Hair Care After Having A Baby
You’ve just experienced the most amazing thing…motherhood! No one could have prepared you for just how life changing and rewarding having a baby is…the not so rewarding part? Losing your hair. Don’t sweat it though, losing your hair post pregnancy is actually incredibly common and honestly nothing to worry about. Research has shown that hair loss postpartum can affect a whopping 50% of new mums. Let’s not forget we all lose strands of hair on a daily basis, like when we’re blow drying our hair, tying it up in a pony or just simply running our fingers through it.
So why does postpartum hair loss occur? It’s all about the hormones! Not only have we had our hormones well and truly shaken during pregnancy, we also have a considerable hormonal imbalance after giving birth. It is this imbalance that can result in hair loss (and the usual irritability, mood swings etc.) oh the joys of being a woman! But don’t some women experience fuller and thicker hair during pregnancy you may ask? Yes, they do! And this is because Estrogen levels significantly rise during pregnancy which results in potentially longer, luscious locks. Estrogen is the leading hormone associated with hair growth and some of us ladies experience the best hair of our life during pregnancy as a result of this increase in Estrogen. The bad news is that postpartum our Estrogen levels simply return back to their ‘normal’ levels and our hair growth is somewhat stunted.
When can I expect the dreaded hair loss? Don’t worry, the moment you leave the hospital won’t be the moment your hair starts falling out, it is actually around the 3-month mark postpartum that hair loss generally occurs. It can last around 4-6 months and in some cases up to a year, but it is completely normal for many of us ladies and nothing to be concerned about. If you have been suffering for longer than a year, you should pay a visit to your GP just so they can check there is nothing untoward going on. Also, you might want to bear in mind ladies that due to the acceleration in hair growth that can occur during pregnancy, hair loss post pregnancy can sometimes feel somewhat more exaggerated than it really is, due to the fast rate of growth that we experienced during pregnancy.
Can anything be done to prevent hair loss postpartum? The bad news is that we cannot control our ever changing hormones, especially during the post pregnancy phase. Nonetheless, there are a few tips I am going to talk you through that can help stimulate and promote hair growth and hopefully restore your confidence to where it once was!
- Get a haircut- this tip may sound a bit odd considering you’re looking for ways to promote your hair growth, but I am sure you’ve all heard that opting for a shorter do can result in a heavier appearance of your hair, ultimately making it look thicker and fuller. A simple blunt cut can help achieve this fuller, heavier look for your hair and it is also considerably more manageable than other looks and let’s face it, you’re going to have your hands pretty busy with your new bundle of joy!
- Take a look at your diet- eating a healthy, balanced diet is definitely a fundamental starting point to achieve your pre-pregnancy locks. In particular, you should try and increase the amount of protein and iron in your diet, both of which promote hair growth. You may also want to invest in some supplements, such as Biotin, Iron, Zinc and Vitamins B, C and E, all of which promote hair growth.
- Stay calm- it is definitely easier said than done to keep a cool head all the time, particularly when you’re juggling looking after yourself and your new baby. However, reducing stress levels can help regulate your hormone imbalance. Even if it means asking mum or a friend to babysit for 30 minutes whilst you rewind in the bath or even go for a short walk in the fresh air. Doing these types of activities can help decrease stress and help us mums feel overall more relaxed, which will subsequently help stimulate hair growth.
- Massage your scalp- you may already be aware of this top tip, but stimulating your scalp can help boost blood circulation in this area. Using a good exfoliator on the scalp can help remove any dead skin cells that may have built up and allow for new healthy skin cells to form. Before asking hubby to give you a relaxing head massage, make sure you have used a volumising shampoo. You may already have one that you used pre-pregnancy, if not I would recommend purchasing one to help create a thicker, fuller look that could help boost your confidence once more.
I hope I have convinced you that hair loss postpartum is really not as scary as it may initially seem… it is definitely only a temporary phase and you will be back to your pre-pregnancy hair before your baby’s first birthday! I mean, if you have an excuse for a head massage every night it can’t be that bad…right?
