Newborns hair shaved

[PigFaceForever]

I read in a barbers shop window a sign which said, 'newborns hair cut here'.

I googled it and in some Asian cultures they shave the newborns hair. So now I'm curious. Would that not damage the quality of the baby's hair once it grew back? If a baby was born with no hair, would that be a disappointment to the parents?

I really never knew this was a custom in some cultures and I'm now fascinated by it!

The thinking is that it helps hair grow back stronger and better. This has been debunked, but I think shaving the head and having all the hair grow back at the same time makes it seem thicker and stronger.

However even though I’m a scientist, and it’s been said that scientifically it makes no difference I did get DD1s head shaved at 9 months. I had my hair shaved and some small superstitious part of me didn’t want to risk it and have her hair not be at its best?

(But we also culturally tend to get babies ears pierced at a very young age and I didn’t do that - bodily autonomy etc)

My kids cousins all had their heads shaved for religious reasons. I believe it’s around cleanliness and also has religious significance. Their hair is lovely and thick, so it didn’t cause any problems. One cousin was born early so they waited until he was around 3-4 months before they did it. I’m not the same religion so we didn’t do it, but my first son’s hair mainly fell out anyway. I found it quite shocking at first but now I’m used to it

They weigh it and give that amount in silver to charity. I love it. Actual cultural ritual, not empty capitalism like my culture

It’s not only done in Asian cultures

It’s really great at clearing cradle cap!

Thank you for your replies.

@AliceAbsolum That's such a lovely sentiment behind it.

Practising Muslims shave their week old babies hair, as this is what the prophet Mohammed did.

No idea about what it does to hair regrowth

Should have said I’m Asian, but not Muslim. J believe Muslims do it v early, like in the first fortnight so it’s more related to ideas of cleanliness. But we (Hindus) do it in either the 1st 3rd or 5th year of birth.

Like PPs have said, islamically, is the hair of a newborn baby boy is to be shaved, the hair to be weighed and the weight of the hair to be given in silver or gold to charity. It’s the baby’s first act of charity. It’s done on the 7th day.

This isn’t an Islamic thing but cultural. Mainly Asian Muslims do it, and it’s the weight in gold to charity.

Good job we don’t- would have been an insulting donation from DS, was born almost completely bald. Was 18 months before he had hair- now he has an Afro!

Many Muslims do this as they give the same weight to charity.

Many black people also do this as the hair apparently grows back stronger and curlier.
I didn’t do it with my DC and their hair is amazing.

My husband is from a Hindu family and they asked that we shaved our daughters head but we declined. Both of us not religious.
My family are Italian and they shaved my brothers head so his hair would come in thicker. Never worked!

DD was born with a lot of dark hair - it fell out around 3 months and grew back in white-blonde! I don’t know if this is widespread but the baby’s first hair may not stay anyway so it probably doesn’t make much difference to the hair itself. Certainly DD’s fell out unevenly so for a while she had blonde hair on top, a bald section and then a little ring of dark hair like a monk’s tonsure around the bottom of her head. It looked sweet but very weird 🤣

It’s a Muslim ‘ritual’ as it were. Done to boys and girls. If you can afford to then the gold/silver/money the weight of the hair should be donated to charity. I’ve had all three of my boys or shaved. No issues. We chose suitable barbers who were experienced and careful. It’s for cleanliness purposes.

I know in the Hindu culture - babies hair is also shaved but I’m afraid I don’t know why or how. So it’s not just linked to Muslims.

My friend who is a Sri Lankan Christian shaved her children's heads. Twice each I think. Am not sure of any religious significance but it was supposed to make it grow back thicker. Not entirely sure it worked.

Blimey DS was bald as a coot at birth and still is at 14 months! wouldn’t have had anything to give to charity.

googled it and in some Asian cultures they shave the newborns hair. So now I'm curious. Would that not damage the quality of the baby's hair once it grew back?

I’ve yet to meet anyone from an Asian country who does not have absolutely gorgeous hair.
I definitely don’t think we need to worry about damage!

I have friends who had their hair shaved off as a baby, it definitely didn't damage it!

An old but interesting thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/multicultural_families/465819-any-asians-muslims-who-have-shaved-their-babies-head

My sil is Muslim she had both her babies heads shaved she has a boy and a girl ,he son is fifteen and her daughter thirteen they both have lovely thick hair now so I don't think it damages it
Incidentally both my boys had very wispy hair at birth and just at the sides and back ,my fifteen year old has gloriously long thick curly hair and my nearly 12 year has very straight not very thick hair ,I assume it changes in early childhood?

@Leilala

This isn’t an Islamic thing but cultural. Mainly Asian Muslims do it, and it’s the weight in gold to charity.

Good job we don’t- would have been an insulting donation from DS, was born almost completely bald. Was 18 months before he had hair- now he has an Afro!

It is Islamic not just cultural. It is a "sun ah" voluntary act for boys where you shave the head on day 7, weigh it and give the gold/silver amount to charity. It is the baby's first act of charity.

However I can imagine other cultures may do it for various reasons. However, the above is a specific Islamic act.

Everyone wondering if it makes hair grow back thicker - how can it?? Anything you do to hair above the scalp has no bearing on how hair grows under the scalp.

I know a couple of people (white British Atheists) who have shaved their daughters hair as newborns because apparently it grows faster (I don't believe that's true) and because it looks better when the hair begins to fall out from rubbing (I think that is a ridiculous reason but it doesn't hurt them so each to their own). It's not just a cultural or religious thing.

Everyone wondering if it makes hair grow back thicker - how can it?? Anything you do to hair above the scalp has no bearing on how hair grows under the scalp.

So is it a myth you should have your hair cut every 6 weeks to make it grow longer?

We are Hindu and the reason we shave the baby's head is to get rid of the bad karma from past lives - our son had next to no hair so you couldnt tell we had shaved it But now he's 6 and has a thick head of hair - not sure shaving had anything to do with it more likely genetics (DH has thick black hair)

It is an Islamic prophetic tradition babies hair is shaved weighed and the equivalent of its weight in silver is given in charity.
As babies hair is usually negligible in weight we do tend to round up and give a decent donation.

I had to explain to my midwife who was horrified I’d had my newborns head shaved. But once I told her she immediately told me I could donate the money to a local charity which helped young families in our area. So I did.

It’s also a way of celebrating the happiness of having a new baby in the family.