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Original poster

DD 2.5 still has barely any hair! (Pic)

62 replies

merchantsdaughter · 17/05/2020 10:49

Name change as posting pic of my DD. She's 2.5 and still doesn't have enough hair for me to tie in to a pony tail. Even when wet her hair doesn't reach past the hairline on the back of her neck.

I'm so sick of people telling me what a lovely son I have, or met with the question "he or she?" It's incredibly upsetting to me. I don't want other children to tease her for looking like a boy - God knows what that does to such young children's mental health.

Not sure what I'm asking for really, just if anyone has had similar with their daughter??
I thought by 2.5 I'd have something to work with!

DD 2.5 still has barely any hair! (Pic)
OP posts:
CoachBombay · 17/05/2020 13:30

She's just got curly hair, it's not that there isn't much there. She looks beautiful.

You could try a hair band , but one of the soft ones that match her outfit if you are concerned about her being mis-gendered.

I wouldn't worry though, it will grow thick and fast soon enough.

MamaGothel · 17/05/2020 13:30

My DD1 was the same and unfortunately there were a couple of occasions where other little kids called her a boy or said she couldn't join in their girl games Sad it made her sad and confused and broke my heart. But it did grow eventually. Her hair is quite fragile and I have to take care of it, I find it helps to gently plait it back as much as possible and avoid tight styles that might cause breakage. You'll probably be surprised how much hair she has by this time next year.
My DD2 surprised me by having a completely different hair texture (same colour) so even though she was born with little hair, it grew quite quickly.

CoachBombay · 17/05/2020 13:31

Also everyone used to call DS a beautiful girl. Even when dressed in blue. He was a beautiful baby though, but I am biased. 😂

Original poster
merchantsdaughter · 17/05/2020 13:41

Thanks again everyone. To those asking why it bothers me, partly because I have a younger baby DD who has darker hair and different texture (soft and smooth) and is longer than DD1s, so often I get "what a beautiful baby girl! And err, a boy or girl?!" Hmm Even once got asked this when she was wearing a dress (albeit it's wasn't pink or frilly).

I don't want her growing up hearing her sister looks like a beautiful Rapunzel and at the same time querying her sex!

OP posts:
IdentifyasTired · 17/05/2020 14:37

All 4 of mine have been the same. In fact my 2 year old has less than yours! Don't stress. It'll grow. All the others now have a full head of hair!

NuffSaidSam · 17/05/2020 15:22

It's really not something to worry about OP.

The biggest risk is you passing on your anxieties about this to her.

If she sees that you are upset/stressed/angry when someone thinks she's a boy, she will feel like that. Show her that it doesn't matter if someone asks if you're a girl or a boy or is mistaken and she won't care.

Little children don't care whether someone is a boy or girl and are not going to tease her about it or refuse to play with her! These are all irrational anxieties.

grey12 · 17/05/2020 15:35

Do you really care about other people saying it's a boy?! Is that such a terrible thing? When DD1 was born we weren't living in the uk and if babies don't have a dress on and/or earrings it's automatically a boy!! No matter how feminine the clothes are Grin

grey12 · 17/05/2020 15:39

(Clicked on the wrong button)

DD1 had short hair that kinda grows into a mulletConfused at almost 4 is getting there! But she is totally into princesses and dresses (from nursery I guess....) so you wouldn't say she looks anything like a boy

At around 3 she started accepting hairbands

ivfgottostaypositive · 17/05/2020 15:44

Is she quite "small" for 2 1/2? I've known friends children be quite "baby" like I guess for much longer than mine and so their hair came in a lot later?

I have the opposite - my DD at 2.5 had long curly hair all the way down to her bum 🤣

bluebluezoo · 17/05/2020 16:23

If you want to do an experiment when this is over try a couple of observations..

Take her to the park in jeans and a blue hoodie. Watch how people interact- don’t correct the boy assumptions

Then take her to the park clearly dressed as a girl- dress, pink, hairband.

I found it fascinating that when the assumption was boy people would admire her bravery, move younger and girl children out the was so she could climb. I’d get comments on how active she was and how difficult “boys” needed to burn off energy.

Dressed as a girl and all of a sudden parent would tell their older boys to be careful and not to hurt the little girl. Her climbing (she was a climber) would be met with concern and anxious looks, even the odd be careful, and she’d get asked if she wanted help getting down. The comments would be how calm and easy girls were...

Same child, completely different reactions.

This is a good watch too if you’re interested in gender and stereotyping..

BendyLikeBeckham · 17/05/2020 16:30

Everything @BrandoraPaithwaite said. Just chill OP. Just let her be herself, and enjoy everything about her. She will pick up on your anxieties and might start to feel self conscious about her hair. As a child, she should be carefree and love herself for who she is (and her hair), as I am sure you do. FWIW I think her hair is lovely, all short and tufty!

What other people think of you/her is none of your business! I read that quote recently and try to remember it when I worry about how other people perceive me or my DC.

hotstepper4 · 17/05/2020 18:28

Looks like her hair is going to be curly?

I have a friend, who has two girls. One has dead straight hair, and the other has wild curls. The straight haired one has always had loads of hair but the curly girl only got enough hair for a pony tail when she was about 4. Her hair is lovely now, just really curly! I definitely see curls in your dd hair

MitziK · 17/05/2020 18:46

My eldest was like that (but bright, bright red). She finally grew long enough hair for a tiny pony tail when she was 6.

She's had long hair ever since.

firstimemamma · 17/05/2020 18:49

My friend's DD is the same age and has less hair op. Not trying to dismiss your feelings, just trying to make u feel less alone.

I think it's beautiful hair anyway.

Flamingodial · 17/05/2020 18:50

2.5 year olds don’t give a shit, or even understand what gender is. If you’re that worried then put her in a dress. But don’t put your weird fears about gender onto her

LaureBerthaud · 17/05/2020 18:55

Do you really care about other people saying it's a boy?! Is that such a terrible thing?

Stop trying to make OP feel shit. It matters to her.

isitamapletree · 17/05/2020 19:03

Dd1 had far less hair than that at 2.5. I wondered if it would ever grow or she had some kind of hair growing disorder Grin

She would be dressed in a pink dress and people would refer to her as 'him' and 'he' it used to make me so annoyed but I stopped caring once she got to about 3 and still had less hair than your dd.

She's 7 now and her hair hasn't caught up with her peers yet but is a good 3 or 4 inches past her shoulders so can do plenty with it. Dd2 is 4 and her hair has overtaken dd1 already!

No one ever teased her, she's always been confident and popular both in preschool and school so I wouldn't worry about that.

DontGoIntoTheLongGrass · 17/05/2020 19:04

DD at 2 and then at 3 and a half. Massive difference. It all grew on top for the first few years. She's 5 now and it's down past her bum.

DD 2.5 still has barely any hair! (Pic)
DD 2.5 still has barely any hair! (Pic)
Chillipeanuts · 17/05/2020 19:08

Yes, our daughter was exactly the same. We were so worried that we paid privately to take her to a specialist Oxford, hours there and back. He wasn’t very nice to us until he suddenly clicked: he thought it was a vanity issue, we were seriously worried there was something physically wrong (remember what it’s like being first time parents 😊)
He changed instantly, was incredibly kind and said it was a simple but common issue. She basically still had her baby hair, her next stage just hadn’t kicked in yet.
Long time ago now, can’t remember the technical terms, but she’s late 20s now, with the most glorious mane of hair.

SylvanianFrenemies · 17/05/2020 19:08

Yes, my DD1 was like that. Her hair started growing more normally age 3.5-4. Now she's 8, she looks like Rapunzel, with thick hair down to her bum!

Cityzen74 · 17/05/2020 19:11

My DS is also 2.5 and he has less hair than your DD. My mum is convinced that he will grow up to have really thick hair for some reason! I used to be worried about it but I have decided it will grow in when it’s ready! Am sure will be the same for your DD.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 17/05/2020 19:23

Her hair is beautiful

I was going to come on and commiserate

But honestly shes masses more hair Than My dd had...i virtually had to glue a clip on to her head for her 2nd birthday photos

Now dd has masses of long thick Wavy hair...that she doesn’t like Grin

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 17/05/2020 19:25

And ds2!

You know when you keep a baby curl? I had to wait til he was nearly 3 and when i cut the Very wispy curl he had no hair left...i kid you not

Flamingodial · 17/05/2020 20:52

@Chillipeanuts why didn’t you go to a free GP if you thought there was something medically wrong?

AnyFucker · 17/05/2020 20:59

I just worry other little girls won't want to play with her because she doesn't look girly enough

Wow. I think the biggest hurdle to your dd growing up with her self esteem intact is your attitude, tbh

It is clearly you that sees her as somehow lacking in "girliness" (whatever the fuck that means)

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