noun
downy hair; fine soft hair
Refers to the soft, fine hair found on the body, especially of babies or animals, or the downy fuzz on plants.
赤ちゃんのほっぺたには、柔らかい和毛が生えている。
Soft downy hair grows on the baby's cheeks.
この植物の茎には細かい和毛が密生している。
Fine downy hairs grow thickly on the stem of this plant.
産毛 specifically refers to the fine hair present on a newborn baby, while 和毛 is a broader term for any soft, downy hair on humans, animals, or plants.
綿毛 refers to fluffy, cotton-like hairs such as those on dandelion seeds or young leaves, whereas 和毛 describes fine, soft, but not necessarily fluffy hair.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 和 (soft, gentle) and 毛 (hair) combine to suggest 'soft hair'. The reading にこげ is a native Japanese word.