How to Style Frizzy Baby Hairs & Cover Bald Spots

Do you have short little hairs along your hairline that just stick out and often look frizzy? Baby hairs are great because they signify new growth if you recently suffered from hair loss, such as postpartum hair loss. However, baby hairs can also be from breakage, leaving the hairline looking sparse.

In this video, I share how to style your baby hairs so that they don’t frizz up and instead spiral into little curls. If you have a loose curl pattern or waves, I also share a method for styling baby hairs if your hair doesn’t curl at the roots. 

I’m also sharing how you can style baby hairs when wearing your hair up, and how to cover your scalp if you have a bald spot.

What are baby hairs?

Baby hairs are short hairs all along your hairline, often found at the temples. For people with straight hair they blend in, but for people with naturally curly or wavy hair, they can stick out and often look frizzy. Baby hairs can be from new growth or from breakage. It’s normal to have short hair growing in all the time because our hair is always growing in as we shed. However, if you suddenly start to notice a thinning area or a bald spot, that is usually from internal factors that require a doctor to diagnose. 

Baby hairs from breakage will often have split ends or appear damaged if you look very closely. Sometimes it may not be apparent.

Regardless, the styling techniques apply for either new growth or breakage.

How to Style Baby Hairs

Method 1 – Clump

If your curls don’t spiral right at the root, this method may be best for styling your baby hairs. The objective of this method is to blend the shorter hairs into neighboring curl clumps. 

1. Apply styling products such as curl cream and gel. Ensure you take your products up the roots as well to tame frizz and moisturize any new growth. Style your hair as desired.
2. Section the hair so that you can isolate the baby hair area for fine-tune styling AND the hair around it.
3. Ensure hair is wet/damp. Apply gel to your fingertips to precisely apply to the roots.
4. Pick up the baby hairs and the hair around them. Using a brush, clump the hairs into a curl clump to tuck them away. Create multiple curls around the hairline with the brush if needed.
5. Diffuse until dry, then fluff to the roots for volume and to cover the scalp.

Method 2 – Finger Coil

If you have tighter curls that start right at the root, this method may work best for your baby hairs. The objective of this method is to style them more precisely into ringlets so they stay defined and don’t frizz up.

1. Apply styling products such as curl cream and gel. Ensure you take your products up the roots as well to tame frizz and moisturize any new growth. Style your hair as desired.
2. Section the hair so that you can isolate the baby hair area for fine-tune styling AND the hair around it.
3. Ensure hair is wet/damp. Apply gel to your fingertips so you have slip.
4. Look at where the curls naturally group together, and finger coil them by twirling them around your finger tip in the natural curl direction.
5. Diffuse until dry, then fluff to the roots for volume and to cover the scalp.

Day 3 Refresh

If your baby hairs frizz up or lose their definition after wash day, you can refresh them using the same techniques as wash day to precisely redefine them. 

1. Wet hands and pick up frizzy curls. Smooth over the strand and separate any major knots if needed.
2. Either with just water or a little gel and water, finger coil baby hairs or clump them using a brush.
3. Diffuse for a few minutes so the gel cast returns. Fluff and scrunch out any unwanted crunch.

Styling Baby Hairs with Updos

If you wear your hair up and your baby hairs stick out straight or just create frizz all along your hair, you can style them individually similarly to Method 2 above.

1. Put hair up as desired. I used a silk scrunchie from Curlfriend Collective to create a messy high bun.
2. Gently pull out the baby hairs from the scrunchy.
3. Wet your fingers and twirl the baby hairs. 
4. If needed, apply a little product such as what you used on wash day, or something like the Ouidad Touch-Up Gel Cream.
5. Air dry

Alternatively, you can try the technique of “laying your edges” which is often used in tight curl patterns to style baby hairs. Since I am not best suited for this technique, I recommend watching  @Franchelli Rodriguez who is great at it!

How to Cover Bald Spots & Thinning Hairline 

When styling your hair, avoid over-clumping the hair at the root which often causes more of the scalp to show. You can also try using root clips at the end of your diffusing routine to help lift the hair away from the scalp.

Using a root cover-up spray is the best way to fill in sparse areas, especially if it bothers you when your hair is up. The Hairitage Root Cover-Up is my go-to because it doesn’t dry up my hair and washes out easily. 

How to Manage Baby Hairs

Reduce Breakage

• Avoid rough detangling
• Use a pre-poo oil to dry detangle prior to shampooing
• Avoid styling brushes that create too much tension
• Protect the hair at night with a silk/satin bonnet and/or pillowcase
• Use bond-building treatments like Olaplex and make sure you’re getting it on your baby hairs when applying it.

Encourage New Growth

• Stimulate hair growth with nightly scalp massages
• Use serums like the Curlsmith Scalp Stimulating Booster and Curlsmith Full Lengths Density Elixir to encourage growth
• Use treatments like Living Proof Scalp Care Revitalizing Treatment to thicken and help the hairs from the root.

Products Used:

• Boucleme Revive 5 Hair Oil, 15% off with code GENA15
• Bouclème Flarisol Mist Spray Bottle, 15% off with code GENA15
• Tangle Teezer Naturally Curly Detangling Brush
• Bounce Curl Avocado & Rose Oil Clump and Define Cream
• OUIDAD Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Stronger Hold Gel, 20% off with code GENAMARIE
• Ouidad Advanced Climate Control® Featherlight Touch-Up Gel Cream, 20% off with code GENAMARIE
• Ouidad Advanced Climate Control® Frizz-Fighting Touch-Up Balm, 20% off with code GENAMARIE
• Curlsmith Defrizzion Hair Dryer & XXL Diffuser
• Curlfriend Collective Silk Scrunchies, 10% off with code GENA10
• Hairitage Root Revival Root Touch-Up Medium Brown Spray
• Olaplex No. 3
• Curlsmith Scalp Stimulating Booster, 10% off for new customers with code GENAMARIE10
• Curlsmith Full Lengths Density Elixir, 10% off for new customers with code GENAMARIE10
• Living Proof Scalp Care Revitalizing Treatment