Should a child's hair be cut bald a year?

Modern parents, due to the abundance of information from different sources (the Internet, the experience of the previous generation, recommendations of good and not so good doctors, etc.), have to make a choice in almost every situation related to caring for their baby.

This also applies to the question of whether it is necessary to cut a child’s hair a year. As a rule, grandmothers insist on this, who themselves at one time followed such a tradition and are happy to explain to young mothers and fathers why they should follow it. Let's try to figure out where it came from.

Origins of the tradition

Our ancestors had many beliefs related to hair. The rite of tonsure itself played a big role in a person’s life and became a symbolic sign of transition to another level. Thus, it was believed that it was necessary to cut a one-year-old baby’s hair in order to drive away evil forces from him and erase the memory of birth pain.

Since ancient times, thick hair has also been perceived as a sign of wealth. That is why a lot of attention was paid to hair (especially children’s hair): they combed it with coins instead of a comb, and rolled chicken eggs over it. The cut strands could not simply be thrown away. They were burned or buried, hidden behind a fence with certain verbal formulas.

The custom of preserving a child's first lock of hair, which is still alive in most families, is also associated with the belief that hair carries life force. Often this strand, left as a souvenir, is cut off by the baby’s godfather. There are many superstitions surrounding the process of cutting a one-year-old child's hair. So, it is necessary to cut a child’s hair on a clear afternoon, and it is advisable to bury, burn or float the cut hairs.

However, modern mothers and fathers live in an information society, which means that they should listen not so much to signs passed down from generation to generation, but to data verified by science.

Pediatricians' opinion

Pediatricians who adhere to the principles of evidence-based medicine do not see any need to cut a child’s hair when he is one year old. At the same time, doctors explain why this custom is quite difficult to eradicate.

The fact is that a baby's hair is fluffy and soft thanks to its thinning tips. The cut ends create a feeling of rigidity and density. At the same time, parents should know that the type of hair, its quality and quantity, even after a haircut remains unchanged.

Thus, a child who is one year old can be cut, but the purpose of this action is illusory: the hair will not become thicker or better, its characteristics are determined by genes. If the baby is afraid of the clipper, the haircut should be planned very carefully to make it as comfortable as possible for him.

Not all hairdressers advise parents to adhere to the tradition of cutting their child's hair every year. In this case, we are talking not only about the uselessness of this procedure, but also about aesthetics. Even the cutest baby is spoiled by a bald haircut. Moreover, you should not take up the typewriter on your child’s birthday: against the backdrop of the celebration, the little birthday boy will look strange.

If your one-year-old baby’s hair is so long that it’s already bothering him, it’s worth taking him to a children’s hairdresser. Experienced hairdressers work there who know how to find an approach to any child and give a fashionable haircut without unnecessary tears. In addition, such hairdressing salons have everything to distract children's attention from the scary machine and hair dryer: bright toys, chairs of various shapes, plasma screens for watching cartoons, etc. When leaving, little clients often receive some kind of symbolic gift - a balloon, a sticker, a treat. All this creates a special – playful – atmosphere around the haircut, and over time the child begins to gladly agree to go to the hairdresser.

In summer, a haircut becomes especially important for a child. It will be easier for him to endure the heat with short hair (considering that children need to wear Panama hats, which protect from the sun, but not from overheating). However, in order for the baby to be comfortable, it is not necessary to cut his hair bald every year - a short hair length will be enough.

Mothers of girls have a particularly difficult time deciding on a yearly haircut. Grandmothers insist on observing tradition, explaining it with many arguments. At the same time, others around a girl with a close-cropped head can easily confuse her with a boy, and this usually hurts her mother’s pride. In this case, you should be firm and abandon the custom of cutting a child’s hair every year.

Thus, parents must understand: you can cut your child’s hair every year only for reasons of aesthetics and comfort. Awareness of this fact allows you to get out of the influence of modern myths and prejudices and act in the interests of the child.