One morning, as you pull yourself out of bed to tend to your little one, you pick them up and notice that a few strands of their hair—of which there wasn’t much in the first place—are scattered across the mattress of their cot. Understandably, you’re a little worried, wondering whether this is normal or something to speak to your paediatrician about.

Well, we’re here to tell you that infant hair loss is very common. In fact, it’s a normal phase of your baby’s early development. Once a baby’s initial hair falls out, it’s replaced by permanent hair, which may even come out in a different colour or texture. So, while you might be a little surprised, there’s really no need to worry.

But what causes it? Why is my baby losing hair?

What causes hair loss in babies?

Hair loss in babies can be caused by a number of different things, the most common of which include friction on the head from how they’re sleeping, hormonal changes, and common infant skin conditions like cradle cap. So let’s go through each in turn and provide you with a little more information.

Friction during sleep. Given that babies must be placed on their backs to go to sleep, so as to reduce the risks of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), the friction between the back of their heads and the cot or basket mattress can contribute to faster infant hair loss.

Hormonal changes. Before your baby was born, you may have noticed a change in your own hair; perhaps it became fuller or took on a glossy sheen. This will have been caused by certain pregnancy hormones, which your little one was also getting a good dose of. But once they left the safety and comfort of the womb, they also lost access to all of the hormones that may have given them a head of thick, shiny hair. So their body experiences hormonal changes that may then result in the loss of some or all of their hair.

Cradle cap (seborrhoeic dermatitis) Cradle cap appears as clay-red or crusty-yellow patches on a baby’s scalp between the ages of 2 weeks and 12 months. It’s generally nothing to worry about and clears up all on its own, but the rubbing and cleaning of the clay area can sometimes lead to some hair loss in babies.

Should I do anything about my baby’s hair loss?

When your baby’s hair is going through its natural shedding phase, there’s nothing you can do to stop it, nor should you feel you need to stop it. However, if you do notice bald patches on one area of their head, watch how they nap and see if they have a preference for laying their head in one direction, as this could cause the normal rate of hair loss to quicken. While it’s not essential, if you do spot this, you can try to gently move them in their sleep so the pressure isn’t on one single spot. Being very gentle with your baby’s hair during brushing and bath time will also reduce accidental hair loss, though you shouldn’t panic if one or two strands come off in your hand.

As a side note, if your baby is losing hair after the age of 6 months, it’s worth speaking to your GP or paediatrician.

Why is my baby's hair falling out?

On Unii’s Baby Health Journey, we explain this sometimes alarming process.