The beginning of motherhood is an exciting time. Your body goes through so many changes in adjusting to the new life. It can therefore be quite daunting to start experiencing hair loss after receiving your bundle of joy.
Postpartum hair loss refers to hair loss experienced after giving birth. It is not a direct result of breast feeding, so please continue feeding your baby breast milk. Actually, it is quite normal to lose hair after giving birth. In fact we all lose hair every day. However, the change in hormones during pregnancy enables the mother to retain more hair and that’s when most experience the pregnancy glow. After giving birth, hormones go back to normal and a larger than normal amount of your hair is triggered to enter the resting/shedding phase. This phenomena is also referred to as telogen effluvium.
It is a very natural process and occurs three months to six months after giving birth. Since it is only a temporary phase – your hair will go back to normal after six to twelve months. So you are reassured it will be back to normal by the time you are blowing your baby’s first candle.
While you can’t completely prevent postpartum hair loss, there’s still a lot you can do to care for your hair:
- Check on your nutrition. Taking care of your health and eating well will help you have healthier hair. Continue taking your vitamin supplements to boost your health.
- Use a volume-adding shampoo and conditioner when you wash your hair. Such shampoos have ingredients that coat the hair making it appear fuller. You can also try using voluminous spray for that extra bounce.
- Be extra gentle when handling your hair during this shedding season. Try using a wide tooth comb and avoid brushing. Avoid using rubber bands to hold your hair and don’t pull you hair back too tightly as this will strain your hair. Always moisturize your hair to keep it from drying and avoid combing your hair when it is dry as this will cause hair breakage.
- This is also the perfect opportunity to try out a new hairstyle. It can be a new haircut that would make your hair look fuller like a bob or simply short hair which is easier to manage. You can also try various cuts. This is also the time to stick to protective hair styles like plain cornrows, twisting or braiding your own hair without use of synthetic hair.
Minimize or keep off any form of heat treatments, this includes use of dryers, flat irons and curling irons. Put off any chemically based treatments like highlights, perms and straightening sessions until the shedding stops. Instead, you can use organic treatments including avocado, yoghurt, honey, milk, eggs and many others.
Hair loss during breastfeeding is quite temporary and very manageable. Take care of yourself, avoid stress and concentrate on raising your baby.
If your hair loss is excessive, consult your doctor as it could be a sign of postpartum thyroiditis.
