If you’ve ever spent time creating a selfie-worthy hairstyle, only to end up having it ruined by a bunch of flyaway baby hair—we feel for you! Baby hairs are notoriously tricky to control. They’re a lot thinner and shorter than the rest of your hair, and as a result, they can be hard to control and style and makes us want to spritz on tons of hairspray or reach for a pair of scissors (desperate times, call for desperate measures!). But before you slather on products or attempt to make any cuts, learn more about what causes these small frizzy hairs to stand up in the air, along with tips and products you can incorporate into your hair care routine to fix them.

What is Baby hair?

Baby hairs are short hairs usually found around the hairline, from the front and sides to the nape of the neck. Also known as peach fuzz or vellus, they’re small, thin, and light in color. They are barely noticeable. This hair is often seen around the temples, forehead, right above the ears, and at the nape of the neck. It often is a result of new hair growth. It creates an irregular hairline and could be difficult to manage with a blow-dryer or a straightening iron. The reason why they’re so difficult to manage is that they are thinner and shorter than the rest of your hair. Hence, they tend to be more frizzy and tough to style. 

What are the causes of Baby Hair?

So the reason why these baby hairs and flyaways occur is because of several reasons. Baby hair can also be there from the beginning just like your other facial features.

Here are some of the causes:

1) New Hair Growth

When baby hairs are longer in length and darker in colour, enough to be seen from a distance, this can be due to the growth of new terminal hairs , normal scalp hair around the hairline. These strands tend to be healthy-looking with blunt or slightly tapered ends.

2) Damaged hair

One common reason for baby hairs is hair breakage. It can be caused by everyday styling practices, from blow-drying the hair or frequently using other forms of heat-styling, to over-brushing, weakening the hair until it snaps along the shaft.

3) Vellus Hair

When the hair follicles on your scalp fail to produce terminal hair, you notice the growth of finer, soft textured baby hair. This, in adults, is most common when there is a hormonal imbalance preventing natural hair growth. Healthy terminal hair gets replaced by Vellus or baby hair due to an increase in Androgen hormone levels. This hormone blocks off the nutrition and blood supply to your follicles making them miniaturize and give rise to deformed hair.

4) Hair Loss

If tight hairstyles – such as braids, hair extensions or wigs – are worn regularly, this can place excessive strain on the hair follicles, with those around the hairline and temples being the most affected. This leads to a weakening of these follicles resulting in hair loss and in turn baby hairs and flyaways.

5) Genetics

This concern could largely also be because of genetics so you could take a look at your family tree – on both sides – to see if your close relatives also have these shorter baby hairs.

6) Frizzy hair 

Fixing flyaways and baby hair  should start at the very beginning of your hair care routine—not after you’ve already finished styling your mane. And baby hair  and frizz are closely related to dry hair issues. Fighting frizz is always the first step to taming baby hair. To know more about how to tackle frizzy hair, Click here.

Tips to tame your baby hair?

To tame baby hair, first and foremost begin by handling your hair with utmost care.

If it’s a smooth, shiny, static-free look you love, you need to arm yourself with the right products to tame flyaway hair. Whether you’re looking for a short-term hack that will keep your hairs in place, or are desperate for a long-term solution for your unruly strands, we’ve found the products that will help. From mascara for flyaway hair to gel for flyaways, you can prevent flyaway hair in a few easy steps.

We know flyaways can be frustrating, so we’ve combed through the reviews and listed the best tricks and products to help keep your little hairs on lockdown. It’s the right time to start tackling those baby hairs! 

1) Fight the Frizz

The first and most important step you want to take is to make sure you got your frizz under control. Baby hairs are the worst when they are dry, frizzy and sticking straight up from your head. In most cases, short flyaway hair on top of your head can be significantly reduced by fighting frizz. So make sure your hair is well moisturised, has no heat damage and you are actively decreasing frizz through your hair care. Use an anti-frizz shampoo such as the Faith in Nature Lavender Shampoo, a protective serum such as the Sova Kashmiri Walnut & Violet Flower Anti-Frizz Serum on a regular basis. For more details, read more about frizzy hair care here.

2) Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet

We know, we know, easier said than done. But if you have a lot of baby hairs or are prone to breakages, you have just got to leave it alone when it’s at its most fragile point (aka when it’s wet). You may want to skip it altogether and opt to use a wide-tooth comb for detangling. Always work patiently with your hair and avoid tugging. Start from the bottom and work your way up slowly in sections.

3) Turn down the heat

One way to prevent overall heat damage is to give your strands a break from all styling tools at least once a week. To reduce the actual heat damage from your styling tools, select ceramic versions — these heat up more evenly so you don’t have to keep using them on the same sections of hair repeatedly. It’s also important to protect your hair before you apply the heat.

The Paul Penders Leave in Balm tames even the most dry and frizzy hair. Used as a finishing product, it maintains your sleek style, no matter how hot and humid it gets. Infused with pure plant and essential oils, vitamins, and minerals combine to protect, moisturise and restore hair, leaving it shiny, manageable and beautifully healthy.

4) Oil it down

Baby Hairs are often the result of dry and damaged hair, so for an extra dose of nourishment, try an oil treatment. Oil treatments work wonders by reducing breakage (therefore stopping the shorter hairs from poking out) and transforming locks with a healthy-looking shine.

The Juicy Chemistry Marula, Argan and Lavender Hair Oil is formulated as a one-stop solution for all your hair problems, this oil curbs hair loss, stimulates hair growth and nourishes hair from within.

5) Spray in Play

Like the age-old saying goes, “prevention is better than cure,” so stop visible heat damage in its tracks by using a protective spray  every time you use heat on your hair to tame baby hairs and flyaways.

6) Use Strategic Styling Products

When it comes to hair products geared to minimise baby hairs and cater to your hair texture, finding the perfect arsenal of styling products is key. After all, the last things we want are stringy strands or weighed-down texture and grease. Someone with thin hair would likely not need a styling product as rich and heavy as someone with thick or coarse hair, so try matching the weight of the product to the texture of your hair for optimum results. Also look for a formula that multitasks to address a number of hair matters, like heat protection and shine in addition to baby hairs to keep your products to a minimum. We recommend either of these two products.

Arata's Styling & Hold Hair Cream, Packed with the natural goodness of Organic Flax Seed and Olive extracts, our hair cream infuses your hair with 100% nature-derived ingredients that nourish and strengthen the scalp while sculpting your hair.

The Coccoon Safe Styling Combo contains Argan Oil, commonly referred to as ‘liquid gold’ originating from Morocco and is an organic product extracted from the kernels of the Argan tree. Extremely rich in nutrients including fatty acids and Vitamin E, Argan Oil helps in moisturising and hydrating your hair. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant repairing and rebuilding tissue, when Vitamin E is applied to the scalp, it reduces inflammation and repairs the damage to hair follicles.

7) Toothbrush and Mascara wand to the rescue

Whether you’re looking to style your baby hairs or brush them down, the pointy end of a rat tail comb, a toothbrush or a mascara wand are your best bets, since they all give you the precision you need to flatten each strand. We also suggest you  ditch harsh, regular brushes and switch to wooden brushes, which have wooden bristles to keep the frizz away in any weather. The Fae Beauty BRASH is a great multi- purpose option for the same. It’s unique wand coats every strand of hair to give a neat look with almost no effort.

8) Use Protein based Shampoo and Conditioner Combo 

The Mom’s Co Protein-Rich Hair Bundle strengthens and repairs hair, adding volume and shine. This Hair Detox Kit contains our best shampoo for natural hair and our best conditioner for natural hair. It contains Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, Wheat Protein that strengthens and repairs hair and reduces damage caused by chemicals and pollution and Argan Oil and Vitamins reduce hair fall and make hair softer.

9) Use a Deep Conditioning Treatment

Lots of baby hairs might be a sign that your strands are parched and craving moisture. So, try adding a deep conditioning hair mask to your hair care routine to better the health of your mane. Reach for the Detoxie Keratin Repair & Shine Restore Strengthening Hair Mask, formulated with repair concentrate proteins to strengthen the hair against future damage. Its formula will work to fight various signs of hair damage, including hair fall, split ends, brittleness, frizzy hair and more.

10) Microfibre Cloth / Cotton T-shirt for hair drying

Wet hair tends to be super fragile , and using regular bath towels to dry your strands can cause damage. Bath towels are generally made with thicker fibers that can be rough on wet strands, leading to more baby hairs and frizz. So swap out your regular towel for a microfiber option that has ultra-fine fibers, which will help reduce hair damage when drying. Or you can also use a soft cotton t-shirt to dry your hair since its fibers are not too harsh. 

11) Style with a hairdryer

While the heat of a blow dryer can cause damage, using a blow dryer when your hair is already mostly dry helps tame baby hairs to an extent. Just be sure to keep the dryer on a low heat setting and hold it 6 inches away from your hair at all times.

Also, be sure to move the dryer around consistently so that it doesn’t overheat a certain section of the hair and cause damage. Adding a hair diffuser extension onto your blow dryer will limit the amount of direct heat and forceful air hitting your hair, which works wonders at keeping the hair smooth. The diffuser limits your hair from moving around when you dry, which in turn, creates less friction and less frizz.

12) Sleep on a silk pillow

Similar to the towel tip, try switching from a cotton pillowcase to a silk one. Silk absorbs less moisture because it’s less porous than cotton, making it a better option to sleep on for your hair and your skin. Maintaining moisture is key to hair health and will help prevent breakage and frizz. Satin is another, more affordable option that is also less damaging than cotton.

13) When everything else fails, wear a headband

No matter how many tips and hair hacks you have at your disposal, plain old bad hair days are bound to happen from time to time. Keep your routine simple and accessorize instead. Wear a headband that can hold down or disguise your baby hairs. It’s a quick and fashionable solution that’s perfect for when you're in a hurry to get out the door. 

Baby hair often acts as an obstacle in getting that perfect hair style. Preventing, growing or styling them is always up to you. But make sure that they are not early signs of hair damage or baldness. If you notice too much growth of baby hair, it is time to consult your doctor to know the perfect prevention methods .

- Drishti Khurana