Postpartum Hair Loss
Having a child is a gratifying yet challenging experience. During your pregnancy, you are preparing for the arrival of your mini-me, and then when the baby is here, you begin your sleepless nights dealing with constant crying and breastfeeding. Then, there are also postpartum concerns like hair loss which is understandably unsettling to many women who go through it. We want you to focus on all the happy moments you’ll endure after your baby is born, which is why we are sharing some helpful information on postpartum hair loss so you can focus on what really matters – your newborn.
Postpartum hair loss: why does it happen?
If you are wondering what could be causing your postpartum hair loss, the very first thing we want to stress is that you are not alone. Whether you’ve noticed you have been losing more hair than usual or if you feel like your hair is thinning by the hour, rest assured that hair loss happens to many women after giving birth.
But what exactly is the reasoning for it all? Well, it starts with pregnancy. During your pregnancy, you might have noticed your hair feeling thicker and shinier than normal. That is because of the hormonal fluctuations that naturally happen in your body, with estrogen especially having a big impact on your hair. The spiked estrogen mixed with increased blood flow, slows down your normal rate of hair fall. However, once you have your baby, these hormone levels drop causing sudden and significant hair loss.
This can be emotionally sabotaging at the onset of it, but you can ease your worries due to the fact that for most women, this typically isn’t more hair loss than what would have occurred the last 9 months if you had not been pregnant, though it is now happening all at once.
When does postpartum hair loss start?
Postpartum hair loss typically starts between 2 to 4 months after giving birth. In most cases, this is normal, and your hair will naturally restore itself within 6 months to a year. Basically, if it feels like your hair is falling out in large chunks and you think you’re about to go bald, don’t worry as this is your body’s way of recalibrating and your growth patterns should go back to normal with time.
What can you do about postpartum hair loss?
Experiencing hair loss after pregnancy is both normal and natural, so there isn’t really much you can do to stop it entirely from happening. However, there are some ways you can keep your hair healthy and prevent damage while its replenishing itself, while also making your hair look fuller.
We recommend keeping the heating tools for styling to a minimum as this can cause unnecessary damage and also gets rid of your hairs natural volume. Also, styling your hair can be pretty rough, which can accelerate the hair loss process, so its best to limit this whenever possible.
If you just can’t live without your curling iron, then we definitely recommend using a heat protectant before to limit damage.
It’s also a smart idea to eat a balanced diet to help facilitate hair growth and help rebalance your hormones. Fruit, dark greens, healthy fats, and whole grains contain lots of essential vitamins such as iron, vitamin C, magnesium, and omega-3s. Your doctor might even suggest taking a multivitamin or continuing with your prenatal vital to help fight hair loss.
Another good idea would be to use natural hair care that’s meant to add volume back to your hair to help with bald spots or thinning.
Reducing stress is always essential, especially when you have a newborn. Make sure to prioritize time to take a relaxing bath, meditate, or go for a walk.
Unfortunately, hair growth isn’t a speedy process, but we don’t think you should have let thinning hair get you down! As always, contact Avalanche Salon & Spa at 610-489-2049 for all your hair needs.
