I dealt with awful acid reflux when I was pregnant. I was told that on the plus side it meant that my son would be born with lots of hair. Obviously I thought that was an old wives tale, but there’s actually some truth to it! And my son was, in fact, born with a lot hair. Unfortunately at around two months that hair started falling out in clumps, so I was immediately intrigued when I found out there was a simple and totally luxe solution: silk crib sheets.
“There are several reasons that infants loose hair, but the most common reason is friction,” says Jillian Apgar, founder of Coco Beans. “Babies spend nearly 60% of their days sleeping and safe sleep guidelines recommend that they be placed on their backs. That means a lot of time is spent rubbing against the surface of a crib or bassinet and this friction can cause hair loss. Some other reasons for hair loss are stress, hormones (conceptually, very similar to the cause postpartum hair loss), and cradle cap. I always recommend trusting your gut and speaking with your pediatrician to discuss any concerns related to hair loss.”
For my case I assume it was a mix of friction and hormones because the big loss didn’t occur till around month two when he was sleeping less than he was in months 0-2. “Hormone levels can change in the first four months after birth as the mother’s hormones leave the babies body, this is the time that is it most likely for any hormone related hair loss to occur,” says Nikki Bardis, founder of Silky Tots. “Sometimes the hair can grow back in a completely different color or texture.”
How can silk sheets help?
“Sleeping on silk greatly reduces friction, protecting new hair as it grows in and reducing the amount of hair loss in the first place. The silk also reducing knotting, when ultra-fine baby hair knots, it is almost impossible to brush it out, it balls up at the ends and breaks off,” explains Bardis.
But not all crib sheets are created equally.
The most important thing to look for when shopping for any crib sheet is a secure fit. “You want to make sure that it fits tight on the mattress with no extra fabric for your little one to grab,” says Apgar. “You also want to choose something breathable since infants airwaves and ability to regulate their body temperature is still developing. I would also recommend prioritizing OEKO-TEX and/or Blue-Sign certified fabrics. These third-party certifications ensure that the product is free from harmful chemicals.”
Now, for silk sheets specifically, look for mulberry silk, which is used in both Coco Beans and Silky Tots products. “Mulberry silk is breathable, hypoallergenic and temperature regulating, a safe and natural fabric for babies,” says Bardis. Silk comes in different weights, usually in a range from 14mm – 30mm. Silky Tots only uses 22 momme, while Coco Beans uses 19 momme. The higher the number the more durable and long-lasting, but also the more expensive.
Now the million dollar question: are silk crib sheets machine washable?
When you buy from reputable brands like Coco Beans or Silky Tots, yes! In fact not only can you machine wash, but you can tumble dry.
