Baby hair is the dainty, fine hair that you see near your hairline and nape of the neck. They differ in texture and thickness than the rest of your hair and are considered somewhat fragile when compared to the thickness of the rest of your mane. Seering baby hair by the frontal hairline feels encouraging because it means that you are indeed growing ‘new’ hair. But often, these shorter stands can be a sign of breakage and hair loss. While we don’t want to alarm you, we do want you to know the difference… it will help you take adequate measures early on. Here’s how you can tell the difference between baby hair and breakage.

Baby hair or breakage: Here's how to tell the difference

Image courtesy: @bbhiral

We are talking about baby hair now because the trend of laying them down in beautiful patterns has hit beauty enthusiasts like a meteor in 2020. From digital runways to red carpets, the gelled down baby hair aesthetic reigned quite a lot. And if you have been taking a brush and product to your hairline as well, we suggest you read up on how it can damage your hairline.

There are two significant ways in which you can spot the difference:

01. Broken strands are not slender and soft but dry, brittle and rough. They are not of the same length and often look split and frayed at the ends.

02. If you are losing hair near the hairline, the area will be smooth and shiny, with little to no hair. This often happens due to tight hairstyles and overuse of hot tools too close to the scalp.

You might need to keep an eye on the texture as well. Baby hair has a thinner and smoother texture while breakage will have the same texture as the rest of your hair. Now that you know how to spot the difference, here are some tips to take care of your hairline and avoid unnecessary stress to them...

Baby hair or breakage: Here's how to tell the difference

Image courtesy: @aisharahmed

Taking care of your hairline can be tricky because it involves styling your hair in loose hairstyles. Buns, ponytails, wigs or even hair extensions that pull on your hairline or cause too much friction on them can lead to hair breakage and loss. We are not recommending you let go of these styles altogether, but style them in a way that they are not directly sitting, rubbing or pulling against your hairline. This is an excellent practice to follow for the long run.

You also need to start extending to your hairline the same care and love you shower on your hair. Massage your hair oil into the hairline, apply nourishing serums and leave-in conditioners to your edges and provide nourishment to them. While heat styling, prep your baby hair with heat-protectant products as well. Just because they are barely there doesn't mean they don’t suffer damage!

Main image courtesy: @taapsee