4 Month Old Baby Hair Falling Out

Updated on July 13, 2008
K.S. asks from Lawrenceville, GA
21 answers

I have a 4 month old baby girl and i've been noticing that her hair is falling out mainly on the sides and some up top. Her scalp is very dry up top and i just put vaseline on it to try to help it. Is this common or could there potentially be a problem? Please help.

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E.T.

answers from Atlanta on

Aveeno has a really good cradle's cap shampoo especially for babies. While neither of my babies' hair fell out when they were infants, they both had cradle's cap and I found this product to be excellent.

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J.G.

answers from Charleston on

It is totally normal for a baby to lose the hair they were born with. She may lose it all or just some before her new hair grows back in, and it may not fill back in for even a year or more. For a scaly scalp my pediatrician recommended a little dandruff shampoo- it works wonders- just be careful to not get it in her eyes.

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J.C.

answers from Columbus on

I am pretty sure that our little one lost all of her baby hair. I remember looking in her crib and seeing hair there for a long time. She was born with really dark hair and lost almost all of it. I think it is very normal.

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K.L.

answers from Charleston on

Totally normal, don't worry! More hair will grow!!!

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A.K.

answers from Atlanta on

Hey K., I am a 47 year old very proud granny. I have 2 kids in their 20's and also ran a home day care center for about 5 years, when my kids were small. Do not worry about the hair falling out, it is totally normal. A lot of times, the new hair will be totally different than the newborn hair.....different color, curly or straight. I would not put vaseline on the top as it could clog the pores. There is a shampoo called TGel....I remember it was a dark color and had a tar smelling odor, but it worked to keep my babies scalps very healthy. Good luck and have fun with your daughter.

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M.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi K.,

If it's the hair she was born with then it is common for it to fall out. If she was a little "cue ball" when she was born and this is new hair then there may be an issue.

Vaseline is never a good idea on a scalp, and believe it or not it is a diesel product and I wouldn't use it on my baby at all. It clogs pores and can cause skin issues. She can also get her hands in it and get it in her eyes.

Hope I helped and God bless!

M.

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C.Y.

answers from Charleston on

Hi K.,

Ah yes, it's completely normal! I remember when my first baby had the middle aged man look. :o) And the Vaseline won't help, in fact Vaseline is a petrochemical that is extremely toxic and linked to cancer. Check out www.cosmeticsdatabase.com to learn more about toxic personal care products.

C.
www.lostRiverNaurals.com

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S.M.

answers from Atlanta on

it't normal for the "baby" hair to fall out and then have new thicker hair grown in. our daughter was born with a huge head of black hair, it thinnned out as she got older and then her new thicker hair grew in. as for the dryness, take her to the doctor to be sure she doesn't have cradle cap, there are special shampoos for that, but i would have the doctor look at it.
hope this helps!

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K.R.

answers from Spartanburg on

I wouldn't worry. Our baby girl had a mohawk from about 3 months until 6 months or so. :) Hers fell out around the sides and in the back. Just the bit in the middle was left!

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M.M.

answers from Atlanta on

Totally normal. My daughter lost most of her hair around 4-5 months. She was so bald that her scalp started to shine.

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K.R.

answers from Savannah on

Totally normal. My 15 month old went completely bald about that same age maybe 3 mo.? She is now 15 months and she is getting it back in now. Its very normal. Alot of it is their genetics and then some of it is from how they sleep. If they sleep on their backs the back hair usually comes out if side....ditto.

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S.M.

answers from Atlanta on

Hair loss is normal. I'm dubious about the toxicity of petroleum jelly, so don't fret that you have poisioned her or anything. But I know that it doesn't really moisturize skin, it just seals it and prevents loss of more moisture. By most accounts, it does more harm than good, because it can prevent the normal "breathing" of the skin.

Someone mentioned the Burt's baby oil (which mostly apricot kernel oil, I believe), and that's real nice stuff for baby massages (or on mom's legs after you shave), but on hair, it will give her a greased-down look. I would try a tear-free leave-in conditioner - California Baby makes some that smells WONDERFUL, and you can probably find it at Whole Foods or a heath food store (or online, of course.)

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T.M.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi,

It's normal for the baby's hair to fall out. However, I would avoid using Petroleum or Petrolatum or Mineral oil based products such as Vaseline to put on your baby. It's not healthy. It's refined crude oil...

Good luck.

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K.M.

answers from Atlanta on

K.,
keeping her hair clean and flaking the cradle cap daily with a baby brush is really all you should do. Putting products on your baby's scalp can actually make it worse. It will take a couple of weeks to get rid of it completely, but you shouldn't worry. But, don't put anything on it wihtout speaking to your doctor. As you have already heard baby hair falls out and is quite normal.

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S.M.

answers from Sumter on

She may have cradle cap you can take her to her pediatrician and have her check to see if that maybe the problem. Vaseline is not going to help the if it is cradle cap because you will need to wash her hair and use some baby lotion and comb threw the pry areas. Hope this helps.

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A.G.

answers from Spartanburg on

My son who is 21 months now lost his thick straight dark brown hair that he had had since birth at 4 months, and like you, I got extremely worried! My husband said he looked like a little monk :) Don't worry though! It is normal! My son's hair grew back golden blonde and curly!!! :) No worries! The last 2 years of his (and my) life has been full of changes and discoveries, but before you panic, call your doctor and they can always put your mind at ease or let you know when there is a problem. God bless you and your little one!

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A.C.

answers from Atlanta on

I think this is normal, most babies lose their hair. If you think there is something to cause concern, then bring it up with your pediatrician at her next well check.

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C.E.

answers from Atlanta on

I'd ban the Vaseline from the nursery. It's petroleum based (AKA gasoline). I found Burt's Bee's Almond Oil to be a good product for the dry scalp. I'd comb it in and get the cradle cap off my sons' scalps. You can't do anything about the hair loss. It's from hormonal changes in the baby. Her hair will grow back on its own. Both of these things are common in babies her age.

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B.B.

answers from Spartanburg on

My son is 2 years old now and when he was about 3 or 4 months old he had the same problem. I bought the Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Treatment and used it on him. It's nothing to worry about, in time it will go away. My son's hair fell out within about 3 months and came in blond.

B.

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S.S.

answers from Augusta on

It is very normal for a baby's hair to fall out. It could be that your baby is losing its baby hair and getting the more permanent hair. Also, the dry spots on your babies head is called cradles cap. A good way to get rid of it is to carefully wash those spots with a dandruff shampoo every other day and hopefully it will alleviate some of the flaking. Baby oil or olive oil are also good things to put on the cradle cap spot.

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C.W.

answers from Savannah on

Babies go through different changes and no matter how we would love them to stay that same little cozy baby their bodies also make adjustments. Don't worry too much. Continue doing your best if the doctor doesn't have any concerns then she's okay. Take plenty pictures before you know it both of you will be laughing at the way her hair came out in spots.

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