How to Keep Baby Hairs from Sticking Up

A guide to keeping your hair sleek and smooth

Co-authored by Martin Nepton and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: October 14, 2024 References

When you're styling your hair, you might sometimes notice fine little hairs sticking up around your hairline. These are your baby hairs, and while they can sometimes be caused by broken hairs, they're more commonly either new hair growth or fine hairs that occur naturally at the start of your hairline. Since whether you'll have baby hairs is mostly genetic, there's not much you can do to prevent them aside from minimizing hair breakage, but you can help them look sleek and cool with a few simple styling tricks!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Smoothing Down Your Baby Hairs

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1
Style your baby hairs when they're wet. To have the best control over your edges, it's best to start your styling while your hair is damp. You can do this right after you wash your hair, but if you need to tame your baby hairs between washes, just use a spray bottle or your fingers to dampen the hair all along your hairline.^{[1]
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- Not only will damp hair be easier to style, but the moisture will also help your styling products absorb more easily.
2
Apply a dab of a smoothing product along your hairline. While your hair is still damp, squirt a pencil-eraser-sized dab of anti-frizz serum or cream onto one finger, then rub your fingertips together. Then, evenly distribute the product along your hairline, working any excess into your roots.^{[2]
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- Most anti-frizz products are lightweight, so they won't leave your hair looking flat or stiff. Also, these products are typically versatile enough to work on all hair types.
- A smoothing product will help tame flyaways, and it will also make your hair look glossy and smooth. However, these products don't provide any hold, so you'll still be able to style your hair after it's dry.
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3
Blowdry around your hairline with the nozzle pointed down. Turn your blowdryer on the lowest speed and hold it so the nozzle is about 6 in (15 cm) above your head. Dry your hair, being sure to keep the nozzle pointed straight down at your hair the whole time. As you do this, use your fingers to smooth down your edges.^{[3]
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- If you have a concentrator nozzle for your blowdryer, use that when you're drying around your hairline to cut down on even more frizz.^{[4]
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Tip: If your blowdryer has a setting for it, switch to cold air after you've finished drying your hair. This will help prevent frizz, but it will also help lock in your style for the day.
4
Spray hairspray on a toothbrush and use that to smooth your baby hairs. Spritz a little hairspray on the bristles of a small, soft brush, like a clean toothbrush or an eyebrow spoolie. Then, gently run the brush over the baby hairs along your hairline, styling them the way you want them to look when they're dry.^{[5]
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- You can either comb your baby hairs back with the rest of your hair, or you can smooth them down along the edges of your hairline.
- If your hair has a coarser texture, or if you want an especially sleek look, you might opt for a product with more hold, like gel, pomade, or edge control.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Martin Nepton
  Professional Hair Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 17 December 2020.}
Tip: To show off your baby hairs, try brushing them into a soft wave shape along your hairline. You could even style them into small spiral curls around your temple.^{[7]
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5
Wear your hair in a loose style on days you're in a hurry. If you don't have time to wet and blowdry your hair, opt for a style that will work with your baby hair, rather than against it. For instance, you might wear your hair in a messy bun, loose waves, or a half-up, half-down style. That way, you can rock your baby hairs without having to put in much effort.^{[8]
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- If you wear your hair in a sleek ponytail or bun, your baby hairs will be more obvious if you don't tame them.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Preventing Breakage and Frizz

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1
Comb any product out of your hair before you go to bed. If you put hairspray, gel, or edge control on your baby hair and you're not planning to wash your hair, use a fine-tooth comb to remove as much of the product as you can before you go to sleep. If you sleep on your hair while it's stiff with product, you'll increase the risk of breaking the hair along your hairline.^{[9]
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- You can also help reduce breakage at night by sleeping in a silk scarf or a bonnet.
2
Rinse out your gel or hairspray before you add more. Another way to help prevent breakage is to only add product to clean hair. If you layer new product on top of old product, the buildup could make your hair brittle and fragile.^{[10]
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- If you don't want to wash all of your hair, at least wet the hair along your hairline and work out any excess product with your fingers.
- If you're not planning on adding more product, you can wait and wash out your hairspray whenever you would normally shampoo your hair.
3
Wash your hair with a moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoo. Since dry hair is more prone to breakage, you can help minimize frizz along your hairline by using a nourishing shampoo that doesn't have sulfates, which are harsh detergents that can strip the natural oils from your hair over time. In addition, look for a shampoo that contains natural moisturizers like coconut oil, argan oil, and aloe.^{[11]
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- Choose a shampoo that's formulated for your hair type, like a product that adds volume if your hair is fine.
- Follow up with a conditioner that's formulated for your hair type to detangle your hair and leave it looking soft and smooth.
4
Deep condition your hair once a week. In addition to your regular conditioner, give your hair an extra dose of nourishment by treating it with a deep conditioner once a week. Apply the conditioner to your hair, starting from about where you'd gather your hair into a ponytail and working all the way to the ends. Leave the product on for about 15 minutes, then rinse it out with cool water.^{[12]
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- You can find deep conditioners wherever beauty products are sold. However, if you don't have a separate product on hand, you can use your regular conditioner—just leave it on for 10-15 minutes instead of rinsing it right out.
5
Minimize how often you heat-style your hair. Styling contributes to broken hairs along your part, which can make your hair look frizzy. To help prevent that, try to limit how often you blowdry, straighten, or curl your hair to just a couple of times a week.^{[13]
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- Also, use a heat-protectant spray anytime you do use hot tools on your hair.
6
Avoid styling products labeled "maximum hold" or "fast-drying." These typically contain a lot of alcohol, which can weaken your hair and lead to breakage. Instead, look for products that emphasize their moisturizing or hydrating qualities.^{[14]
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- It can be difficult to avoid alcohol in your styling products. However, if you can, try to stick to products that contain ingredients like cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol, which are gentler on your hair.
7
Avoid wearing your hair up every day. When you wear your hair up, it can create tension along your hairline. Over time, that can lead to breakage and flyaways, making it harder to control your baby hairs. To avoid that, try to wear your hair down at least every other day.^{[15]
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- If you wear your hair up in a protective style like braids, ask your stylist not to pull your hair back tightly to help prevent broken hairs around your edges.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you lay down baby hairs?

Martin Nepton
Professional Hair Stylist
Martin Nepton is a Professional Hair Stylist and Colorist at Bang Bang LA in Los Angeles, California. With over 11 years of experience, Martin specializes in helping clients express their Queer identity through hair. Martin offers personalized haircuts and color and style services with non-gender prices based on hair length. Martin holds a BA from the University of Québec at Montréal and is a Licensed Hair Stylist in California.

Martin Nepton

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You can use a styling product that's a little bit heavier, then smooth them down. Hairspray also works well.

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Tips

If your baby hairs really bother you, you can talk to a dermatologist about laser hair removal, but be aware that this can be an expensive process, and it may require several treatments.^{[16]
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Mayo Clinic
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