Cutting My Baby Boy's Curly Hair

Isn't it funny that folks with straight hair want curly hair, and those with curly hair want it straight? The grass is always greener....

I have wavy hair - which means it's neither fish nor fowl and doesn't do anything I want it to - but it gets wavier as it gets longer. When my boys were little, their hair curled if it was left long enough, but they usually liked it shorter and straighter.

Perhaps your husband's hair grew thicker as he grew older. That could affect the curliness of hair, too.

You could take a picture of your boy now to preserve all those curls in your memory (and in the scrapbook). Then take him to the barber shop and ask if they can cut his hair enough to make it manageable but still leave a little curl in. Enjoy the decision-making now, because when your boy is a little older he'll have opinions of his own!

I feel your pain. I have 2 boys and we waited to cut each one until they were 2. My youngest son had beautiful ringlette curls. When he turned 2, my husband buzzed them off. I cried.

He's now 4 and while we keep his hair cut short, he still has some curl and I love when its long enough that I can just put a little gel in his hair and bring out the curls. If we were to let his hair grow, he would still have those great curls (think Rick Fox).

We just had a little girl 3 months ago...so I will be able to play with curly hair again (and we don't have to buzz her hair when she turns 2!).

I totally feel your pain of not wanting to cut it (I too have stick straight hair). I was so against cutting it until he started crying when we would comb it and I knew it wasn't the best option for him (everyone thought he was a girl as well).

My youngest had the most adorable blond curls.... I still have them in a little bag. They never came back, and his hair turned darker as he got older.
Thanks for making me remember his curls for a minute!
Save a lock or two in his babybook, that's where mine are.

Well as you said it is just a matter of if he has curly hair or not. My firstborn son has curly hair and it was CRAZY curly as a baby. We finally had to cut it and it grew back curly but much, much more coarse, but is beautiful. I love having a curly haired boy!! My baby has all that fine curly hair as well so I am just enjoying it as long as I can because I know the day will come when it too will be replace by thick coarse curls. So either way, once you cut it, it won't be the same and yeah, if it is straight hair, this will probably be the end:( If you want to try and milk it a little longer you can try this product I use on my boys. The brand is Circle of Friends and it is the Melon leave in conditioner. They sell it at a place called Cool Cuts 4 kids but I don't know if you have one in your area, so you can always look for it online. It is lightweight and magical!! My baby boy's hair looks like a soft little frizz ball in the morning and this stuff makes all these tight little curls pop all over his head. Good luck whatever you decide!!

My son had to get his haircut when he was 15 months because it was so long and curly that he kept getting called a girl. Unfortunately, his curls never came back. It broke my heart (which is why my daughter hasn't had a haircut yet!)

Just my experience. Little boys curls are adorable ;)

my oldest had the most beautiful hair until it was cut at the age of two. It will still curl if grown out but just the back. I say use a little gel and let him have long curly hair for awhile.

Well, my first son's curls went away with the cut. I kind of figured they would because his hair only curled on the ends. My 2nd son though has had two hair cuts and still has curls -in fact -they look better with a little trim! I suggest taking him to a salon and telling the hair dresser that you really only want a trim to neaten things up and would like to preserve the curls. Make sure they understand that you do NOT want a bunch of hair cut -more of a trim!

My boys both have curly hair, and while the 'baby' curls never came back, both have curly/shaggy/wavy hair when it gets long. My 5yr old rocks the 'surfer/hockey' shag and its adorable. When its wet its super curly. My hair is curly and I think when they get older it will be moreso.

My DH and my In laws - insisted my son ( who was only 14 mos) Needed a hair cut ! he has Beautiful sandy blond curls that sure got a little wild once in a while- but I always tried to keep it looking nice :-) well finally right before our week vacation down the Cape - they all ganged up on me again! LOL and said he'd be much 'cooler' and comfortable w/ the hair off his neck and away from his ears etc. I said FINE :-( BUT its going to be done at my salon by my stylist -NOT the old barber my DH and his friends have been going to since HS and he was Old then!!! haha and he did well with it :-) I told her just enough to look 'trim' but leave the curls. I kept a few ringlets in a plastic baggy (just for myself) and I'm HAPPY to report my little mans hair is growing back nicely and Curly :-) He inherited that from my mom - my hair is Straight - well since I've had him its become more wavy which I kinda like.

oooohhhh... I feel your pain.....My son had beautiful blond curls for about a year, then his hair grew so long it weighed down the curls, then I cut it for the first time at just shy of 2 yrs old....no curls ever again. Yes, the curls can go away... :( He still has body and wave but no more real curls....but I am very happy with his new big boy hair cut :) I don't know what to say, just save the curls from the first cut and don't cut until YOU'RE ready! GL!

Yes, my oldest boy had the most beautiful blond head of curly hair and at 18 months my husband said that it had to be cut. He is now ten and even if we were to grow his hair out, I am sure that it would not come back.

My one year old daughter has a red head full of curls. My mother said that I had hair like my son and daughter. My hair easily curls but naturally is wavy at best. Strange enough, my middle child was born with straight hair.

I think if you don't cut it, you are just postponing the 'pain'. Or if it is truly curly hair, it will stay no matter what you do. If your husband lost his curls most likely the baby will too. Sorry!

No reason not to enjoy it for awhile, as long as it lasts. Make sure to take plenty of pictures!

regardless if he loses his curls or not, what option do you have? Unless you want it to grow down to his waist! So it will need to be cut regardless. My son is 8 and both his dad and I have naturally curly hair. My daughter ended up with pin straight hair and the son got the long eye lashes and curls, go figure! So he said he HATED his curls, but I LOVED them! So I cut the front and sides short and left curls in the back. Of course all the moms would comment on how cute his curls were, which is probably why when he got old enough to be embarrassed is when he said he wanted them cut. He now has short hair all over and it doesn't get long enough to know if his curls would come back or not! So just cut it and let it go. Take lots of pictures and keep those curls in a baggie for a keepsake! :D

I'm in the exact same situation...17 month old w/ amazing "shirley temple" curly hair. I trimmed his bangs myself b/c it was getting in his eyes, but I don't want to cut his hair. He's my pretend lil' girl for now :)) I have 3 boys. But until it starts getting bothersome, I'll leave it alone for now. Enjoy it while you can.

the same thing happened with my little brother. I came home from college for a break and his hair was buzzed. I cried and he was all "it's ok, sissy, it will grow back!" but the curl never came back. :-(

My husband just cut my 2 year olds gorgeous curls off! He now sports a firefighter standard cut just like his Dad, I am not happy... I was taking him to "pigtails and crewcuts" for trims and they did an amazing job. He now looks like a boy not my baby :( My oldest is 18 and I know how time flies, so I am in no rush for him to grow up. I hope they grow back and I this time I am hiding the clippers! Like you, I always wanted curly hair,
so this is really more about me and truth be told it is just hair!
So my answer, if you love it and it doesn't bother your little man, just take him to a KIDS hair place and get a TRIM. You will know the day when it is time to cut it. Oh and don't let those people who call him a girl influence you, they just think he is beautiful!

My youngest boy inherited my curly hair (really it's my Dad's) and it was gorgeous....I kept it till he was 3...when everyone (including the school picture guy) referred to him as a girl, I cut it...now he likes it uber short, but I can tell from his texture that he will always have the curls, if he chooses to grow it out when he's older!

I know exactly how you feel, it's sad to see it go...just make sure you get lots of pics before you cut it all off!