During pregnancy, a baby is covered in soft, light hair called lanugo. This hair helps keep the little one warm and comfortable during birth.
The eyebrows that develop in the womb are not fully developed at birth, but they do begin to become visible around two or three months of age, and eventually will be full and well-defined. Eyebrow color and thickness are determined by many factors, including genetics, ethnicity, gestational length, and prematurity.
In some cases, a baby may be born without eyebrows altogether. This is especially common with premature babies, who may be behind in their normal development milestones.
If your baby was born early, you’ve probably noticed that their eyebrows are a lot lighter than the rest of their hair. This is because the lanugo hair on their head hasn’t completely shed yet, and it is not very pigmented.
Babies with darker hair may not have any eyebrows at all at birth, and it can be hard to see them. But they will grow thicker and become more prominent later on, so don’t worry!
You should also be aware that if your child has cradle cap, it can affect the color of their eyebrows. If this is the case, it may take several months before their hair and eyebrows are a stable shade of brown.
In general, it should be safe to wash your baby’s hair and eyebrows with shampoo when they are a newborn. Just make sure you don’t scrub the skin near their eyes, as that can lead to a bad reaction.