How to wash a child's hair. How and with what means to wash a child’s hair. What products can you use to wash children's hair?

With the birth of a baby, a young mother has many questions about caring for her newborn. How to wash a baby’s hair, what detergents to use during this procedure, what the temperature of the water should be - all this remains to be learned by the young mother.

Bathing a newborn, especially the very first, is a real event, joyful and exciting for all family members. Do you want your bathing to go without a hitch? You can read everything parents need to know about bathing their precious baby here.

When to wet a baby’s head after the maternity hospital?

It is advisable to bathe the baby on the first day after discharge from the hospital. You have to try not to get it wet. umbilical wound so as not to cause inflammation. To disinfect water, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate. Dissolve several crystals completely in a glass of warm water. Add a few drops of this solution to the bath until a faint pink tint appears.

Be careful not to add too much solution, as it can dry out baby's skin or cause burns.

You need to wash your baby's hair especially carefully and carefully. It is necessary to carefully wash off the contaminants of the original lubricant, the remnants of the original epidermis, and greasy scales from the baby’s head.

How to carry out the procedure correctly?

Newborns need to wash their hair while bathing.. The baby should wash his hair with soap or shampoo once or twice a week. On other days, while bathing, simply rinse the baby’s head with water. The fontanel area should be washed carefully. Don’t be afraid to touch the pulsating area: the baby’s brain is well protected by a thick and durable membrane.

The water temperature for swimming should be 36-37 °C. In the first month of a newborn’s life, it is better to bathe in boiled, settled water. This is necessary until the umbilical wound heals.

It must be remembered that if the baby was vaccinated with BCG on the eve of discharge, he should not be bathed on the first day.

We invite you to watch a video on how to properly wash your baby’s hair:

What product to choose for a baby, how often to use it and can you use shampoo?

The range of baby bath products is very diverse, but many of them are not of high quality. Therefore, the choice of means must be approached seriously. When buying shampoo or gel for newborns, you should pay attention to the composition. It should be free of any artificial colors, flavors and sulfates.

It is worth paying attention when buying baby soap to the marks “neutral pH” and “clinical tests”. This means the soap has been tested and will not harm your baby.

Shampoos intended for infants are marked with inscriptions on the bottles: “From the first days of life”, “0+”, “For newborns”.

Any detergents for small children should be made from natural plant ingredients. It’s good if the composition contains extracts of chamomile, string, and calendula. But keep in mind that although they are useful, they can cause individual intolerance.

Nuances: how much to bathe for the first time?

The baby is bathed in a separate bath; the hair must be washed during the bathing process. Before bathing, you must thoroughly wash the bath and pour boiling water over it.

Don’t forget to remove rings and watches from your hands so as not to accidentally injure your baby, wash your hands thoroughly with soap, and make sure your nails are cut short.

Where to bathe the baby in the bathroom or in the kitchen, mommy will decide for herself. But you definitely need to make sure that there are no drafts in the room, and that the temperature in the room corresponds to 24 -26 degrees.

The duration of the first bath is 3 - 4 minutes, it is important that the child does not freeze. You need to prepare a thermometer in advance to control the water temperature, a ladle for rinsing your hair, a towel, baby soap.

Features of the procedure so that the baby loves it and does not cry

When bathing, protect your baby's eyes from getting detergent . Even tear-free shampoos are not a 100% guarantee of effect.

We invite you to watch a video on how to wash your baby’s hair so that he doesn’t cry:

Advice from a psychologist: what to do if your baby doesn’t want to swim or is afraid?

In most cases, children bathe with pleasure, but it also happens that when it comes to washing their hair, tears, crying, and whims begin. You can find out the reason for this attitude to the process strictly individually. The solution to this problem also depends on the age of the baby.

An advertisement for one very famous shampoo for children shows us a child who happily lets his hair be washed. Only in reality, many children resist this “terrible” procedure and agree to it only after much persuasion. If you are familiar with a similar situation, do not despair. Use our recommendations - and your baby will begin to enjoy bathing and washing his hair without tears, stress and whims.

1. Wash your hair in a good mood. Before water treatments Feed the baby well, make sure he is healthy and not tired, otherwise he will start to be capricious during bathing. Go to the bathroom when you both have good mood: The baby will associate washing her hair with a pleasant pastime, so the whims will soon pass.
2. Try a different shampoo. It is possible that the previous remedy stung the child’s eyes, and now he is simply afraid that discomfort will repeat. Buy baby shampoo that says "tear-free" - these won't irritate your eyes.
3. Cover your baby's ears. Tears and whims can also be caused by water that gets into the ears when rinsing the head, causing discomfort. In this case they will help cotton balls, with which you need to cover your ears before swimming.
4. Use a special visor for washing your hair. This is an excellent remedy against whims during bath procedures. The visor will reliably protect the baby’s face and eyes from soap suds, and the streams of water flowing down the grooves will distract and entertain him in the bathroom. We do not recommend using visors frequently and regularly, because... The child will quickly get used to them, and you will have to take him with you everywhere - both on vacation and on visits. And every time the visor is missing for one reason or another, the baby will most likely cry.
5. Wash your hair properly. Ask the child to look up so that water does not get on his face, while you pour water on your head from the forehead to the back of the head.
6. Let your child do everything himself. Let him feel like an adult and try to wash his hair himself: wet his hair, lather it with shampoo, rinse off the foam with water. The baby will understand that washing his hair is not at all scary, so this procedure will no longer cause whims. Tell him that he is too old to worry about such a trifle as washing his hair, everyone washes it. Encourage him. Organize a “show” for him - show grandma or dad that he knows how to wash his hair like adults.
7. Come up with a defense. Invite your child to wear a diving mask or swimming goggles in the bathroom. In this fun way you will protect your child's face and eyes from soap suds and give him a feeling of security. After all, the right emotional mood is very important when learning to wash your hair.
8. Play with foam. Children love games: lather the little one’s head and offer to make funny shapes from the foam - horns, a crown, a comb like a cockerel. Then show your child his reflection in the mirror - and he will be convinced that this is a very fun activity. Let the child react according to the situation: if it’s a lion, it roars, if it’s a rooster, it crows, etc.
9. Comment on what is happening. When washing your child’s head, explain to him what you are doing and why. It’s even better to sing a funny “bath” song or read a poem at this time.
10. Bath day. When telling your child about the benefits of personal hygiene, invite him to give one of his dolls or toys a bath day. Teach your child to wash the hair of everyone in his care. Pay his attention to the fact that none of the dolls were afraid to wash their hair.
11. Flower. Tell your child that you will play flower with him during bath time. Prepare a baby watering can or a small jug. Explain to your child that the flower needs to be watered so that it grows strong and beautiful. First, you can invite your baby to water it on himself.

Have you tried all possible persuasion and tricks, but tears and whims remain while washing your hair? Just don't scold the baby. Show maximum care, affection and patience: the child will feel safe next to you and will gradually stop perceiving washing his hair as something unpleasant.

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When appears in the family Small child, daily hygiene procedure The baby will be bathed and washed. Particular difficulties arise when washing a baby’s delicate scalp. Performing the usual procedures of soaping, rinsing and drying your hair will not be enough here. There are a few things you need to know important rules hair care for young children.

What you need to know about the structure of children's hair

The structure of a child's hair is constantly changing. Initially, the baby's head is covered with hair that looks more like fluff. But every child is individual. Some are born with thick hair, and others without them at all. In any case, after three months the first hair will begin to change, and intermediate hair, otherwise called “baby hair,” will grow. During this period, active hair loss is observed in the baby, especially in those areas that often come into contact with the pillow. Full hairline appears in a child six months after birth, and their active growth will begin in the third year of life.

The next (last) stage is the appearance of adult (“terminal”) hair. "Terminal" hair grows in adolescence and have a denser structure than children's ones. At this age, their color may completely change, for example, from light to dark. However, they require care at any age, and special attention is required in the early period of life.

How often should you wash?

It is important to know that simply wetting your baby's head during daily bathing does not count as shampooing. The washing procedure is accompanied by the application of shampoo, which is then washed off with water. Children's hair gets dirty more slowly than an adult's, so you don't need to wash your baby's hair with shampoo every day. Once a week is enough, maybe once every five days, depending on the pollution. More often it is not recommended so as not to disturb the natural environment of the scalp and not to dry it out. Vellus hair can be washed with shampoo once every ten days, and the rest of the time it is enough to simply rinse it with water.

The better to wash

Adult shampoo is not suitable for washing a child’s hair, only children’s shampoo with a pH level (an indicator of acid-base balance) of 7 (pure water has this pH level). When choosing baby shampoo, you need to check that it does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which manufacturers often add to shampoo to create foam. This component can act on children's scalp in such a way as to cause irritation and, in some cases, allergies. Children's hair is washed the first time, so it is not necessary to apply shampoo twice.

How to wash properly?

We fill the bath with warm water ( suitable temperature 36 degrees), after which we immerse the child in the water. The neck and head must be supported with the palm of your hand. With your free hand, water your hair, starting from the forehead and gradually moving to the back of your head.

Having foamed a small amount of shampoo or special gel, distribute it over the palm of your hand and run it over the baby’s head in the same direction - starting from the forehead and moving the palm towards the back of the head. To rinse your hair from shampoo, regular running water is suitable.

There is no need to actively try to dry your hair with a towel. It is enough to wet the baby’s wet hair with it, and then give the hair the opportunity to dry on its own.

Combing

It is not recommended to comb wet hair to avoid damage and loss. It is better to use a comb with bristles made of natural materials. Plastic materials damage and electrify hair. A comb is also suitable for combing, but always with blunt teeth so as not to harm the baby’s sensitive skin.

For combing long hair You should first divide them into small strands. Each strand must be combed with smooth movements, moving from the ends of the hair to the roots. It is better to hold your hair with your hand, avoiding tension on the scalp. Sometimes a child's hair gets tangled in tangles, and the baby does not allow them to be combed. In this case, it would be better to cut them off.

Milk crusts

Often, crusts form on the skin of babies, medically called “gneiss”. Such crusts appear due to active division of scalp cells. Some of these cells die. As a result of the combination of dead cells and sebaceous glands, milk crusts are formed. You can cleanse your skin of them if you rub them into your scalp before bathing. vegetable oil massaging movements. For a better effect, you can put a cap on your baby for half an hour.

Using a suitable comb, comb the baby's hair several times. The crusts separated from the skin are combed out. To completely remove crusts, repeat the procedure up to 3 times each time before bathing.

You can simply run soft bristles through children's hair for preventative purposes - to prevent milk crusts from appearing on the scalp.

Mild cleansers are used to wash a child’s hair.

Children under three years of age are sensitive to chemicals contained in cosmetics. The choice of shampoos for this category of babies must be approached with special responsibility.

Washing a child’s hair: what should the composition of the shampoo be?

Cosmetics for children's hair care should not contain substances that irritate the baby's scalp and body. They should contain natural plant extracts.

List of substances that should not be contained in foams, gels and shampoos for washing the hair of children under 3 years of age:

• Parabens: benzylparaben, isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, hydroxybenzoate and hydroxybenzoic acids, E214...E219;
• alcohols: alcohol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol;
• mineral oils: mineral oil;
• fragrances;
• dyes;
• preservatives: imidazolidinyl-urea, hydantoin, benzylhemiformal, phenoxyethanol, etc.

All these components cause allergic reactions in babies and can cause shortness of breath.

You need to choose a shampoo taking into account the baby’s health. If he suffers from allergies or has sensitive skin, then hypoallergenic products with skin-softening ingredients are suitable for it.

You cannot use baby soap, either bar or liquid, to wash your hair. Even despite their gentle composition, such products dry out the baby’s delicate skin.

How often can you wash your child's hair?

The older the baby, the more often this procedure can be performed. Children under one year old wash their hair with shampoo no more than 2 times a week, more frequent use hygiene product leaves the scalp without a protective layer. This causes the skin to dry out.

For babies in the first month of life, it is not necessary to treat their hair and scalp.

2-3 years is the period of replacement of infant vellus hair with older ones, which are scientifically called “intermedial”. These intermediate hairs, due to their fine structure and fragility, require proper care. Read below on how and how to wash your child’s hair.

Adult terminal hair begins to grow during adolescence, when the child's body undergoes hormonal changes(during the child’s puberty under the influence of sex hormones). Simultaneously with the change of hair on the head, hair growth in the armpits and pubis begins. A little later, teenage boys develop the first light fuzz on the chin and above the upper lip.

How to choose baby shampoo

Since children's intermediate hair is too thin and brittle, and the skin on the child's head is sensitive, you should be very careful when choosing baby shampoo. Before you buy shampoo in the store, you need to remember that the label “baby shampoo” is not enough. You need to carefully read the composition of the shampoo. When purchasing, trichologists (hair specialists) advise first of all to pay attention to the following:

• Indicators of acid-base balance (PH). In baby shampoo they range from 4.5 to 5.5 - this is a gentle, slightly acidic environment;
• Children's hair should be washed only with a hypoallergenic product;
• Useful additives in children's shampoos: nettle, calendula, chamomile, string. Extracts from these herbs have anti-inflammatory properties. Shampoo manufacturers also add extracts from lavender, sea buckthorn or peach;
• Soap-based shampoos are considered ideal for children's hair, but such products are less common on sale. Most often, hair washing products contain surfactants that negatively affect the delicate skin of babies. You can determine the amount of surfactants by how the shampoo foams. The more foam when washing, the more harmful substances. Shampoo with a minimal amount of surfactants or without them foams very weakly;
• Surfactants in shampoo: sodium laureth sulfate, lauryl, cocamidopropyl betaine, glycereth cocoate and others;
• Baby shampoo should not contain emulsifiers designated PEG-8, PEG-80, PEG-150. They are considered carcinogens and dangerous to the child’s health, as they can provoke the development of cancer;
• Some manufacturers, instead of artificial surfactants, add natural emulsifiers to shampoos: beeswax, candelilla wax, jojoba. Such shampoos are more expensive, but you can safely buy them for babies;
• Glycerin is also a safe additive. But it is worth keeping in mind that if the air humidity in the room is less than 60-65%, it can lead to dry skin.

When choosing shampoo for a child, you should take into account his age. Until the age of three, baby shampoos are purchased for him. From 3 to 14 years old, children's shampoos with herbal and vitamin supplements are suitable. Adult shampoos, especially those against dandruff, are harmful to children's hair, so their use is prohibited.

To strengthen your child’s hair, make it strong and shiny, after washing your child’s hair with shampoo, you can rinse it with a decoction of chamomile, nettle, St. John’s wort, burdock or oregano.

Instead of industrial shampoos you can use natural remedies, for example egg yolk with various additives.

How to wash your hair

Children's hair is washed in almost the same way as adults, but you need to follow some rules. The whole process should go like this:

• Wet your baby's hair with warm water;
• Apply a small amount of shampoo to your palm and lather it with a little water;
• Massage foam onto baby's head in a circular motion, moving from the forehead to the back of the head;
• Rinse off the shampoo with a stream of warm water from the shower. need to be washed thoroughly;
• After using shampoo, it is useful to rinse the child’s hair with a decoction of herbs: chamomile, nettle, burdock root (it strengthens the hair roots). This will strengthen and heal your hair. Keep in mind that if the child is blonde, chamomile infusion can make the hair yellow;
• Lightly wring out the washed hair and, without drying, wrap your head in a towel;
• Do not use a hair dryer to dry children's hair - this will cause it to dry out and become brittle;
• In order not to wash away the natural oils of your child’s hair, you should not wash his hair often. Once or twice a week is enough.