When To Use Shampoo on My Baby’s Hair?

To shampoo or not to shampoo? That is that question! Whenever I have some confusion with how to take care of my baby, I consult my pediatrician or the internet, in case of doubt. It has proven to be an effective routine so far until my shampooing problem began. I searched through the web and got no direct answer so I made my own conclusion. When should baby’s hair really be shampooed?

My Pediatrician’s Point of View

The baby’s skin including the hair and scalp are sensitive. Babies especially the newborn should use the most neutral baby wash there is. My pediatrician even gave me the option of not using a baby soap and told me it was ok (at the time of consultation, my baby was just a few days old) for the mean time. Other baby shampoos may contain harsh chemicals that could damage the baby’s skin. Some can trigger an allergic reaction. For the first few weeks, using a shampoo for the baby’s hair is definitely a NO (and I believe him). Most newborns are born with thin hair anyway so shampooing is not really necessary. My baby was born with a head of thick hair and at 3 months old it started to smell bad at the end of the day. Still, the pediatrician told me to avoid the use of shampoo.

Mommies Point of View

Now that my baby is 8 months old, her hair smells bad even a few hours after taking a bath. Still, no hair shampoo was used. After reading through forum and searching through the World Wide Web for answers, I did not get a straight ‘go for it’ sign. Some moms shampooed their baby’s hair after several days of delivery, some waited until their babies were older while some avoided shampooing baby’s hair just yet.

What I Did?

Followed my gut feel. All babies are not the same. One baby may have a different need from the other. Although learning from the experience of others and following expert advice is a great help but moms know what’s best. I chose the mildest kind of baby shampoo there is and used it on her hair every other day. I made sure that I apply just a little amount of it and dilute it with water before I put it on her hair. However, if there is really no need to, avoid using shampoo as much as possible.

 

How to Choose A Baby Shampoo.

Make sure that the baby shampoo you use on your baby’s hair do not contain the following harsh chemicals (possibly carcinogenic):

·         1,4-Dioxane

·         Formaldehyde

·         Quaternium-15