Can I cut my newborn's hair with a clipper?

Many babies are born bald and it takes a while before the first hairs appear on their heads, which are usually so thin that they are practically impalpable. In some cases, however, they are born already furry like bear cubs and apart from the superstitions that we have left behind for this type of newborn, new mothers always feel the urge to give their hair a trim.

But what about scissors or clippers and when to start? Are there risks? Should you take precautions? Let's try to understand together what are the reasons and methods for cutting newborns' hair.

When do you start trimming your hair?

First of all, let's start by clarifying the fact that for the first few weeks, or rather for the first 18 months, you should not cut your newborn's hair. Their little head, in fact, is fragile and soft when compared to that of an adult.

The fontanelles are still open, which remain so for almost a year and a half, but even afterwards the head remains a critical point and is very fragile and must always be protected.

So, ultimately, you should always put the idea of cutting the hair of babies under six months out of your mind, limiting yourself to brushing them with extremely soft bristles, sable hair and little more.

In fact, stressing a newborn with scissors and razors is useless, but rather risks exposing them to problems even indirectly. In fact, if with the clipper there is not the slightest risk of cutting them and that of making scratches is very small, the vibrations can be harmful to the little head.

In the vast majority of cases, the child does not suffer serious trauma, but he or she may become nervous and start crying and continue like this for several hours even after the hairstyling has finished, simply because the vibrations have upset him or her a little.

How do you cut your hair when it's finally time?

However, once the safety threshold is exceeded, sooner or later the hair of small children must be cut and there are different schools of thought. Since it is extremely thin hair and rather sparse, it is not difficult to cut it with scissors or clippers, if you have a little practice.

It should always be remembered that their function during the first years of life is to protect the head from the cold, sudden changes in temperature and ultraviolet rays. So with the clipper the cut can be done, but it is always necessary to keep the length above two or three fingers.

There is no point in brushing a newborn's hair just to follow a trend and take a couple of silly photos for social media. The little head needs to be protected and gel doesn't work on hair so thin it looks like spider web threads.

How do you use the machine?

For the cut, you need to work with a comb to lift the hair on the head. You can't slide the blade like you do to shave a soldier, but you have to proceed with great care, avoiding using the sideburn trimmer, which has several contraindications.

Newborns' hair is extremely thin and this accessory is not always able to cut it, risking tearing it out. In this case, the baby would certainly start crying and there could also be the formation of bruises and other problems that a mother does not want to have to deal with.

You start by moistening your hair with a little warm water, not hot or cold, but at a pleasant temperature, because this serves to lubricate the hair and make it easier to cut, also because it sticks together thanks to the humidity and can be cut in tufts with the clipper.

Then you should always and exclusively choose a machine equipped with a safety shoe which is a protection for the skin if the situation gets out of hand, possibly with a battery-powered model, easier to handle and lighter than the one with the cable.

Never use blades like razors, free because they could cause nasty cuts and scratches, if the child is very agitated. If you are an expert in hairdressing and you are sure you can work in complete safety, with a little patience you can use the free blade of the electric razor without protection, but with great caution.

The hair should be gently slid and bent with the comb, holding it with a finger if necessary, and should be cut with a certain decision, with slow movements and keeping the noisy object we are using to cut the hair as far away as possible from the child, because otherwise he could get upset.

During the whole cutting operation it is therefore always better to keep him distracted and if possible not to do everything alone, perhaps involving a friend, grandmother or an aunt who can come to support us in the most dangerous moments of this little styling.

Once the hair has been shortened, dry the head thoroughly using a cloth without using a hair dryer, because this is not good for the little ones, in fact it exposes them to trauma and shock and they can start crying for a very long time because of the fright.

In any case, you should wait a few months before giving your hair a new cut. In fact, if you look around carefully, most very young children have beautiful curls and quite long hair.

This is linked to the fact that keeping them in order is fine, but overdoing it with a fashionable look because we have only seen it on a social network is not. What matters, in fact, is not the image but rather the protection of the health of the little ones and keeping away the lice that are always lurking in the park and at the nursery. There is always time for fashion.