Baby Grooming: Nails, Hair, Ears and Sponge Baths
BabyProduct Team · 28 Apr 2026
Nails, while they sleep
Newborn nails are soft and grow fast, and babies scratch their faces before they have any control over their hands. Baby nail scissors or a rounded clipper both work; some parents prefer filing in the first weeks.
The easy time is during a deep sleep or just after a bath when nails are softer. Press the fingertip pad down and away from the nail so you can see what you are cutting.
Hair needs less than you think
Most babies need their hair washed only two or three times a week — more often dries the scalp. A little mild baby shampoo, worked gently and rinsed with your hand shielding the eyes, is the whole job.
Cradle cap — flaky yellowish patches on the scalp — is common and usually harmless. Softening it with a little oil before a gentle wash often helps. Do not pick at it. If it spreads, weeps or looks infected, ask your doctor.
Ears: outside only
Wipe the outer ear and behind it with a soft damp cloth. Never put a cotton bud inside the ear canal — it pushes wax in and risks real injury.
Ears are self-cleaning. If you are worried about wax, discharge or your baby's hearing, that is a question for your paediatrician.
Sponge baths until the cord heals
Until the umbilical stump falls off and the area has healed, a sponge bath is the usual approach. Lay your baby on a towel in a warm room, wash one section at a time and keep the rest covered.
Keep the stump clean and dry, and follow whatever your hospital or paediatrician advised for your baby.
Keep the kit small
A soft brush, blunt-tipped scissors or a clipper, a couple of cotton cloths and a mild wash cover everything above. Elaborate grooming sets are mostly packaging.
Do everything in a warm room, and never leave your baby unattended on a raised surface, even for a moment.