# Newborn baby born with hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758 "2016-02-22T00:29:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/21 "2016-02-22T01:51:19Z")
Out of the four of us, three were born with lots of hair. My mom told me that when they brought my brother to her, they had parted and combed his hair. She said it was just like a grown man’s hair. Baby pictures of my mother and grandfather also show lots of hair. My daughter had quite a bit of hair, too. Really, bald babies look a little odd to me. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/22 "2016-02-22T03:46:31Z")
Both the Ivykids were born with full heads of hair. And I know it’s an old wives’ tale, but yes, I had horrible heartburn all throughout both pregnancies. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/23 "2016-02-22T04:06:45Z")
My son was born with a full head of hair. Based on my wife’s side of the family, he better enjoy it while he can. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/24 "2016-02-22T07:20:00Z")
My daughter came out about two weeks late. She looked like Rosemarie’s Baby in a cute way: long hair, eyes open and blinking, long finger and toe nails. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/25 "2016-02-22T08:15:50Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > If memory serves, newborn hair typically falls out and leaves the baby bald sometime after birth, right? Permanent hair then grows in like it does on a baby who was born bald? No. Both my sons had a full head of hair when born. Everyone kept telling me that the hair would fall out and the ‘real’ hair would grow in later. Didn’t happen. They kept the hair they were born with. ---
**Author:** ![Napkin\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8dc957/32.png) [@Napkin\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napkin_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/26 "2016-02-22T10:11:29Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > If memory serves, newborn hair typically falls out and leaves the baby bald sometime after birth, right? Permanent hair then grows in like it does on a baby who was born bald? You’re not thinking of lanugo are you? That’s the fine coat of hair on the skin, particularly arms/legs/back, that disappears fairly quickly. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/27 "2016-02-22T11:55:41Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > If memory serves, newborn hair typically falls out and leaves the baby bald sometime after birth, right? Permanent hair then grows in like it does on a baby who was born bald? Premature babies can be really hairy due to [Lanugo.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanugo) One of my favorite baby terms, right after meconium. ETA: well, goddammit, I swear that previous post wasn’t there a minute ago. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/28 "2016-02-22T12:25:31Z")
“What have you done to its _hair_?” “He has his father’s hair!” ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/29 "2016-02-22T14:55:18Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > There is even an old wive’s tale that mothers-to-be have more morning sickness from babies born with lots of hair - which I seriously doubt has any validity at all, but my point is that hairy babies are common enough to have generated such a myth. On a recent episode of the podcast “Sawbones” (one of the hosts is an MD), they mentioned an old wives tale that if a pregnant woman suffers from heartburn, the baby will be born with lots of hair. They also said that at least one study seems to show a possible correlation, maybe caused by pregnancy hormones. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/30 "2016-02-22T16:35:32Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > My daughter was born with a full head of hair, and my son was pretty much bald. Ditto! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/31 "2016-02-22T16:50:43Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > And I know it’s an old wives’ tale, but yes, I had horrible heartburn all throughout both pregnancies. A pregnant friend was just referred by her obstetrician to a study which showed a fairly clear correlation. I haven’t been able to find it though. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/32 "2016-02-22T16:52:12Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > “What have you done to its _hair_?” > > “He has his father’s hair!” Gomez: “He has my father’s eyes.” Morticia: “Gomez, take those out of his mouth.” ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/33 "2016-02-22T16:59:26Z")
I have a friend who’s child was born with lots of hair. Oh, and a tooth! Apparently that IS quite rare. But a full head of hair? Not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/34 "2016-02-22T17:02:58Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I have a friend who’s child was born with lots of hair. Oh, and a tooth! > Apparently that IS quite rare. I’d not call that rare at all. I saw it a few dozen times in my career. Statistically they occur in 1 out of every 2-3000 births, so there’s a good 2 million of them wandering around out there. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/35 "2016-02-22T17:14:54Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I’d not call that rare at all. I saw it a few dozen times in my career. Statistically they occur in 1 out of every 2-3000 births, so there’s a good 2 million of them wandering around out there. And by this, I mean natal teeth, not hair. Natal teeth are uncommon, but far from rare. ---
**Author:** ![Macnbaish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Macnbaish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macnbaish)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/36 "2016-02-22T18:28:21Z")
I saw my son’s hair on an ultrasound. When we moved I saw tiny little whisps on his head. My wife thought I was crazy but sure enough he came out with a nice head of hair. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/37 "2016-02-22T19:15:39Z")
Our son was born with a full head of hair. It was so short that it stood straight up for months. (He never lost it.) We were hoping we’d notice when it was in the act of falling, but it happened when he was asleep. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/38 "2016-02-22T19:25:23Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > If memory serves, newborn hair typically falls out and leaves the baby bald sometime after birth, right? Permanent hair then grows in like it does on a baby who was born bald? Often, but not always. What’s funny is that it often comes in a different color, and sometimes grows a different color even if it doesn’t fall out! One of my goddaughters had pigtails that looked like they’d been dipped in an inkwell, because her hair at birth was black, then grew blonde! > [@Ca3799](#): > > I’ve seen tons (literally) of babies in my work. Some are bald and some need a haircut (and a few need a shave)! Heh. One of the more surreal moments in the NICU with WhyBaby (born at 23 weeks) was watching the lanugo come _in_. She was born bare, a couple of weeks later she looked like a fuzzy albino monkey for a few days, and then it all fell out. Never occurred to me prior that of course she’d go through the same “prenatal” development there in the isolette! ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/39 "2016-02-22T19:51:22Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > This does seem to be a time when a [google image search](https://www.google.com/search?q=newborn+baby&biw=853&bih=557&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMjMbpnorLAhUF2T4KHXK9C-gQ_AUIBigB) would clear things up. Interestingly, not one of those images shows a baby with a truly bald top & back of the head. It’s definitely been my experience (admittedly not based on an enormous sample size) that at least the vast majority of newborns have some signs of hair. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758/40 "2016-02-22T20:01:55Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I’d not call that rare at all. I saw it a few dozen times in my career. Statistically they occur in 1 out of every 2-3000 births, so there’s a good 2 million of them wandering around out there. Interesting. I had no idea this was even possible. (But I would consider 1 in 2000 as qualifying as “rare.”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newborn-baby-born-with-hair/746758.md?page=3)