Big Bad Baby Hairs

November

Andrea asks: I have a question regarding short “baby-like” hairs that grow around my hairline. I’ve had them ever since I was little and I’m wondering why they never grow out. They’re not due to damage. They’re not long enough to be “fly-aways”, but they’re obvious enough that I’m too embarrassed to pull my hair back in a ponytail. Is there anything I can do, or any product I should use, to help these baby hairs grow out?

The Right Brain Replies:
We recommend washing your hair with baby shampoo, wearing Baby Phat perfume, dressing in clothes from Bebe, and listening to music by the 70s glam-rock band, The Babys. Joking!

Why are some hairs different than others?

Seriously though, there’s really nothing you can do to make your “baby hairs” grow out. Their size and shape are determined by the genetics of your hair follicle. Some types of hairs are “programmed” to only grow so think and so long. You can read more about it in our post on “Why Armpit Hairs Don’t Grow Down To Your Knees.”

I’m sorry that we can’t recommend a product to help you battle baby hairs, but if they really bother you you might consider have electrolysis or laser hair removal.

Does any one else have trouble with baby hairs? Leave a comment and share your misery!

45 Responses to “Big Bad Baby Hairs”

LeighAnn Says:

I deal with this problem. I have these hairs at my hair line, and the crown. They have nothing to do with damage since I treat my hair like spun gold. Ive tried everything for frizzy or fly away hair though that does nothing to help. Even hair spray doesn’t glue them down. Sometimes I would like to shave my head and start over.
Karen Says:

Maybe there are degrees of this. Call me “nuts” but I actually kind of like mine! I think they soften my hairline.
Roxie Says:

Karen: you’re not “nuts”. I like my baby hairs too, It’s other people who find them funny and annoying! I hate pulling my hair into a ponytail though, they stick up instantly.
mtrimier Says:

I like mine. They stick out like little horns whenever I put my hair in a high ponytail and don’t gel them down. I wonder if that is some sort of sign? :-p

In non gel situations, they just lie there, hanging out. Growing up in my neighbor hood “baby hair” was the thing and the girls would gel theirs down with what had to be something industrial and even comb it down and style it to emphasize it.
Kellerassel Says:

I love mine, too. They are a sign of healthiness. When I had colored my hair with the usual chemicals I hadn’t got them. Now they are back, as I quit coloring with chemicals.
Please, don’t do electrolysis or laser on them!!!
picaloflapjack Says:

I also mostly like my baby hairs. I have fine, wavy hair and when I had it long, the strange wild hairs at my parting showed I still had hair when I pulled it back in a ponytail (with a high forehead and round face, I can look a bit moon-ish with no hair to break up the roundness).
Now it is shorter, I sometimes need to resort to hairspray (smmothed down with my hand) or one of those frizz-easing serums to restrain them a little bit – but I just accept I’m never going to have really smooth shiny hair, and enjoy my waves and frizzies instead.
Cho Ly Says:

I hate mine. My problem is my ONLY hairstyle is a ponytail, I don’t know how to do anything else to my hair. However, because of my babyhair, I can never enjoy a SLICK PONYTAIL. They stick out despite the hairspray, gel, or any other hairstyling product. They stand up PROUDLY. But I hate them, people keep laughing at how my hair stand up all the time.
Glitterati Says:

Yes, I am miserable too! Well, not really, but I also have those pesky hairs. Some of them are long enough to be called “tendrils”, so I usually just pin those back. But the little ones! They make sleek updo’s a prob.

When this gets me down, I look at photos of baby-me, and see my giant sticky-uppy scrub-brush porcupine hair, from which these baby hairs must be an evolutionary holdover. And I feel better.
Gloria Says:

I got bangs… covered the baby hairs right up!! Why deal with short little curly baby hair when you can just deal with long straight hair. =D

My stylist always plays with my baby hair. Teehee..

The only time when it’s been a BIG problem was when I danced. We were required to have super slick buns, but my baby hair would stick up after a while due to all those gel/hair spray. =D
This Week in Fashion Blogging » Smarter Fashion Blog Says:

[...] Beauty Brains break bad on baby hairs, those little stray hairs that stick up around your hair line when you wear a pony [...]
This Week in Beauty Blogging » Smarter Beauty Blog Says:

[...] Beauty Brains break bad on baby hairs, those little stray hairs that stick up around your hair line when you wear a pony [...]
Blog Round-Up: Heard on the Web This Week Says:

[...] Beauty Brains break bad on baby hairs, those little stray hairs that stick up around your hair line when you wear a pony tail. Top Button [...]
Cheripie82 Says:

I have baby hairs, I have tried cutting them – which just made them worse! I love wearing my hair in a pony tail tho so what i do to make it better it to brush some of the hair forward, like a very thin fringe and then part it where my normal parting is and tuck behind my ears. I like my hairdresser to put in layers to the front which makes it nicer!
Emily Says:

i tried cutting mine when i was young and they grew back thicker and worse!!! they won’t grow out and i always look untidy when i have a ponytail !i hate it.
Jezebel Says:

I cut mine. They grew back to be anywhere from 5cm and up and now I look weird. I use hairspray to keep them down and it works although people always ask me why my hair is shiny and want to touch it. They laugh,
deb Says:

I have broken hair from dyes and it looks like baby hair. It no longer seems to grow just where it is broken. It sucks, I have thin hair as it is and well my hair has changed so much over the years. What could it be and how can i get my thining hair back and also get rid of what looks like bald spots, I make it sound much more serious than it is. But please help I know many peolpe have this problem and there does not seem to be any genius who has invented anything for it.
bianca Says:

I have them too! I just noticed how outrageous they were a week ago! Now Im searching for a way to style them and keep em down!
amanda Says:

Help, I have them too, but mine are on the sides of my head and when I try and put them behind my ears they just stick out and look like wings. I always get made fun of for them and I absolutely hate them.
mommy2katrina Says:

I have these too, except like Amanda I have them on the sides of my head so that when I wear a ponytail I have to use hairspray to hold them down–luckily they are that long that they will stay down. I also have them in the front at my hairline, same thing there. I’m lucky that most of them are long enough they will stay down. I only notice them when I wear a ponytail or if I try to make my hair really straight (my hair is thick and wavy). I find it seems to help if I pin the hairs down with bobbypins after getting them wet or after a shower, then letting them dry completely while pinned down.
Amai Says:

My wisps turn in kiss curls, and help with the fact that my face isn’t actually shaped to have the hair pulled back into a pony tail (or braid) but it’s the only hair style I can stand
Anna Says:

I kno! they drive me nuts! even when i straighten my wispies, they stick right back up!!!
some people make fun of them, others say that they’re cute, but at the same time, i doubt anyone of them would want to have them, lol!
They make me miserable, im just glad that im not the only one!
plz, someone find a cure!
Megan Robinson Says:

Hey, I have a solution for your baby hairs! Don’t use gels or hair spray to hold them down (as both contains harsh chemicals that can damage and dry out the hairs *making them stick out worse*)
What you need is a hair lotion. I suggest one that has olive oil in it. It slicks the baby hair down and conditions it to be sleeker and healthier.
Lexy Says:

Just go to any kind of store, that sells hair products, and use some gel. Thats what i use, and they stay down in my ponytail just like the rest of my hair
Fallen Angel Says:

Well, I don’t have baby hairs, but my best friend does. Her hair is dark brown so her baby hairs are ALWAYS noticable against her lighter skin. Those little hairs just make her look trashy and not well-kept, so I suggested maybe she should shave them off since they are all on her hairline. Well, when she did, you couldn’t even tell she had baby hairs in the first place! Plus she doesn’t have to worry about having them grow back, because that has been TWO YEARS AGO and we haven’t seen a trace of them since!! But if you have baby hairs on the top of your head, there is a home remedy!!! It will sound very crazy, but trust me, it works! All you have to do is get a little bowl and put two spoonfuls of MAYONAISE (yes mayonaise) and one EGG inside and mix it up until it’s all ooey gooey and slimey, and yes you put on your hair. Just leave it on for 15-20 minutes and wash it out. Shampoo and condition as usual, and there you go! Plus it makes your hair soft, moisturized, un-oily, and it doesn’t strip your hair of it’s natural oils.
nadine Says:

i have baby hairs too.they are very annoying and i dont know what to do about them. some of them have grown out but there are more growing under that hair so i think im just going to have baby hairs for good.!
keke Says:

i dont really like my babyhair because they stick up in little afro style and everytime i have braids or something after the braids get a little old the stick up and i feel so bad. do you know any way to get them to go back and just stay.?? please help
baba Says:

ROGAINE really helps mine. they grow into long hairs but my face gets fuzzy too and i hate hair on my face.
becc Says:

Ughh I deal with the same thing its only on one side but right where my part is they tick up i mean sometimes its ok but i have to straighten and hairspray it which i know isnt good… :/ ah well
lenn Says:

i have curly baby hairs around my forehead, and they’re reaaallllyyy damaged because i straighten them to try and make them less messy and nappy, but now they’re even worse than before, and the do not want to grow. what can i do to make them less noticeable or, make them healthier?
Natalie Says:

I have baby hairs too and they ruin just about every hair style I try. It is not so much that they stick up its just that they ruin the hair line and interrupt the natural flow of my hair. I also have a cowlick that bothers the heck out of me and it never seems to cooperate with the current part.
Summer Says:

I have the same baby hairs! I cut them….bad idea! now, they are dark and go straight down so I can’t ever pull my hair back again! I tried side swept bangs, but my hair was so greasy that I started breaking out. For now, I just pull hair over them…looks stupid, but what are you gonna do?
krissy Says:

i hated my baby hairs ! so i kinda shaved them..and i’ve tried growing them back but it’s embarassing because i wear my hear up all the time and you can see it growing back out. i don’t know what to do ! and i cannot get laser hair removal. so i’m stuck. please help !
Renesmee Says:

omg i shaved mine off too even the ones on the side of mind head Its horrible because its obvious they are growing but unfortunatly not quick enough! agh i cant get laser either =[ help =[[[[
Trina Says:

I just want my baby hair to grow. I have fine, thin hair, and all it does is make me look like Im balding. People have mentioned it, but I cant do anything…it just doesnt grow. Is there anything I can do to promote growth?
Meg at EveryKidPhoto Free Baby Photo Album Says:

When my twins were babies their hair was light almost blond. Because my grown up daughter had the same hair as a baby but after that it comes darker I thought that it will be the same with the twins. They are still with the same baby hair – almost blond with thin hair.
KAROL Says:

MY QUESTION IS I USED TO HAVE A LOT OF “BABY HAIRS” IN MY FORHEAD LINE.AND I SHAVE THEM ALL. AND KNOW THEY HAVEN’T GROW BACK MOST OF THEM, MY QUESTION IS THEY ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP ME GET MY BABYHAIR TO GROW BACK! IT JUST DOESN’T LOOK NICE HOW IT IS KNOW, I SHOULD IT NEVER SHAVED…..
RENEE Says:

I have the “baby hairs” too. I used to hate them, and shave my neckline in the back under my longer hair. It makes it look like your hairline comes further down your forehead. I also have them at my neckline, so when I pull my hair back in a ponytail, It looks like I have no neck from the back. Its just ponytail, hairline then shirt.. lol…
I have the “sideburn baby hair” too (I sound so hairy!). I just keep that trimmed so it does not stick out, and use a little wax to hold them down. I am 35 years old, and have realized there are some things you just have to accept as being a part of your genetic makeup. The good thing is that the prople I have seen with the baby hairs usually all have had very thick, pretty hair. So I guess it’s a pretty good trade off.
Mo Says:

I’m Greek, so baby hairs are a way of life for me. You just have to embrace them. I have them on my front hairline, the side, and the back. My husband thinks they’re funny looking, but I never really noticed them until he mentioned it years ago. Now, I just have bangs to cover up the front ones (they’re so bad, my husband initiailly thought I cut them to be my bangs) and deal with the sides and back.

Got to love being Mediterranean!!
Kelly Says:

ahhh i had baby hairs in the middle of my forehead.
i shaved them about a month ago
they look way darker than my other hair and theyre only about a cm long!!
i play volleyball and my coach is going to make us pull our bangs back.
im so embarrassed! someone help please please pleaseee! i totally regret doing it =(
Cami Says:

They’re on the sides of my head. Hairspray sometimes acts like its going to help, but I look in the mirror later and see that they’re sticking out; they’re just stuck together and sticking out. I call them ‘joker hairs’ because I feel like they make me look like the joker. You guys scared me away from shaving them so I guess I’ll try the baby lotion then then mayonaise treatment. Hope those work.
ChezBezz65 Says:

URGHHHHH!!!!!! They are so annoying! They are actually at the top of my forehead, they r really thick and fuzzy as well. I get bullied a lot because of it…I don’t know why mine are so bad compared to others, I’ve never done anything to it except from putting hairspray on it! They are even on the sides of forehead and they are even darker. Do you know how to completely get rid of them? Please I NEED a solution, I can’t stand the bullying no longer! People who really want to rid of them: Never try and shave it of, it will just grow back even worse Please, trust me!
ChezBezz65 Says:

Answerback as soon as possible! Thanks! x
anna Says:

i have fine baby hairs where i used to have thick hair before and don’t confuse it with baldness as the rest of my hair are very thick and long. it just makes my hairline look receded and i was wondering if there was something i could do to make them thicker?
Carolina Says:

I have them on the sides of my forehead, a few tiny ones toward the middle. They are extremely annoying and make me look very unkempt. People think that I have them because I brush my hair too hard, but unfortunately when one is tender headed like me, brushing hard is usually not the case for me. I have super thick, straight hair, and leaving my hair down is a lot of maintenance. I have to put my hair up and unfortunately I have to live with the baby hairs all over my forehead.

If I left my hair down, it would just look flat, and get extremely tangled.

I think we can all agree that being a girl and having good hair will always be an issue.

Best of luck to everyone and please let post any solutions you may have!
Dina Says:

I have them all around my forehead, and they go practically to my ears. I got straight bangs cut, and now you can hardly tell. They’re still a little curly, but they’re a lot less noticeable. I’d say just play around with them until you like how they look? That’s what I did, and I’ve grown to like them.

They make wispy bangs look even better.