Toddlers and hair color

Right now you know Baby fairly well. But there are definitely some things about them that you shouldn’t get too attached to, because they might change over time. Their disinterest in R-rated movies will unfortunately disappear in about 13 years, and their willingness to wear outfits you’ve picked out probably won’t last too long either.

Another thing that may not stay the same, if Baby has lighter hair now, is their hair color and texture. Of course we all know that in older age our hair turns gray, but most of us also know someone who was white-blonde as a baby and then dark haired as a toddler or teenager.

Why does this happen? For the same reason that eyes sometimes change color as babies age. Our hair color is determined by our genetics, and as our genes change, they alter the ratios of pigmentation that hair and eyes get. As you age, the genes that support darker pigmentation tend to increase, which is why lots of blonde babies end up with darker hair than they originally started with. Parents usually report a significant color change as happening around the 9 to 24 months mark if it happens at all, though not every child experiences this.

As Baby coasts through these months, keep an eye out for subtle changes. You might have a blonde baby and a dark haired teenager, or maybe Baby’s hair will never change. Genes are a little hard to predict, so you won’t know for certain until something happens – or doesn’t. Look at it this way: at least Baby isn’t dyeing their hair – yet!


Sources
  • Aaron Shafer. “Eye color.” The Tech, Museum of Innovation. The Tech Museum of Innovation, June 6 2006. Web.
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