3 Steps To Style Baby Hairs + How To Tell If You Have Breakage

Styling baby hairs has, by no means, just popped out of the woodwork; rather, styling baby hairs has historical and cultural significance—specifically, Black and Latinx communities have been showing off their baby hairs for years, swirling these face-framing wisps into styles that find that effortless yet immaculate equilibrium. 

Now, all textures can have baby hairs, no matter whether your hair is fine or thick, voluminous or flat. And figuring out how to style yours might take a few pointers—as well as hair care tips to make sure the delicate strands stay as strong as possible.

"The finest hair on your head happens to be around your hairline," explains hairstylist Anthony Dickey, founder of Hair Rules. "Because of the fineness, that's why we call them baby hairs." No matter whether you have generally "thick" or "thin" hair, the strands framing your face will be more delicate than most. Just as how most people have multiple curl types on their head, your hair can also have a range of fine to thick strands. 

Just because they're shorter than the rest of your hair doesn't (always) mean they're synonymous with breakage. Rather, baby hairs are simply the result of a shorter natural hair growth cycle, like we mentioned above—that's why they tend to be shorter than the rest of your strands. Breakage along the hairline, on the other hand, typically happens due to physical damage (harsh brushing, treatments, and too-tight styles), or can even from overwashing. 

Curious about whether your hairs are baby and growing versus breaking and damaged? Check the texture of those shorter strands. Baby hairs are soft, thin, and wispy; breakage, decidedly less so: "Hair breakage around the edges tends to be random lengths due to damage, has thicker strands, and is less fine," says hairstylist Miko Branch, co-founder of natural hair care brand Miss Jessie's.  

The process does vary a bit depending on your texture: "If you have a 1 or 2 texture that is straight or wavy, it's better to do it when the hair is dry," says Dickey. (Editor's note: Type 1 and 2 are straight to S-waves; Type 3 and 4 are springy curls to tight kinks.)

Embracing baby hairs is by no means a new movement; beauty fans in both Black and Latinx communities have deliberately styled them for years. All you need is the right product to lay down those hairs; tools help you get that perfect swirl, sure, but the styler is what helps those baby hairs keep their shape. 

That's not to say you have to lay those feathery hairs down. If you wish to sleek your baby hairs back into your hairline or let them simply live, sans edge control? That's fine, too: Beauty is a personal experience that's entirely yours. As for your baby hairs, treating them with (gentle) care is more than enough maintenance, if you wish.