What is done with the first hair of a child. Is it necessary to cut a child a year: superstitions, traditions and modern rules. Beliefs and superstitions

For many years there has been a tradition according to which the first haircut of a child is carried out at 1 year. Many parents still adhere to this rule today, cutting off the first hairs of a child at this age “to zero”. There are many superstitions and rules associated with the process, it is treated as a solemn event. Moms are in no hurry to cut even the baby’s strongly grown bangs, preferring to collect hair in a small ponytail or use hairpins. But is it right with medical point vision? Experts today have formed a clear opinion on this issue, based on physiological features development of newborns.

Optimal age for the procedure

If you forget about all the superstitions and approach the process of caring for newborn hair from a scientific point of view, the following factors should be considered.

The quality of hair is laid down in a child at the genetic level. No haircuts (frequent or rare) will increase the number of hair follicles. This will also not affect the density in any way, the density of the rods will not change for the better.
After the first fluff comes off the head (the first month after birth), the hair begins to grow at a rate of about 1 cm per month, so by the year the need for a haircut arises in any case.
If a child is born already with a shock of hair, then the first haircut can be done 1.5 months after birth. This will not affect the quality of the hair, but it will protect against sweating, the appearance of sores and irritations, and uncomfortable sensations.
Experts warn that the first haircut should not be “under zero”! Such an aggressive approach will only cause irritation and increase the risk of damage to the hair follicles. For the first time, it is enough to trim the bangs and shorten the protruding curls.
A child under 4-5 years old should be cut regularly and short enough. The use of hairpins and elastic bands will only provoke fragility of the rods and can cause hair thinning. There are times when the hair falls out and is replaced with only a light fluff.

Improving the quality of newborn hair and stimulating its growth is quite simple. First, the baby's diet should contain all the vitamins and minerals necessary for his age. Secondly, fragile curls need to be combed regularly and correctly. To do this, it is best to use a wooden comb with rounded teeth that are inserted into a soft rubber base. The procedure is carried out every evening, before going to bed. The hair is combed first to the left, then to the right, then against the growth of the hair and at the very end they are styled as needed. Such combing stimulates blood circulation, improves the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the bulbs.

Myths and truth about the first haircut of a newborn

In addition to the superstitions that accompany newborn hair care, there are also several myths that supposedly have a scientific basis.

Many parents are afraid that if a child has thin, unevenly growing and expressionless hair at the age of one, this problem will remain forever. In fact, the child's hair will be the same as the parents gave him. And the problem of uneven growth is explained by a long stay in a supine position and prolonged friction of certain parts of the head against the pillow.
Some mothers are sure that if you shave your hair up to a year or a year, it will stimulate their growth. This is the most aggressive and dangerous method. Not only is the risk of damage to the baby's skin very high, the use of a razor can also eliminate hair follicles that are not fixed in the thickness of the skin and could still sprout.
There are mothers who refuse to wear hats on the street, explaining this by oxygen therapy for the roots. This is fraught with colds and heat strokes, and the risk is not justified - the hair will not grow faster from this.
Almost all parents are sure that after cutting the first hairs, the child begins to grow thicker and denser hair. This is a visual trick, it just changes the cut plane of the hair, which makes the rods appear darker and denser. If the haircut was carried out in the first months of a newborn's life, then, most likely, the first fluff was simply cut off, after which real hairs began to grow.
Especially "advanced" mothers recommend using special ampoules to stimulate hair growth (they are more effective, because the skin is thin and the drugs are better absorbed). The result of this approach is the opposite of what is desired. Aggressive components in the composition of products (most often it is hot pepper) cause severe irritation of the epidermis and even chemical burns. Often, hair follicles after such a “care” are burned out and bald spots form.

Parents should understand that the first haircuts are not carried out in order to improve the quality of hair in the baby, but in order to create for him comfortable conditions. Long curls interfere with the child's view, causing visual impairment, create an unpleasant greenhouse effect, and interfere with the baby's movements.

How to cut a child's hair for the first time?

The first haircut is not recommended at the hairdresser, unless the child has an increased level of curiosity and disposition towards strangers. In just a few minutes of whims, children are able to tire their parents, and the master, and themselves.

The manipulation itself is quite simple, you just need to take into account a few nuances.

The child should not sit on the chair himself, he should be held by close people who inspire confidence.
The process can be turned into a game, and the more actors, all the better.
Scissors should be safe, with rounded ends. It is recommended to act in such a way that the child does not even see the instrument (after all, most likely, he already knows that this thing belongs to the group of dangerous and prohibited).
The hair needs to be slightly moistened, you can sprinkle it on everyone in the room, then it will not alert or repel the baby.
Haircut starts from the most inaccessible places. If the little one starts to act up, and the work has not yet been done, it will be possible to complete everything during the afternoon nap.
You need to act quickly, carefully and relaxed. The master's anxiety will be transferred to the child, and then the procedure can be completed.

Immediately after the procedure, the child needs to be washed, because even his soft hairs can cause itching and irritate the skin.

What should be done with the child's hair after the first haircut?

There are whole rituals that superstitious grandmothers recommend to carry out with freshly cut hairs of a child. This includes burying curls in anthills or in the ground at a crossroads, flushing into a river and long-term storage. In fact, the cut strands can simply be rolled up in a rag bag or paper and thrown away. For very fearful parents, the method of burning curls is suitable. Moreover, you should not peer into the intensity of the flame (according to mediums, you can see the future of the child in it). In fact, this indicator directly depends on the chemical composition of the rods, and it is not the fate of the child that affects it, but its diet.

When planning the first haircut, you need to think not about superstitions, but about the convenience of the baby. Sometimes parents cannot determine what is the cause bad mood their child, but it turns out that increased sweating due to a dense layer of hairs or too tight ponytails is to blame.

Children's hair is more than other parts of the body shrouded in mysterious myths, rumors and prejudices. For example, most mothers believe that cutting a child up to a year old can lead to a violation of the invisible connection between mother and child, while others even believe that the baby, along with infant hair, loses good luck, health and well-being in the future. But grandmother's advice to cut the child baldly a year promises the child a thick and beautiful hair in the future.

What is true and what is not, the well-known pediatrician knows for sure Evgeny Komarovsky.

About baby hair

Some babies are born with impressive hair, while others are almost bald. It depends on congenital characteristics, as well as on the rate of hair growth during fetal development. However, in the first months of life, partial hair loss is considered the norm, because the infant hair of a newborn is gradually changing to a more formed structure.

Baby hair does not look like adults, because they do not have a medulla - a small microscopic rod that is responsible for the main function of the hairline - keeping warm. Baby hairs, therefore, do not warm his head at all. However, this is not a reason, according to Yevgeny Komarovsky, to put on several hats and caps. The baby will not freeze, because he has a more active blood circulation. It is the brain that feeds a quarter of the blood volume, and since this process is intense, then, first of all, it is the head that sweats in the little ones.

Myths and truth

“Hair cannot be cut until a year old” is a myth. If the child has Thick hair, and the July heat is on the street and the head is sweating, then it is more hygienic and more useful to cut the baby's hair. No one has proven the connection between luck in the future and the first baby curls, as well as the fact that it is through the hair that the emotional connection between the baby and the mother is carried out.
“Children’s heads need to be washed more often with baby soap” is a myth, and quite a dangerous one, Yevgeny Komarovsky warns. Daily shampooing with soap, even hypoallergenic, baby soap, can lead to hair loss, and not to their active growth. The doctor recommends washing your hair with detergents no more than once a week.

“You need to brush your baby more often” is a myth. Often combing, although it may be fun for some children, injures the hair.
“You need to strengthen your hair with decoctions of herbs” is a myth. Komarovsky calls it a commercially profitable rumor. It is beneficial for manufacturers and sellers of various products based on herbs and fees. Weak hair cannot be strengthened. You can't spoil them.

Whether to cut baldly in a year?

This question Evgeny Komarovsky is asked most often. In families, real battles arise on this topic, since dads, who are less subject to hoax, do not attach due importance to the problem, and mothers experience this even more. Parents are interested not only in whether to cut the child a year, but also in where and how to properly dispose of the baby's hair so that they do not jinx it, do not "stole the life force", and do not offend.

By itself, a haircut for a one-year-old peanut will not harm in any way, says Evgeny Komarovsky. But it’s not worth hoping that the hair will begin to grow thick and curly, if up to a year they were thin and straight. The density and thickness of hair, the rate of their growth, texture and color - all this information is laid down at the genetic level long before the birth of a child.

Once the egg has been fertilized, the set of genes is strictly defined, and it means everything - whether the baby will be brown or blond, and whether his hair will be thick.

Accordingly, cutting or shaving baldly cannot change anything in the genetic code, and therefore these manipulations do not affect the quality of the hair. Relatives may have the illusion that the hair has become stronger and thicker, because, according to Yevgeny Komarovsky, the hairs that grow after cutting baldly look more voluminous and feel stiffer to the touch. But this is nothing more than an illusion. Therefore, to cut a year or not is up to the parents. If the baby is not cut, nothing terrible will happen, just as no miracle will happen if he is shaved.

Regarding where to put the cut hair, Komarovsky advises to apply maximum imagination. If you want to bury them under a pear tree in the garden on a full moon - please. If you want to burn it and scatter the ashes over the river - no problem either. Since medicine has not proven that there is at least some connection between the cut off hair and the fate of the child. If you really want to find such a connection, it is better to address this issue with healers, magicians or shamans.

Why is the back of the head balding?

This is the second most popular question that Dr. Komarovsky has to answer. Many parents, and even pediatricians, argue that a bald patch on the back of the head at the age of up to a year is a sign of rickets. Evgeny Komarovskoy claims that baldness of the back of the head has nothing to do with rickets. Just a baby up to 6 months spends most of his life in a prone position. When he learns to turn his head from side to side, he begins to actively use this new skill. Hair rubs against the bed and just wipes off.

Should I wear hats and caps?

If the hair falls out all over the head, then the cause may be a lack of vitamins, poor nutrition, as well as chronic overheating of the scalp, which threatens all babies whose parents and grandmothers are used to wearing caps. The caps should be removed so that the scalp begins to "breathe", then with a high degree of probability, nothing more will be required, since the quality of the hair will soon noticeably improve, and the loss will stop.

Caps should be avoided during the period of illness of the child. Bonnet at high temperature can become very dangerous, because the child, according to Komarovsky, simply has nowhere to "dump" excess heat.

Possible problems

The list of pathological disorders in hair growth is quite large, but, according to Yevgeny Komarovsky, every mother should know it:

ringworm(the hair falls out a lot, in some places the bald patches look like trimmed). A pediatric infectious disease specialist should treat this fungal disease;
alopecia(hair falls out due to severe immune-allergic pathologies). With this baldness, the roots of the hair are damaged. A pediatrician and an allergist will treat the disease;
syndrome of obsessive movements and conditions(the child damages the hair mechanically - winding it around a finger, pulling it out, plucking it). It rarely needs treatment, often the neurosis goes away on its own, but consultation with a child neurologist, psychologist and psychiatrist will not hurt;
stress, fear, emotional trauma(hair growth is disturbed at the biochemical level, as well as as a result of vasospasm of the scalp). With a problem, you need to contact a pediatrician and a pediatric neurologist;

avitaminosis(hair loss is greatly affected by a deficiency of B vitamins and zinc). The problem should be addressed to the pediatrician;
hypervitaminosis(hair loss and brittleness as a result of an overdose of vitamins, in particular excessive intake of vitamin A). Discussed with pediatrician;
medicinal side effects(some medications cause problems with the condition of the hair). The phenomenon is temporary, it does not particularly need treatment, but you can discuss it with the attending pediatrician;
hypothyroidism(hairline suffers due to problems with the thyroid gland). Treated by an endocrinologist.

The doctor advises not to exaggerate the problems associated with children's hair. For the first time, it is worth cutting the child when the growing hair begins to cause him or his relatives inconvenience. If you suspect a disease - immediately go to a doctor who knows why, how and why.

Dr. Komarovsky will talk about the problems that children with hair can have, as well as common prejudices associated with hairline:

First haircut
Komarovsky about a haircut a year

Before the baby's first birthday, parents will definitely hear advice: cut the baby's hair, regardless of the child's gender. Why cut a baby a year? Is it just tradition or is there some rationale? When is the best time to cut a child's hair for the first time? The main thing to remember is that only parents decide at what age the first haircut of the child will take place. This procedure should not be performed just because it is customary to do so.

Every mom wants her baby to look neat and well-groomed. The same goes for the baby's hair. But is it possible to cut a newborn?

Age of first haircut

Hair has always been given special attention. In pagan times, it was believed that through the hair a person receives information from space, that they are important for energy balance, connect people with their ancestors, protect against the aggression of the outside world ... There is no consensus why it is recommended to cut a baby in a year. Let's look at the most common explanations.

History reference

Previously, the birth rate was high, but the population was regulated by natural selection. Not every baby lived to see their first birthday. Relatives did their best to protect the baby from possible death and illness, so he was not cut until about 12 months old - until the body gets stronger. It was believed that the hair is enclosed life force and energy. In a year, the children were given an initiation ritual: it was believed that the child liked his family and he decided to stay in it. In honor of this, the baby had the first haircut.

AT Muslim families, on the contrary, they completely shaved off the hair of a newborn already on the seventh day after birth - this was considered a symbol of purification. It was customary to weigh the cut hairs and distribute the same amount of money to the needy, and bury the hair in the ground.

In the old days, children were sheared only after a year, but in our time, few people adhere to old traditions and customs.

How many nations, so many traditions. Nowadays, pediatricians insist that a newborn can be cut no earlier than the fortieth day, you need to give the crumbs time to get stronger and get used to the new environment.

Myths and truth about the first haircut

In our enlightened age, folk omens and superstitions still have a great influence on people, here are some of the most common statements related to the first haircut in a child:

There is often a superstition that says that by cutting the baby baldly, parents strengthen his hair, make it beautiful and healthy. Pediatricians have a different opinion. The fact is that hair follicles can be damaged during a haircut, because the skin on the head is still very delicate. As a result, the condition of the hair will only worsen. Also, when cutting, babies are often scared, unpleasant, and then irritation may appear on the scalp.
Folk experts say that it is absolutely impossible to cut a baby's hair before a year - this negatively affects the development of colloquial speech. There is no basis for such a myth. There is no connection between haircut and development of children.
Hair contains energy reserves. It is believed that cutting hair up to 12 months can deprive the baby of strength and health. This myth is unfounded. On the contrary, when hair constantly gets into the eyes of a child, the condition of the eye may worsen, vision may decrease, and long hair, which descend on the neck - contribute to the appearance of prickly heat.
The condition of the hair does not change throughout life. Sometimes it is genetically predetermined that the hair of the crumbs is thin. You can cut them at least every month - this will not affect the thickness and density of the hair.
Hats (panama hats, caps, scarves, hats) interfere with the "breathing" of the hair. Some mothers tend not to wear hats on their children for a longer time so that the head is ventilated. In fact, this way you can earn a cold or heat stroke - depending on weather conditions.

There is no scientific justification for haircut myths, which means, if necessary, feel free to take a crumb and cut your hair

Each child's hair grows at a different rate. By about a year, fluff comes off the head. After that, the monthly growth is about 1 cm. It is not necessary to cut all the hair. It is enough to trim those hairs that interfere.

Haircut rules

It’s great when the baby’s mom or dad can cut the baby’s hair themselves, because often the child is afraid to get a haircut, and at home it will be easier to overcome unpleasant moments. If parents doubt their abilities, it is worth taking the baby to a specialist.

Now there are children's hairdressing salons, in which employees select an approach to each small client. It is important that during the first haircut the baby does not experience unpleasant moments. Then in the future there will be no problems with the hairstyle.

For a newborn better haircut postpone for the second half of life, the skin on the head is still very delicate, and the fontanel distorts the outlines of the skull. If there is still a need to trim baby, you can not use a typewriter, only scissors.

Haircut at the barbershop

In the children's hairdresser, the child will feel comfortable, and experienced staff will carefully put the baby's head in order.

Parents decided to cut the crumbs with a specialist hairdresser? Then you need to prepare the child for the procedure. The best solution would be for one of the relatives to take the baby with them for a haircut, so that the child gets comfortable in an unfamiliar environment and sees how the process goes. For a toddler, this will be an interesting experience. Many children are happy to follow the example of mom or dad.

To reduce stress, it is worth taking your baby’s favorite toys or books from home. If financial possibilities allow, it is better to choose a special children's hairdresser. In such salons, the chairs are made in the form of cars, the walls are decorated fairy tale characters, show cartoons, give interesting toys. Some institutions even organize a corner with live inhabitants (rabbits, birds, hamsters, turtles) - and your child's first haircut will pass without tears and unpleasant moments. The baby will be happy to go to the salon next time.

home haircut

If it is possible to cut the baby at home, you can save time, money and nerves. You just need to prepare in advance and believe in yourself. Fear and nervousness will indulge in the baby.

First of all, you should prepare the tools: a comb with frequent teeth, a spray bottle with warm water, sharp scissors. Pre-hairs are sprayed with water to moisten. Then a strand of hair is clamped between the middle and index fingers and its end is cut off.

haircut small child must be carried out with scissors so as not to damage the hair follicles

A few haircut rules:

It is better to sit the baby on the lap of an adult (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa).
Near the baby it is worth placing toys that he likes to play with, you can also turn on your favorite cartoon.
Cartoon characters do not distract the baby? It is worth trying to give the crumbs a treat. It can be a cookie, a banana or an apple. For delicious food, children do not notice what is happening.
Scissors should be sharp enough, but with rounded ends. It is important not to hurt the baby. A small fidget can spin or deviate, make sudden movements. You need to be careful.
If you decide to shave with a machine, you must first familiarize the child with a working machine. It is desirable to demonstrate the principle of work on one of the adults.
Self-confidence is important. It is better to be nervous later, but in the process you need to be careful and accurate. Do not add your fears to the child.
Children get tired quickly, so first of all they cut hairs from hard-to-reach places.
After the haircut, the fidget should be praised, it is advisable to give a small gift for courage and patience.
After shaving or cutting, you need to change clothes and bathe the baby so that the cut hair does not bother the child.

If the child is still afraid of scissors, you need to captivate him and cut him secretly. You can try it when the child is bathing, watching cartoons or enjoying a quiet game. It is necessary to convince the baby that there is nothing unpleasant in the haircut. If the first experience is not successful - do not torture yourself and the baby, postpone the procedure for a while.

How to strengthen baby's hair?

By folk omens it is considered that for better growth hair, they should be cut for the growing moon. So before the first haircut, you should look into the lunar calendar.

It is not necessary to completely cut the girl's hair, it is enough to cut it so that it does not interfere with the eyes.

Pediatricians advise performing head massage to stimulate hair growth. It is done simply: daily combing. Hair crumbs should be combed once or twice a day for several minutes. First, the hairs are combed to the right, then to the left, brushed against the growth of the hair and laid in the direction of growth. This procedure improves the blood supply and nutrition of the hair follicles. It is important to choose the right comb: it is better if it is made of wood, and the teeth have rounded ends.

It is especially important for girls to have beautiful healthy hair. When curls appear, mothers try to make a hairstyle out of them: braids are braided, ponytails are tightened. It turns out that this is very harmful for hair follicles. Tight weaving damages fragile hairs, bald patches may appear, sometimes in these places the hair stops growing forever. Hair becomes dull and brittle. Pediatricians and dermatologists recommend cutting girls short before the age of 5, and then growing long braids.

Results

For the first children's haircut to be successful, you need to combine methods and look for individual approach to the baby. To cut a baby's hair, you need to show ingenuity, endurance and calmness.

At what age for the first time to cut a child's hair, whether to shave it baldly - parents decide. You need to focus not on traditions and superstitions, but on the health of the baby and the real need for a haircut. It is advisable to cut the crumbs at home or in special hairdressers. Shaving does not affect the condition of the hair, but tight weaving can damage the hair follicles. AT preschool age doctors recommend short haircuts for babies to make it easier to care for them, to prevent prickly heat or vision problems. It is important that the experience of the first haircut for the child is painless and does not discourage the desire to get a haircut in the future.

For many years there has been a tradition according to which the first haircut of a child is carried out at 1 year. Many parents still adhere to this rule today, cutting off the first hairs of a child at this age “to zero”. There are many superstitions and rules associated with the process, it is treated as a solemn event. Moms are in no hurry to cut even the baby’s strongly grown bangs, preferring to collect hair in a small ponytail or use hairpins. But is it medically correct? Today, specialists have formed a clear opinion on this issue, based on the physiological characteristics of the development of newborns.

Optimal age for the procedure

If you forget about all the superstitions and approach the process of caring for newborn hair from a scientific point of view, the following factors should be considered.

The quality of hair is laid down in a child at the genetic level. No haircuts (frequent or rare) will increase the number of hair follicles. This will also not affect the density in any way, the density of the rods will not change for the better.
After the first fluff comes off the head (the first month after birth), the hair begins to grow at a rate of about 1 cm per month, so by the year the need for a haircut arises in any case.
If a child is born already with a shock of hair, then the first haircut can be done 1.5 months after birth. This will not affect the quality of the hair, but it will protect against sweating, the appearance of sores and irritations, and uncomfortable sensations.
Experts warn that the first haircut should not be “under zero”! Such an aggressive approach will only cause irritation and increase the risk of damage to the hair follicles. For the first time, it is enough to trim the bangs and shorten the protruding curls.
A child under 4-5 years old should be cut regularly and short enough. The use of hairpins and elastic bands will only provoke fragility of the rods and can cause hair thinning. There are times when the hair falls out and is replaced with only a light fluff.

Myths and truth about the first haircut of a newborn

In addition to the superstitions that accompany newborn hair care, there are also several myths that supposedly have a scientific basis.

Many parents are afraid that if a child has thin, unevenly growing and expressionless hair at the age of one, this problem will remain forever. In fact, the child's hair will be the same as the parents gave him. And the problem of uneven growth is explained by a long stay in a supine position and prolonged friction of certain parts of the head against the pillow.
Some mothers are sure that if you shave your hair up to a year or a year, it will stimulate their growth. This is the most aggressive and dangerous method. Not only is the risk of damage to the baby's skin very high, the use of a razor can also eliminate hair follicles that are not fixed in the thickness of the skin and could still sprout.
There are mothers who refuse to wear hats on the street, explaining this by oxygen therapy for the roots. This is fraught with colds and heat strokes, and the risk is not justified - the hair will not grow faster from this.
Almost all parents are sure that after cutting the first hairs, the child begins to grow thicker and denser hair. This is a visual trick, it just changes the cut plane of the hair, which makes the rods appear darker and denser. If the haircut was carried out in the first months of a newborn's life, then, most likely, the first fluff was simply cut off, after which real hairs began to grow.
Especially "advanced" mothers recommend using special ampoules to stimulate hair growth (they are more effective, because the skin is thin and the drugs are better absorbed). The result of this approach is the opposite of what is desired. Aggressive components in the composition of products (most often it is hot pepper) cause severe irritation of the epidermis and even chemical burns. Often, hair follicles after such a “care” are burned out and bald spots form.

Parents should understand that the first haircuts are not carried out in order to improve the quality of hair in the baby, but in order to create comfortable conditions for him. Long curls interfere with the child's view, causing visual impairment, create an unpleasant greenhouse effect, and interfere with the baby's movements.

How to cut a child's hair for the first time?

The manipulation itself is quite simple, you just need to take into account a few nuances.

The child should not sit on the chair himself, he should be held by close people who inspire confidence.
The process can be turned into a game, and the more actors, the better.
Scissors should be safe, with rounded ends. It is recommended to act in such a way that the child does not even see the instrument (after all, most likely, he already knows that this thing belongs to the group of dangerous and prohibited).
The hair needs to be slightly moistened, you can sprinkle it on everyone in the room, then it will not alert or repel the baby.
Haircut starts from the most inaccessible places. If the little one starts to act up, and the work has not yet been done, it will be possible to complete everything during the afternoon nap.
You need to act quickly, carefully and relaxed. The master's anxiety will be transferred to the child, and then the procedure can be completed.

Immediately after the procedure, the child needs to be washed, because even his soft hairs can cause itching and irritate the skin.

What should be done with the child's hair after the first haircut?

When planning the first haircut, you need to think not about superstitions, but about the convenience of the baby. Sometimes parents cannot determine what is causing their child’s bad mood, but it turns out that increased sweating due to a dense layer of hairs or too tight ponytails is to blame.

Surely, you have heard the question from relatives and friends more than once: “Will you get a haircut when you are a year old?” And involuntarily thought: is it true - is it necessary or not? And in general - why cut a child a year? The most common answers to this question are: “To have thick hair”, “So it is necessary” and “But how!”

There are many myths surrounding the ritual of the first haircut or shaving of babies, and most of them are rooted in the ancient traditions of the peoples.

Why they cut babies: traditions

In many cultures of the world, it is customary to cut or shave children bald at a certain age, following religious rituals, folk traditions, and simply superstitions. For example, in India babies cut their hair as a sign of farewell to past life and movement into the future. In Mongolia the first haircut of the baby is a holiday to which the whole family is invited. Each guest cuts off a strand, presents a gift to the baby and says wishes. In Israel it is customary not to cut boys' hair before the age of three (this is also followed by many non-religious families).

In Slavic culture the ritual of the first haircut is also associated with religious traditions and folk culture. The main rule is not to touch the hair for up to a year. There was a belief that if a baby was cut before the age of 12 months, he would be weak and often get sick, he would not be lucky, rich, etc. Shaving a child baldly symbolized the transition to a new life and served as a way to drive away evil spirits from a precious child.

In ancient times in Russia there was a rite when in a year the godparents cut off the baby's curls in four places, in the shape of a cross. Then they were placed behind the images (icons) and kept as a powerful amulet against troubles and illnesses. Baby's first haircut was done lunar calendar, and in particular - on the growing moon. To this day, such calendars are annually compiled and released for free sale.

Nowadays, there are also many different signs regarding the haircut of children in a year. For example, some parents believe that if a curl cut off in a year is shown to the baby when he goes to first grade, then he will study well. Another sign says that a cut curl placed under the baby's pillow will bring him good dreams.

Delusions

Today, many parents cut their children's hair at a year old because they are convinced of the benefits of this action - supposedly the hair will become thicker, thicker and healthier (the same myth goes in the army). And indeed, when hair begins to grow after shaving, it seems that they have become thicker. In fact, this is just an appearance, because there are no more hair follicles.

"Pros and cons"

Some two or three decades ago, we did not even ask ourselves whether it was necessary to cut a child baldly a year, but simply cut it. Moreover, both boys and girls were shaved equally, and according to this “ original hairstyle» it was easy to determine that the baby had recently had its first birthday.

Why you shouldn't cut

Today, trichologists and hairdressers unanimously claim that cutting a child's hair at one year does not make any sense and in some cases can be harmful. The hairline begins to develop in children as early as prenatal period, so babies are born with fluff on their heads and all over their bodies. In the first months of life, the birth hairs fall out and thicker and more mature hair begins to grow, which can vary in color and texture. Do not be alarmed if the fluff has already fallen out, and new hair does not appear - this is normal.

There is a few reasons why you shouldn’t cut babies a year old:

Doesn't make sense. Hair begins to grow inside the skin in the hair follicles, and what you do to them from the outside does not affect their development inside the follicle.
deceptive effect. Sometimes it seems to parents that after cutting the hair becomes thicker - in fact, this effect creates uniform hair growth (that is, the length of all hairs is the same).
Can hurt. No matter how carefully we work with tools, there is always a risk of damage to the hair and follicles. Accidentally pulled with scissors or scratched with a typewriter - several weak children's follicles are damaged.
Discomfort. After shaving the head, the stubble that appears soon can cause irritation on the delicate baby skin and, as a result, severe discomfort. In addition, without hair, the baby may simply be cold.
risk of infection. The smallest scratches from a typewriter or pimples on irritated skin can cause inflammation due to the ingress of pathogenic microorganisms (for example, streptococcus).
No scientific evidence the fact that after shaving in babies, hair grows faster, becomes healthier and thicker. The beauty of the hair is provided by good nutrition, proper hygiene and heredity.

Why cut a child bald a year? The answer is simple - there is no need.

When You Might Need a Haircut

Although cutting children's hair will not make them look beautiful in the future, there are times when when you really need to get rid of excess hair(we are talking about cutting, not shaving):

it is difficult to remove infant crusts; long bangs falls on the eyes;
it seems to mom that her hair is ugly;
very hot;
the boy has too long hair, and he is mistaken for a girl.

How to get a haircut

If you, after weighing all the pros and cons, nevertheless came to the conclusion that the child should be cut, you need to consider several important rules.

Cut, not shave! A shaving machine, even a very good one, can damage hair follicles, as it tends to sometimes cling to hair. In addition, she can just scare the baby. Give preference to scissors with rounded ends. But if your family or religious tradition calls for a close shave, use a trimmer (it doesn't make that much noise). But in no case should you shave your baby with a machine!
After bathing. Wash your baby's head and cut slightly damp hair.
Times of Day. Choose the right time for this procedure, when the child is usually most calm. For example, after lunchtime sleep and food. You should not start this procedure if the baby is not in the mood or is sick.
Situation. Make sure the child is comfortable, prepare in advance interesting (preferably new) toys or healthy treats to distract him. During the procedure, talk to him all the time. If possible, invite a hairdresser who specializes in baby haircuts to your house (and not a neighbor - just because you yourself are afraid).
After haircut. At the end of the procedure, it is necessary to bathe the baby in a warm bath to remove cut hair from the body. Carefully inspect all the folds of the skin so as not to leave bristles, which can then prick.
Disinfection. If you didn’t cut, namely shaved the baby’s head, it must be treated with a disinfectant (for example, Miramistin) and lubricated with a moisturizer. Do not use alcohol and hydrogen peroxide to treat children's skin!

Most recently, your family has replenished with a small miracle, who is just around the corner celebrating his first birthday in his life. As with any life event, when a child turns one year old, it makes sense to listen to signs that have existed for more than one century.

Signs for 1 year old child

First of all, it is important to mention that at this age, children, like no one else, ideally feel the aura of any object. Many have heard about a certain test that will tell parents what will become a guide for a child in life, what profession he will choose. The Old Believers tirelessly repeat that in front of the child it is necessary to lay out objects that he sees for the first time and those that do not make up the list of his favorite toys. It is also important to add to this that the baby needs to be seated or put on a special bedding, which should be made of sheepskin (an inside-out sheepskin coat will do).

Parents lay out in front of their child a set of objects that symbolizes life and profession:

If a child reaches out to the items listed below, then know that in life he will choose the path that suits him. So, garlic, a box of vitamins or onions is health. In other words, the child was attracted by round garlic - at a conscious age, in the first place, he will take care of health, both about himself and about those around him. The keys, whether it be from a car or an apartment, are the personification of well-being. Piggy bank or wallet - rich life. Glasses, pointer - in the future, the baby will show unprecedented mental abilities, will strive to learn more and more new branches of science. Ring (wedding or ordinary) - a successful marriage. A ball of knitting threads or just a skein of threads symbolizes a long and happy life. If a child reaches for paints, a palette or a brush, then be sure that your creativity is growing up.
The next set of items will tell parents in which direction the baby will develop, what profession he will choose. Briefcase, bag - a leadership position. Wallet or piggy bank - entrepreneur, banker, accountant. A ball, a jump rope - for a child, sports will become more than just a hobby. Spoon, ladle or cup - the future chef is growing, able to change the idea of haute cuisine, or in his family, the kid will always be able to feed the household with a delicious dinner. Comb, clothes - stylist, fashion designer, hairdresser.

Who should cut a child a year old - signs?

In Ancient Russia, it was believed that the life force of a person lies in the hair, and therefore, their haircut in adults, and even more so in young children, was treated with special trepidation. So, if we talk about the haircut of a child who is 1 year old, then we have the following:

Why you can’t cut a child under a year old - signs?

Our ancestors believed that with the help of hair a person receives strength and knowledge from the Universe, and therefore it is not worth cutting babies for up to a year. Indeed, in this way you interfere with the universal laws, thereby complicating the development of your child. Moreover, in no case do not cut it under the "zero" or bald - this is a terrible mistake. The Old Believers believe that in this way, first of all, the child's speech development will be inhibited.

Today, it is up to parents to believe or not to believe in these superstitions, to whom the heart will tell what to do and what not to do in relation to their little miracle.

For every mother, the first year of her baby is the most important and joyful. And when it comes to the most important event, the baby's first birthday, mommy starts preparing for it. Begins to learn all the rites and customs that need to be done in a year.

And I am no exception. I began active preparations for the first holiday of my twins.
The rite that I want to write about today is the first tonsure of the year.

This ritual has its roots far back in antiquity. From a long time ago, children had their first haircut at a year old. The girls are seated on the pillow, and the boy on the casing. So that the life of the baby is in abundance, grain, money, sweets are poured under the pillow or casing. Parents had to keep their cut hair as a sign of health and longevity. A close person must definitely cut the child: mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather or godparents, who will not cut off luck, but rather add well-being to the child!
We decided to make such a ceremony at a celebration dedicated to the celebration of the year. Strands of hair will be cut off for the twins by their godparents and put in beautiful envelopes.
And the rest of the hair can be cut off the next day. We will entrust this to Godmother Sofochka. Since she is our hairdresser and she will cut everything with a typewriter. We decided that we would not shave, but we would cut it under the typewriter. At the same time, according to the search, you need to sentence various jokes about a girl's braid and a curly forelock. And add hair to the previously cut ones and save them.

Another version of this rite is also possible. When they spread the casing on the floor, and put grain, sweets, money for the boy, an ax should be placed under it. The birthday boy is seated on the casing, and dad or Godfather(there must be a man) they cut off the hair, and grandparents hold a loaf over the head of the birthday man. Then all the items are pulled out and the birthday person must choose one of them, this will show his future fate. Now it is customary to lay down money, car keys, garlic, mobile phone, gold.
The same thing is done for the girl, only instead of a casing they put her on a pillow, and instead of an ax they put a comb. The girl must have her hair cut by her mother or godmother (must be a woman).
Postryzhiny is best done before sunset and in good weather.
This rite is of great importance, our ancestors considered it an age dedication, when a child after a year is no longer treated like a baby. By the end of the first year of life, the baby's physical body is being formed, and the rite of trimming is a symbol of the completion of this process, and the baby is already able to show all the strength of his kind.

Do not invite dishonest people into your home. All guests should be positive, and wish the baby only good things.

If you look at the ceremony from a practical point of view, then this is done so that in the future the child would grow thick and healthy hair.

They seriously think about cutting babies when they are already a year old, and their hair is still very thin and short.

Fears begin - what if it stays that way? I want to find a way out and, the first thing that comes to mind, they begin to advise - to cut it shorter, or even bald.

And, although no one knows for sure if this makes sense, you will certainly hear a couple of stories about how it helped someone. In fact, whether to cut a child a year or not, this will not affect the improvement of the hair structure.

Where did the idea come from that you need to cut children's hair a year

If you start to understand, then no one will tell you exactly how a haircut or shaving can affect hair improvement.

Perhaps this is due, in part, to the fact that after the first shave, the beard begins to grow thicker and tougher, and indeed there is a well-known horror story that you can’t pull out the hairs on your face, otherwise they will thicken. However, there is absolutely no connection with the hair on the head;
There is other information about the fact that hair accumulates harmful substances in itself and, by cutting them, a person gets rid of some kind of negativity. But this is more for adults, in children a year, after all, there is nowhere to take really harmful substances that can remain in the hair.

And the justification for such an act is doubtful. More superstition.

Many of these actions are based on old beliefs, mostly pagan. In many cultures, children had their hair cut off a year for some religious reason. Or simply, observing the ancient traditions, the fulfillment of which, of course, promised health, and the failure to fulfill it promised illness.

However, realizing true reason haircuts for children, you are unlikely to be imbued with these old superstitions. By the way, we also touch on the issue of superstition in the article How to cut the fetters so that the child starts walking ?>>>.

Does it make sense to cut at 1 year old

Despite the apparent unjustified haircut of a one-year-old child, there is some benefit in it, one must look at the situation. Is it necessary to cut a child's hair in a year? For example, you can cut your baby's hair in the following cases:

The hair has already grown a lot and climb into the face, into the eyes, interfere. It is not necessary to cut them all, just trim them over the ears and cut the bangs to the eyebrows;
Hair grows unevenly, in clumps. It makes sense to use a machine with a trimmer, so as not to shave off your head, but leave a couple of millimeters. Hair becomes the same length and begins to grow together, so they seem thicker;

In fact, they did not become thicker from the haircut, they are just now evenly distributed.

I still have a seborrheic crust on my head, even a year old. It's easier to remove it short haircut, no more than a centimeter (this issue is discussed in the article Crusts on the head of a baby >>>);
Diseases of the scalp, lice. Even a one-year-old child living in a clean environment can catch lice. The elder brought it from school, we rode in a not very good train car. There are few situations. In any case, the treatment is better and easier with short hair;
A boy in a year is often called a girl. The hair is quite long and passers-by consider your kid to be a "lady". If this worries you, of course, to save your own nerves, it is better to give the boy a boyish haircut;
For hygiene. When it is already a year old, if it is hot outside, the child is sweating, or you have a long train ride in the summer, the hair should be shortened, for the convenience of the child;

Sweaty strands clinging to the head and face are completely uncomfortable, especially for children, who may begin to act up because of this.

Doesn't like to be brushed. If each combing procedure, and for girls also braiding, takes place with fights, then it is easier to cut it, and postpone the pigtails for an older age, when the baby has her own interest in this.

Whether to cut bald

Even if we move away from unjustified opinions that hair grows better after shaving, many people shave their child baldly for some personal reasons. Is it necessary to cut a child baldly a year? Not worth it.

The fact is that even the best machine can damage the scalp and hair follicles. And instead of solving the problem, you will find new ones.

If you touch or pull out tender baby bulbs, then they may no longer form in these places at all. Or they will form, but not stronger, but even weaker than before;
Damaged scalp is more susceptible to diseases. Infection, dirt can get into microcuts and wounds;
A shaved head will itch, especially when the hair is just starting to grow, the child will be uncomfortable, he will cry and act up, scratch his head. Combing, again, will bring dirt or comb scratches;
A child's head unprotected by hair overheats more easily in the sun in the heat and freezes more strongly in the cold, even in a warm hat.

Therefore, of course, look at the situation and do not shave your child baldly a year if there is no urgent need for this.

How to cut a child's hair

It would seem that there is nothing difficult in trimming children's hairs or even cutting them under a typewriter, leaving a small “hedgehog”. However, many babies at the age of one are simply afraid of cars and scissors. Or they spin very strongly, which already threatens not only with an uneven haircut, but also with cuts.

What to do in such cases and how to cut a child's hair without tantrums:

Make sure the child is not afraid of the procedure. Show him your tools and explain what you want to do and why;
Have the little one sit in front of a mirror if possible. Let him see himself and you, it will calm and interest him;
Cut when the child is in a calmer state. After an afternoon nap and an afternoon snack, for example (read