Are You Suffering From Post Pregnancy Hair Loss?
After your baby is born you could notice that your hair begins to fall out at a faster rate than before, or a general thinning of your hair. This process is entirely normal, so do not worry that there is something wrong with you, you will not go bald. In most cases it can take up to a year until your hair recovers and stops falling out at this increased rate. It can sometimes be a worrying experience when you notice such a stark increase in hair loss after pregnancy. Your hair will normally come out in clumps when you fiddle with it in any way. Therefore you should see clumps of hair in the drain after shampooing and on your hairbrush.
However, you will not have any bald patches on your head and it shouldn’t really be apparent to anyone else. It is important to note that not all women will experience dramatic hair loss during the postpartum period. It will be a lot more noticeable amongst women who have longer hair. You may also notice other changes to your hair during this time, such as your hair becoming curlier if it is normally straight, and vice versa. Your body is just readjusting; so let it do its thing.
Why Does Hair Loss After Pregnancy Occur?
It is proven that around 85-95% of your head hair is growing whilst the remaining amount is in a resting stage. When the resting stage finishes your hair will fall out. This happens during your whole life span, not just when you are pregnant. This hair loss happens when you brush or wash it and it is then replaced by new hair growth. You have probably already noticed that you lose around 100 hairs each day. This is normal and is all part of hair growth. When you are pregnant your hormone levels can affect this hair growth process considerably. Oestrogen levels increase and in turn prolong the growth stage. There will then be fewer hairs in the resting stage and consequently, less hair falls out. This is why pregnant women are often seen to have thicker, more vibrant hair. There are then further changes after birth because of your hormone levels. When you give birth your oestrogen levels deplete considerably, and as a result more of your hair follicles go back into the resting stage. You will then begin to notice that a lot more of your hair will be coming out in the shower or on your hairbrush. This process does stop within six to twelve months of giving birth and you will notice a gradual lessening of hair loss.
Can You Prevent The Hair Loss?
Unfortunately there is nothing that you can do to prevent this from happening; it is a normal part of the pregnancy process that most mothers must endure. No amount of additional multi vitamins will be able to hinder it. There are however more practical things that you can do to make yourself feel better and give you confidence. Many women experiment with various hair thickening products to give their hair a fuller, healthier look. Another more drastic thing to do is to go for a shorter hair cut. This can be beneficial for other reasons too. When you are a new mother you will find that you have less and less time for styling your hair and this is a simple solution to the problem. You can then start to grow it out after a few months. I hope that this article has made you realize that postpartum hair loss is a regular occurrence and nothing for you to worry about. The change in your hormone levels during pregnancy will affect other parts of your body too such as nails, ovulation, moods and menstruation. It is merely your body’s attempt to readjust to your pre pregnancy hormonal state. You should therefore give it time and not expect to return to normal immediately, remember that you should be back to how you were within the year.
