Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 12:08 23 Dec 2022 GMT
Influencer sparks controversy after shaving newborn daughter's head
An influencer has caused controversy this week after she admitted that she shaved her newborn daughter's head, and people aren't sure what to make of it.
Ruby Tuesday Matthews, 27 - a Byron Bay-based model - welcomed her third child, Holiday, in September and the first with her fiancé Shannan Dodd.
The influencer - who also has two children, Rocket and Mars, with her ex-partner Ryan Heywood - announced the news to her 236,000 Instagram followers with a video of the newborn lying in a basket.
Matthews captioned the announcement: "Holiday Dodd - 20.09.22 - 2.56kg - 8.41 am at 36weeks. our hearts are overflowing and we are completely inlove [sic]."
The exact date when Matthews and her fiancé Dodd started dating is unknown, but he began popping up on her Instagram in May 2021 and they announced their engagement in June of the same year.
Matthews has found herself in hot water recently and has been forced to defend herself in regard to what she does to her children's hair.
Posting on her Instagram story, the influencer revealed that she shaved Holiday's hair off, just the same as she has with her previous two kids.
In the video, she apologized to her followers for not responding to messages due to how tired she was from raising a newborn - a feeling all parents know well.
Per the Daily Mail, Matthews revealed in the caption: "I got two hours sleep last night. Working whilst having three kids home isn’t a vibe. Silly me shaved Holiday’s head and yep forgot we have Santa photos tomorrow. So that’s one for the memory books. Oh and it’s patchy."
Due to the apparent patchy nature of the haircut she gave her daughter - Matthews said that the newborn would be wearing a Santa hat for the photoshoot.
There was clearly a mixed response to the news that she shaves her children's heads, as the model was forced to defend herself in a follow-up story.
"Everyone is losing it that I have shaved Holiday’s head," Matthews wrote. "I’ve actually shaved all my children’s heads at about four months.
"My kids are born with dark hair that slowly falls out and ends up looking crazy patchy and the new hair holds off growing. I find shaving it makes it grow faster, thicker and so much more even."
The model revealed that it was her auntie who taught her the technique of shaving her kid's hair at a young age and that the method is shared by other cultures.
Matthews did have backing, as she posted another story revealing messages of support from her followers. One read: "I did this too and everyone lost their mind. But I'm a hairdresser and it actually works," and another said: "Looks horrible for a few weeks but well worth it."
What are your thoughts on shaving a newborn's head? Let us know in the comments!