Many women experience hair loss after pregnancy. This can be attributed to the hormonal changes that happen during and after pregnancy. Think about it – the hair follicles are resting for 9 months, so it is only natural that your hair will fall out, especially if you tend to pull and pluck your hair (the pulling and plucking can cause permanent damage). Also, when a woman has just given birth, she may be experiencing extreme stress – this could also result in some hair loss.
Being a new mother is difficult – aside from the physical exhaustion, there’s the emotional strain as well. Some women may tend to lose their sense of self-esteem upon becoming a mother (aside from when they were pregnant). This will only worsen if they are devastated by unexplained hair loss. However, with the proper knowledge and practice, you might still be able to stop your hair from falling out.
What is postpartum hair loss?
Postpartum hair loss is actually common and occurs in around 80% – 85% of pregnancies. This type of hair loss happens during the first 4 months after childbirth, wherein some 50 to 100 strands of hair fall out each day. The amount of hair loss will vary from woman to woman – there will be some who lose less than this number while there are also those whose hair falls off more than the normal count.
When you are pregnant, your estrogen and progesterone levels will rise. High progesterone levels are responsible for enlarging the uterine lining, which increases blood flow to the pelvic region. This could also be one cause of postpartum hair loss in some women. The increased blood flow and hormones also make your scalp weaker and susceptible to breakage or hair shedding around this time.
The interesting thing is, many women will notice that their hair and skin has improved during pregnancy. This is due to the enhanced blood circulation and hormonal changes.
This being said, this doesn’t mean that postpartum hair loss will automatically turn a woman bald. It’s definitely not something to worry about because most of the hair that falls off after pregnancy will grow back just as it was before – there may be some slight difference in color or texture, but nothing drastic enough to make you panic about having a receding hairline or anything like that.
Too much stress can also accelerate your rate of hair loss. Once again, these are only temporary setbacks; once the source of stress is gone, your body will start behaving normally again and your rate of losing hair should slow down or stop altogether. The only thing you need to do is to properly care for your hair during these times of stress.
How to prevent postpartum hair loss
1) Maintaining a healthy diet
A healthy diet is the first step to preventing postpartum hair loss. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals; You can even get personalized multivitamin from www.rootine.co to go along with your daily food intake. This includes zinc, iron, calcium, or protein-rich foods such as eggs, fish, and leafy green vegetables. These nutritional requirements can help your body get rid of excess hormones, which is a major factor behind postpartum hair loss.
2) Minimizing stress
As mentioned earlier, stress can trigger hair loss. Every woman has her own way of dealing with pregnancy; it could be anything from talking to a friend or listening to music to having fun or taking care of chores. Anything that calms you down will work just fine in the end. Just remember not to take on too much at one time as that may lead to worsening stress levels and postpartum hair loss.
3) Massaging your scalp
Putting coconut oil on the scalp is an effective way of stimulating capillaries and preventing or at least lowering the amount of hair loss you experience after pregnancy. Nisim.com also have an in-depth article about this on their website, make sure you check them out. It may also help restore your tresses’ shine and luster after childbirth. Alternatively, you can massage it gently with essential oils such as castor oil until it thoroughly coats each strand of hair. Don’t forget to do this regularly (at least 3 times a week).
4) Changing your hairstyle
It may be tempting to let your hair loose as soon as you can, but that’s not always the best option especially if you want to prevent postpartum hair loss. It is recommended to cut it short since this will keep it from getting too heavy and falling off.
This new hairstyle will also make it easier for you to manage your hair and will give you more time to take care of other things. The shorter hairstyle will also help you hide hair loss.
When you choose your new hairstyle, don’t forget to consider the type of hair you have and what works best for it. For example, using a straightener on curly hair will make it lose its natural luster. So it’s better to avoid that if you want to keep the shine in your curls. If unsure about which hairstyle to get, ask a professional hairstylist for advice or just look up some photos online. It doesn’t hurt to try out some different styles!
The right hairstyle can help prevent postpartum hair loss by minimizing damage so that your locks stay healthy and strong until they regrow their lost strands naturally.
5) Monitoring your hair cycle
Botanicals such as sanguisorba, Japanese rose hips are known to maintain a healthy hair cycle. They can be topically applied to your scalp or taken internally. If you are using them topically, put them in a shampoo, massage them onto your scalp daily or at least twice a week and let them stay overnight.
6) Taking care of your hair
The telogen phase of your hair follicle cycle is the most fragile phase and can be easily damaged. It is much longer than anagen so you really have to take care of your hair now if you want to lower the amount of postpartum hair loss.
Pick up everything you can find about taking care of your hair, even simple things like not wearing too tight or thick headgears that are more likely to damage your locks’ delicate follicles and may cause them to fall.
To avoid premature shedding during this phase, make sure you put some oil on your hair or rub a drop of essential oils like castor oil onto each strand. This will help protect the follicles and keep them healthy.
Avoid tight hairstyles or too much exposure to the sun. If you have to tie your hair up, make sure that it has some space at the nape of your neck.
Deep conditioning is also an effective way of preventing postpartum hair loss because it nourishes each strand with nutrients and keeps them strong until they grow out again. Make a deep conditioner by mixing egg yolk (raw yolk if possible), honey, olive oil, and avocado in a bowl then put this mixture on your hair after shampooing it while simultaneously rinsing with lukewarm water. Leave it for 10-20 minutes or until completely dry then rinse off with cool water. Do this 2-3 times a week to strengthen your locks till they grow out normally.
Protecting your hair from damage is one of the best ways to prevent postpartum hair loss since it helps promote natural regrowth while preventing premature shedding.
Conclusion
Hair loss is a common side effect of pregnancy, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. In this article, we’ve discussed some of the best ways you can protect your hair and keep it strong until it grows back out again. The key is knowing how postpartum hair follicles differ from regular ones and understanding what will work best for them in the meantime.
For example, longer hairstyles are more likely to cause damage than shorter styles; so if you’re not sure which style would suit you best, ask an expert or look up pictures online! You should also avoid wearing headgears that are too tight. That could potentially damage delicate strands during their fragile telogen phase. It is also important to avoid the sun, or at least wear a hat when you go outside.