Blow dryers can come in handy when you have a baby. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests using a hair dryer as "white noise" to calm a crying baby or soothe her to sleep. Some parents use a blow dryer to prevent or treat diaper rash, although that practice is strongly discouraged by Children's Hospital Boston because of the risk of burns. Because you can dry your own hair quickly with a blow dryer, you might think it natural that you could blow dry a baby's hair the same way. Not so. Baby hair is fine and, like baby bottoms, baby scalps are delicate. You must use caution.
Step 1
Secure your baby. You can use a changing table with rails or a blanket on the floor. Alternatively, you can secure your baby in a bouncy seat. Do not blow dry your baby's hair while still he is still in the bath or the sink, even if he is secure in a bath seat. Using a blow dryer around water is dangerous for you and your baby.
Step 2
Adjust the blow dryer to the "cool" and "low" settings. Use common sense in determining if even these settings will be too much for your baby. If they are, towel dry your baby's hair or allow it to air dry. Rush University Medical Center cautions against using a hair dryer on "hot" because of the risk of burns.
Step 3
Point the nozzle away from your baby's face, and keep it well above and away from your baby's head. This will ensure you don't burn her scalp by coming too close and also that you don't hit her with the nozzle.
Step 4
Keep the air moving quickly and evenly across your baby's head. If you keep the nozzle in one place too long, even if it is not too close, you run the risk of burning your baby's delicate scalp. Take no more than a minute or so to dry your baby's hair, depending on how long it is.
Tips and Warnings
- With your baby secure, hold your other hand slightly in front of the nozzle as you blow dry your baby's hair to make sure the blast of air is not too harsh or too hot.
Things You'll Need
- Secure baby seat
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