It is commonly seen that some infants appear innocent and adorable, yet their hair is sparse and dry, causing great concern and distress for parents, who often feel helpless due to lack of effective remedies.
Modern medical research indicates that changes in children's hair are closely related to illness and nutritional status. Generally speaking, poor nutrition during fetal development in the womb may result in sparse, fine, and soft hair in girls, appearing in strands. Girls suffering from rickets often develop sparse hair near the back of the head around 7–8 months of age, accompanied by excessive sweating and itchy scalp. Infants with malnutrition typically have dry, dull, lifeless, easily shed hair, along with slow nail growth, dry skin, coldness, or goosebumps. Another genetic disorder caused by consanguinity—phenylketonuria—causes progressively yellowing hair, pale delicate complexion, white hair, and urine with a mouse-like odor, alongside impaired intellectual development.
Clinical studies show that sparse, fine hair in children is mostly due to malnutrition, especially deficiencies in vitamins A and B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, calcium, zinc, and iron, leading to insufficient hair nutrition and impaired normal hair growth. Therefore, attention should be paid to scientific feeding for infants and young children, avoiding picky eating, encouraging intake of nutrient-rich foods such as dark green vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish and shellfish, animal liver and blood, and under medical guidance, taking vitamins and calcium supplements appropriately. Additionally, gently massaging the infant’s scalp 2–3 times daily for 5 minutes each time promotes blood circulation in the scalp and enhances nutrient supply, thus supporting healthy hair growth.
Traditional Chinese medicine has long regarded hair as an indicator for diagnosing diseases. For sparse hair in infants and young children, dietary adjustments can help, focusing on recipes that tonify qi and blood, and strengthen the spleen and stomach.
Use 10 grams each of lotus seeds, coix seed, yam, and hawthorn fruit, 6 grams of hawthorn flesh, and appropriate glutinous rice to prepare medicinal food.
Roast black sesame seeds until fragrant, grind into powder, mix with an equal amount of roasted flour, add boiling water to form a paste, sweeten with rock sugar if desired, consume once daily.
Use 6–7 jujubes or black dates and 3 grams of chicken gizzard lining, decoct in water, drink the soup and eat the dates.
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