my babies glamorously (thanks, celebrities and influencers). Here’s what you need to know about baby hair; what sets them apart from breakage; how to tame them; and ideas for styling them.
Everything You Need To Know About Taming & Styling Your Baby Hair
First Things First—What Is Baby Hair?
Found around the hairline; the front and sides of the neck; and around the nape of the neck. They don’t appear everywhere. They’re uniform in appearance, soft to the touch, and don’t grow more than a few inches. They’re finer, lighter, and delicate. Because their texture is different, and they don’t lay flat against your head, taming them is tedious. They’re also referred to as flyaways.
How Are They Different From Breakage And New Growth?
They’re not the same as breakage—breakage results from excessive heat-styling, dyeing, and treatment; elastic hair-ties and high-tension hairstyles like tight updos; over-washing; improper technique of brushing/combing the hair, and factors of the like. It manifests across the scalp as uneven strands of hair with fractured, frayed ends. These strands are rough, dry, frizzy, and vary in texture and appearance. You might find that the ends of your hair are thinner than the root.
If you find that the length of these strands are the same, and they’re not limited to one section of the hair, you’re dealing with new growth. These are easier to tame, softer, and grow from the root.
How Can You Tame Your Baby Hair?
- You can spritz your hair with a little bit of hair-spray, and brush the itsie-bitsies in place with a mascara-wand or toothbrush.
- Try spraying water across your hairline, and use a toothbrush to comb them in their natural direction.
- Apply a lightweight oil to tame the hair. Massage a drop or two over your hairline and hair.
- Use a nourishing hair-styling cream if your hair is thicker or curly.
Wacky Ways Everyone’s Styling Their Baby Hair
Simple Squiggles
You don’t have to turn your forehead-skimming micro-hair into rhinestone-encrusted squiggles. You can brush them into submission with a little bit of oil or hairspray like singer Jhené Aiko has, and press them against your forehead with a brush. This retains their wispiness while lending a certain neatness to your look.
Rhinestone-Dotted Loops
But rhinestone-encrusted squiggles aren’t off-limits—you can brush your baby-hair into loops like model Joyjah Estrada, and punctuate the ends with dottings of rhinestones to dramatise the look. Attempt this look with zig-zag-parted cornrows—or a braid of your liking.
Giant Swirl
H.E.R’s look at the 2021 Oscars thrived on a single, conspicuous curl of hair sprouting out from underneath her veil. Instead of styling smaller sections, you can sweep all of your hair into one loop, and drape it across the side of your forehead.
Notice how her baby-hair is transitioning into the crown of her hair seamlessly. Just sweep the hair back in waves, and connect it to your hair. You can climax the look with a single, rounded, deep curl unravelling across the top of your forehead.
While you might not want to style your hair like this everyday, it’s always nice to know how to—and in a way that flatters you. Remember that though baby-hair has an in-built tendency to annoy, it is natural, and there’s no need to style or tame it if you don’t feel the need to.
Featured Image: Instagram
