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OK...in a nut-shell, is there ANYTHING that can be done? Shaving? Supplements? ...
This is way past the stage of "oh, it's just baby hair, it will grow more and thicker eventually".
It certainly doesn't look like it.
This is what I have been hearing during all of her 4+ years of life so far, while other little girls her age have grown waves of hair all the way down to their waists, cut their hair off, and then grew some more.
I have given her trims to refresh the ends but never gave her an actual hair-cut to make it significantly shorter - and yet it still barely touches her shoulders. It grows extremely slowly. In four years of only trims she should have had it way past her waistline...and yet it is hardly shoulder-length.
The hair also has no volume and she needs to have it washed almost every day to not look like it is greasy, sticky and unkept. We don't wash it every day as it would be too much but she simply goes some days when it hardly looks clean.
In addition, she has been losing some lately...so this was the last straw.
I do not want to sound ungrateful as she is a healthy, adorable, gorgeous little girl and at the end of the day, we ARE talking about a frivolous matter - so yes, I am aware of that.
But one thing I know is that she certainly did not hit the gene jackpot when it comes to hair. I have extremely thick, strong, dark hair but she takes after my husband's side of the family where everyone has baby-fine, light, English-type hair.
I did want to shave her head when she was a baby but my husband would not hear of it and kept saying that this is all genetics, that nothing will change the kind of hair she has inherited, leats of all some old wives' tale like head shaving, and that I should just get over it.
Maybe he is right - but if there is anything I have been missing in terms of being able to do something about it, I would appreciate any advice.
she certainly did not hit the gene jackpot when it comes to hair.
You've answered your own question.
If you really cannot get yourself to accept that this is the type of hair she has at age 4yo, maybe go at it from a different angle -- what if she had cancer and chemotherapy, and this was the hair that was able to grow out after being bald from cancer? Maybe her hair will look better to you from that perspective.
Two other points:
1. You don't know what her adult hair will look like - hair can change color, texture and thickness over time, especially once puberty starts.
2. Don't let her know that you are obsessing about her hair - its not fair to download your neurosis onto her.
She's 4 for crying out loud....why not let her hair be what it is?
I AM letting it be what it is. I haven't done a thing; but if there is anything that COULD be done to make it a bit thicker and make it grow a bit faster to achieve a modicum of length, then I would do it - provided it is not anything that would affect her health in any way.
What is wrong with asking?
I have always wondered whether the shaving method actually works; some people swear by it.
Even if it did, I am afraid she is too old now for me to attempt something so drastic, especially with her extremely slow rate of growth...but I am still curious whether perhaps a short, pixie hair-cut might help.
Not sure there is anything that you can do right now. Like someone else said, who knows what her hair will be like as she gets older. My daughter had thin hair and bald spots as a small child but now she has a head full of very thick, long hair. Just leave it alone and wait and see.
This is obviously something you have an issue about moreso than her. The last thing you'd want is to make her feel self conscious or as if something is wrong with how she looks.
Not sure there is anything that you can do right now. Like someone else said, who knows what her hair will be like as she gets older. My daughter had thin hair and bald spots as a small child but now she has a head full of very thick, long hair. Just leave it alone and wait and see.
This is obviously something you have an issue about moreso than her. The last thing you'd want is to make her feel self conscious or as if something is wrong with how she looks.
Obviously it is me who is trying to see whether it can get thicker, not her. She is 4 after all - how could she even be aware of hair thickness, types, etc; but as a mother, I know she won't care that little when she is older and like any young lady, she will care about having a full head of hair.
If I can do anything now, as in more protein, vitamins, or even a short hair-cut, then I would.
I do not obsess over her hair at all; in fact, I have completely neglected the issue over the past couple of years; but since it started falling recently, and since seeing some girls her age with enormously long and full hair...I started wondering if I can do anything.
From what I understand, genetics and diet play the key roles. Has your pediatrician given you any advice? Apart from multivitamins, I don't believe additional supplements are recommended in kids.
You have probably read this type of information, but here is more:
If she's losing hair, particularly in patches, you need to head straight to the pediatrician. That can be a sign of autoimmune diseases, infection, or alopecia.
If she turns out healthy and she's just unlucky in the hair department, just make sure she eats a balanced diet (maybe try something like pediasure) and avoid putting her hair in tight ponytails that can pull out and break weak, fine hair. I don't think there's anything you can do to make it stronger, but you can learn to treat it gently. And don't shave her head, that truly is a myth.
I have baby fine hair and I've made it through life just fine. It's made me somewhat self conscious, but I don't think anyone has ever teased me about it.
Some folks just have thin, slow-growing hair. Just let it be. What will be, will be! You certainly don't want to give your daughter the impression that you are disappointed in ANY aspect of her...not her hair, her size, her ANYTHING! When a child thinks they are "less than" in the eyes of their parents, it's devastating. Don't do that to her!
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