Doting mum Phillipa Rabbitts, 27, says daughter Bella has been likened to Boo from Monsters Inc and has often strangers wondering if she’s wearing a wig
AN ADORABLE eight-month-old baby has such a thick head of hair that people think she’s a DOLL.
Bella Cole is tiny for her age and weighs just 11lbs, but her long, luscious locks are so impressive that strangers often wonder if her bunches are stuck on or if she’s wearing a wig.
Doting mum Phillipa Rabbitts, 27, told how she can’t take her daughter out without being stopped by hordes of people asking if her hair is real.
Bella has even been compared to fictional character Boo from Monsters Inc.
Philippa, an online editorial designer from Chelmsford, Essex, said: “I had a caesarean when Bella was born, and the first thing the surgeon said was, ‘she’s got a lot of hair!’
“I just thought, ‘What the hell?’ – I was expecting her to be covered from head to toe, but then I saw this massive mop of black hair on her head.
“She was only 4lbs 11 when she was born and three weeks early, and with this thick, dark hair she looked just like a little doll.
“All the midwives came to have a look at her afterwards, they’d never seen such a hairy newborn before – she was quite an attraction!
“She absolutely loves having it washed and brushed, I give her a little head massage too and she loves it.
“We have to tie it up because it gets in her eyes, but it doesn’t faze her.
“It takes a while to brush and style – I have to get all the knots out, and then when I’m trying to tie it up she won’t sit still!
“I spend longer on her hair than I do on my own – it takes twice as long.
“But she’s pretty chilled out, everyone’s always touching it so she’s used to it being played with.
“At night we’ll see her brushing it out of her face, and when it’s down she flicks it out of her eyes like a little diva.
“The only thing she’s not keen on his a hairdryer, so for now I tend to towel try it – it’s so thick so it takes a long time to dry, so I’m trying to get her used to it!”
Little Bella, who has a tube to help her feed after having trouble with a bottle as a newborn, is currently undergoing tests to find out why she is so small.
Philippa said: “She’s always been so tiny, and we joke that the only thing that grows is her hair!
“Other than her size she’s very healthy, so she’s having genetic tests so we can try and find out why.
“It does throw a lot of people off – she turns a lot of heads because she’s so small, and people can’t fathom that she’s got this wild head of hair at her age.
“People genuinely think she’s a doll when they see her.
“I always get asked if she’s wearing a wig, and if her bunches are stuck on.
“No matter where we go we get stopped at least five times because of her hair – everyone’s first reaction is just like, ‘Oh my God, is that real?’
“With her bunches, people say she looks just like Boo from Monsters Inc – it’s a little nickname for her now.”
Philippa said she thinks cute Bella has inherited her brunette locks and dad Matthew Cole’s thick hair.
She added: “Matt has really think ginger hair that goes curly when it’s wet, and I’m very dark – so I think she gets her hair from both of us.
“Her hair is either really curly or a big wild mane when it’s first washed, so to tame it we have to keep it tied back – otherwise it just goes all over the place.
“It really needs a cut – the longest bit now is down to her shoulders – but I’m reluctant to cut it.
“I want it to grow and grow, and get as long as possible.
“I want her to be like a real-life Rapunzel when she’s older!”
Philippa and Matthew, 33, are currently fundraising for Syndromes Without a Name (SWANS), who help children with undiagnosed conditions like Bella.
