Clumps and more chucks of hair, my precious hair, just gone!!! — They’re here, they’re there, and it’s hair everywhere!!!!
Not every woman will experience postpartum alopecia, also know as hair loss, after giving birth. Around 90 percent of women will have some form of hair loss and this can be a very troubling time. For most people, especially women, their hair is everything and we want to protect it at all cost.
Your hair is one of the first things people will see when looking at you. But sometimes we can take things like that for granted and believe that it will always be there. Just like that old saying, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. We are going to educate ourselves about what causes postpartum hair loss and how we are able to still feel beautiful.
CAUSE AND AFFECT
There are a lost of new changes that happen to you, after you have bought you child into this world. Postpartum hair loss is one of those changes that is rarely discussed for some reason. Now, I didn’t experience a ton of hair loss but still enough to freak me out weeks are having my child.
According to David Salinger, director of the International Association of Trichologist stated, “Not all women will experience this condition and some may experience it in one pregnancy, but not another.” Salinger also mentions, “The body will experience high amounts of estrogen and progesterone levels during pregnancy.” This will cause a lot of hair growth during this time but once the baby is born, levels go back to normal, the hair will fall out.
Well, when you put it that way, it does make a lot of sense and should ease your mind. But this still doesn’t take away the immediate shock and horror of it all. Whether you are washing your hair, cleaning the brush, or emptying the vacuum, all that hair is right there, just staring you in the face.
Hair loss has a way to bring down your self confidence but this is perfectly normal. Losing about 80 hairs a day is normal, but new moms shed about 400 hairs a day but six months postpartum, hair loss should slow to pre-pregnancy amounts, according to the Today’s parent website. So don’t be afraid to reach out to your doctor to see if anything else could be affecting it.
WHAT NOT TO DO
I know what you all maybe thinking right about now. Is there a way to prevent postpartum hair lost? To make a long story short, not really because it is all hormonal and each pregnancy is different, even with the same person. Please don’t let this freak you out, because there are methods to aid you during this time.
“Start by ensuring your blood sugar, iron, ferritin, zinc and vitamin D levels are normal and do as much as you can to minimize stress,” according to Today’s parent website. So remember to reach out to your health care provider for blood work to be done. I would recommend writing down a plan of attack so you won’t feel so overwhelmed.
According to whattoexpect.com, you can keep your hair healthy by eating well and continuing to take your prenatal vitamin supplement. Trying eating foods with a lot of protein and look for different types of vitamins that can aid with hair growth.
REGAINING BEAUTY
After having a baby, most women can’t wait to get their grove back and feel beautiful again. To be completely honest, feeling normal after baby is extremely difficult thing to overcome.
Your body has gone through so much trauma and changes in a small amount of time. I would try to remind myself to think of this postpartum period as a time for my body to refresh itself. Once I come out of the other side of this season, I’ll feel renewed and be able to live life again.
The whattoexpect.com article also states to be extra gentle during your shedding season to prevent excess hair loss after pregnancy. Allowing the hair to rest and relax will help in the long run.
Avoid using heated tools such as flat iron and blowdryer to also prevent further damage to the hair so air drying is going to be your best friend. Still don’t freak out when you see excess stands with little activity to you hair, because all the extra hair growth has to exit at some point.
Now if your hair loss is causing more damage such as bald spots there are some things you can do. Try parting your hair in the other direction to cover the spot or trying something more outgoing like a new wig. Now, I know the idea of wearing wigs is scary for some, but this is another way to protect your hair.
You can use resources, such as YouTube, to see how to apply them. Also Amazon is an awesome site to find inexpensive wigs to experiment with. Notice how the wig make you feel. This also gives you a chance to try a different color, length and style without the commitment. I’ve always loved wigs and small hair pieces even before I had my son. If I didn’t like the wig, all I had to do was take it off.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The postpartum period can be a difficult one for some women. Hair loss is just another thing that can add to your daily stress. But as we have discovered, stressing out can pro-long the shedding process. You should try to focus on remaining calm for you and the baby. Yes, I know this is way easier said then done but this can help you out a ton. Try to also remember that for most women hair loss is only temporary.
I just had to tell myself, all the extra hair that quickly grew during pregnancy, has to make an exit at some point. Our hair is important to us, but is not the only thing that makes us beautiful. So embrace every part of yourself and try to realize you are marvelous no matter what happens.
