Why Do Babies Pull Their Hair? How to Solve It Today

Taking care of your child is a very memorable experience, but there will be some issues you’ll need to overcome. Whether you’re breastfeeding your baby or playing with him, you may have noticed that he pulls his hair! Sometimes, the pulling ca get so bad that you find a few strands falling out. So why do babies pull their hair in the first place?

It might be confusing as to why he loves to pull their hair no matter the many toys you give him. Instead of worrying and waiting it out, I explain to you why babies pull their hair and what you can do to help prevent it from happening!

Babies Pulling Their Hair: Is It Normal?

While taking care of your child, you might have already noticed him roaming around and exploring his surroundings. As he grows and develops his senses, your baby starts becoming curious. He loves looking around and touching things, may it be his blanket, toys, or even his hair!

While your baby tugging his hair is normal, there may be times he pulls too hard. As a result, your baby ends up with bald patches or pulling out strands of hair. It ends up affecting his hair growth, leaving him in pain as well as the hair pulling ends up leaving tender or red spots on his head.

Is it normal? Hair pulling IS usual, and there’s no need to worry about any psychological behaviors. Many babies pull their hair because of various reasons. BUT, what’s not normal is if your baby pulls his hair TOO much, ending up suffering from different hair loss symptoms. Fortunately, you can prevent it from happening and have him stop the constant hair pulling.

Here’s an example of a newborn baby pulling his hair!

Why Do Babies Pull Their Hair?

Newborns to children as old as six months can pull their hair, and it’s normal. But the question is: Why does it happen?

Here are the causes why:

Curiosity

Like mentioned, you baby begins to identify his senses and start to use it. One of these would be their sense of touch. As they start to feel the things around them, they also start to feel their bodies as well, touching their hair and tugging their hair for them to see how it feels like.

Stress

We all have different ways to cope with stress. Even adults tend to pull their hair or bite their nails trying to cope and reduce their anxiety! If your baby feels uncomfortable and begins to pull their hair, it may be because he’s anxious or scared.

​Usually, he would be stressed when introduced to new people and environments. If he’s hungry or has a full diaper, he shows his discomfort through hair pulling or other anxiety-related habits.

Comfort

You might have noticed that your baby only pulls his hair while you’re breastfeeding him. It isn’t because he feels stressed, but because he finds comfort, as a way to express his pleasure while satisfying his hunger. It then becomes a habit he does throughout the day.

How to Help Prevent Your Baby From Pulling Hair

Now that you know why your baby pulls his hair, what are ways on how to prevent or stop it from happening again?

Try following these tips to stop your baby from pulling his hair anymore:

• Do NOT get mad at your baby. Reprimanding your baby for pulling his hair will end up with him feeling even more stress. 
• If your baby feels uncomfortable, he may be tired or hungry. To help alleviate his discomfort, put him to bed early to let him rest. If he’s hungry and it’s time for breastfeeding, give him milk.
• If ever your baby still keeps pulling his hair, it’s best to cut it short, so he can get discouraged and find it too difficult to pick.
• Distract your baby from pulling his hair by giving him a bright and fun toy. You can also try giving him a pacifier or playing with him while trying to remove his hand from his hair if it happens again.

Conclusion

If your baby pulls his hair, then there’s no cause for alarm! It’s just his curiosity increasing as he explores the body and surroundings. Just monitor his hair pulling and make sure he doesn’t tug too hard. If ever, you can find ways to distract your baby and make sure he stays safe.

I hope that this article answers your question: “Why do babies pull their hair?” Now you know what to do and to lessen your worries.

If you have any questions or would like to share your baby’s experience with hair pulling, then comment down below! I would love to hear what you have to think about the matter.