It’s common for parents to be excited about every aspect of their baby’s life. Among many things on your mind, your baby’s will have curly hair may be of interest.
While some babies don’t reveal any signs of curly hair, some can have it from birth. There are, however, some obvious signs that you can see. To get a quick idea of the type of hair your baby may have in the future.
Signs determining your baby will have curly hairs are climate and weather, hair having acid reflex, and frizzy, voluminous hair. Genetics is the key factor that can determine a baby’s curl. It will have an impact on your baby’s hair quality now and in the future.
What Causes A Baby To Have Straight Or Curly Hair?
Many babies are born with straight, curly hair, while others on both sides of the family are born with kinky, rough hair. The cause is amniotic fluid, which keeps baby hair soft and fluffy while still in the womb.
Curls present at birth usually grow out and remain that way after birth for babies. The baby’s hair may start straight but turn curly or even kinky if the parents’ genes contain a mix of hair textures.
Pregnancy Hair Growth Milestone
| Pregnancy weeks | Milestones |
| 14 weeks | Hair follicles start developing. |
| 20 weeks | Initially, hair appears on the brows and on facial areas. |
| 22 weeks | Hair is visible on the head, and delicate |
| 23 weeks | Melanin production started, which brings color to baby hair. |
| Birth | Lanugo is present – it will fall out in weeks or months. |
The melanocyte and the body’s ratio of melanin pigments play a role in determining your baby’s hair color.
There are two types of melanin pigments:
- Eumelanin, which results in hair that is black and brown.
- Pheomelanin, which results in hair that is red or yellow.
6 Proven Signs Your Baby Will Have Curly Hair
Sign 1: Genetic influence
Babies are the genetic mixture of their parents. A website named “Healthline” states the Genetic material that moms and dads provide to their children. Identifies whether or not their babies will have curly hair from birth.
You can call it a “gene game.” Because if one of your genes competes for a dominant position in deciding hair texture. In other words, the hair will have some curl if the curly hair gene is present anywhere in the DNA combination.
- If both mom and dad have curly hair, then the baby will very likely too!
- Suppose one parent has curly hair while the other has straight hair. In that case, the gene for curly hair will probably predominate over the other gene, which means that the baby’s hair will either grow curly or wavy.
- In most cases, the father’s gene predominates over the mother’s genes.
- If the grandparents had curly hair and those genes are present in the mother’s or father’s DNA, the likelihood of babies having curly hair remains high.
- Even if neither parent has curly hair, your child may inherit this trait if anyone else in the family does.
Remember, we are not here to predict which genes your child will inherit. These are our assumptions about your baby’s genetic makeup.
Sign 2: Having Acid Reflux While Pregnant
There is a famous saying “If you had any degree of acid reflux or heartburn while pregnant, your baby would come with a complete head of hair.”
Later, a study from John Hopkins University found that the child had a lot of hair on the head in 82% of the pregnant women who experienced heartburn. In contrast, the kids of those who didn’t have hair.
Further research discovered that the hormone that opens the esophagus and permits acid to flow upwards is also responsible for babies’ hair growth. Furthermore, the same hormone may be involved.
So, kudos to those acidic moments during pregnancy. Your baby might end up with curly hair! Make sure to be careful of heartburn if your wife is pregnant
Sign 3: Frizzy Hair Can Lead To Curls
Your baby will eventually have curly hair if they were born with frizzy hair. It is thought that the hair will remain frizzy until the curly hair emerges from the hair follicle. Most babies begin to develop curly hair by the time they are one and a half years old.
Sign 4: Baby with Volume Hair
It will be easier to know whether your baby has straight or curly hair as their hair grows. If your baby has thick, voluminous hair. You may experience any of the mentioned problems.
- You can’t try any hairstyle tutorials, and if you try may not be successful.
- It can be challenging for babies with curly hair to detangle or style it differently.
- If they always start waving out or curling up, no matter how often you brush.
- If your baby’s hair is out of grasp, and you can’t part their hair.
These are the sign your baby’s hair might turn into curls later.
Sign 5: Wet Makes It Curly
Your baby will likely have straight hair if it dries up straight, showing no signs of curls or bending. In contrast, there is a high likelihood that your baby may turn curly hair if its hair gets dry in a spiral.
Sign 6: Environment Humidity
The life, texture, and growth of your baby’s hair can also be impacted by humidity. The climate of an area can greatly influence the texture of anyone’s hair. People who live in hot, humid, temperate climates have more curly hair.
- Babies born in warmer climates are more likely to have curly hair.
- However, babies born in colder climates are less likely to have frizzy or curly hair.
Babies’ Curly Hair Care Tips
Taking care of a baby’s curly hair is challenging. You need to be careful when taking care of your baby’s hair.
- When your baby’s wet curls, brush them with wide tooth combs or your fingers. It will help them to detangle themselves easily.
- When drying their hair, use a soft cloth. The curls become frizzy when dried with a towel.
- Try not to shampoo your curls every day. Try to use only homemade conditioner instead of shampoo.
- Regularly cut the curly hair to keep them even. By doing this, tangles will be avoided.
- Use a good conditioner on your curls.
- Don’t apply gel or any styling cream. Your baby can rock without it.
- Keep your baby’s hair length short.
- Do gentle oiling of your baby’s scalp with coconut oil or olive oil for better hair growth and nourishment.
How Long Do Baby Curls Last?
Baby can develop thick, naturally curly hair. However, those curls might lose their shape and texture over time. When you cut your baby’s curly hair, it may take longer to grow again. However, there are times when the curls become tighter. There is no specific reason why this could occur. It is impossible to say what causes them to change.
A baby’s body undergoes many changes as it grows. Which also means that the hair on your child will change. But that doesn’t mean that they will lose the curl completely.
Is It Possible For A Baby’s Straight Hair To Become Curly?
A newborn with straight hair who later develops curls is possible. Only if the baby has the gene even science cannot explain why a baby’s straight hair can become curly later. Sometimes changes in the texture or pattern take place. The baby’s body will change, and the hair too.
It occurs due to curly hair’s partial dominance over straight hair. Changes in your baby’s hairstyle are possible due to incomplete dominance. It is not unlikely that your baby’s hair pattern will alter in the future. The percentage is small, but it still happens in reality. The genetic makeup will significantly influence your baby’s hair’s present and future quality.
Conclusion:
Many parents dream of having a baby with adorable curly hair and rolls. The exact reason why your baby will have curly hair is unknown. However, there are several signs and science that can help pregnant mommies be happy to know that the curly hair of their baby is on its way. Your baby will likely have adorable curls if the signs are visible after birth.
And don’t worry if your baby curls fade with time. People’s hair can stop being as curly or wavy as it is when they are born because of various factors.
