Fenugreek Seeds For Postpartum Hair Fall
This common, small, and easily available herb can do wonders for your hair. Soak fenugreek seeds in water at night. Apply the strained water on the scalp the next day and leave it for 1-2 hours. Fenugreek seeds extract makes your hair healthy and also treats dandruff if any. Repeat the process once or twice a week for early results. You can also make a paste of roasted methi and then apply them on your scalp or you can add them to your oil while you are heating it to a lukewarm level. It has been known to cure hair fall in an effective way.
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What Are The Causes Of Hair Fall
Women usually enjoy good hair health during pregnancy. This is because, normally, 90% of our hair grows at a given point in time while the other 10% is resting. After the resting phase, the hair falls off and is replaced by new strands of hair. During pregnancy, the majority of the hair is in the resting phase, resulting in thicker hair. The pregnancy hair fall, to an extent, is much lesser compared to the aftermath of postpartum. After pregnancy, the Estrogen levels come down to normal, and the hair cycle comes out of the resting phase, leading to hair fall. This is known as Telogen Effluvium and usually persists for three to six months after delivery. However, certain external factors such as lack of sleep and stress of handling a newborn baby can make it worse.
But, dont worry, ladies! With some good care and persistent efforts, we are sure youll get those beautiful locks back in no time.
What Is Postpartum Hair Loss
During pregnancy, your estrogen and progesterone levels soar, particularly from the second trimester. Estrogen, in particular, has a powerful effect on multiple systems in the body including the skin and sebaceous glands, and also on the underlying growth pattern of hair. Many women notice improvements inskin and hair quality during pregnancy and fast-growing, hydrated hair. The changes in hair can be attributed to the way estrogen impacts the specific pattern of growth unique to hair.
Our hair follicles, the small organs that produce hair, operate in a pattern of growth, rest and fall that repeats many times in your lifetime. Usually, each follicle follows its own pattern in its own time and in this manneryou are continually shedding at a rate of about 50-100 hairs a day. During pregnancy, the excess estrogen encourages the hair to enter and stay in the growth phase, grow faster and shed less, somewhat synchronizing the follicles in their growth.
Following labor and birth, estrogen and other hormone levels fall rapidly to pre-pregnancy levels. In addition, cortisol levels remain high, and in some women thyroid hormones can get out of balance. This creates a rapid synchronous transition of follicles out of their growth phase and into the resting phase. Couple this with the lack of sleep, potential nutritional stress and the demands of caring for a newborn and a perfect storm for hair loss is in place.
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Use A Volumizing Shampoo
Volumizing shampoos are special shampoos that have ingredients that make hair look fuller. If you have thin or fine hair, using a volumizing shampoo can help to add some volume and thickness to your locks.
You could try salon-quality shampoos with added vitamin E to promote growth and prevent breakage.
Whatever volumizing shampoo you choose, make sure it is free of harmful ingredients like phthalates, sulfates, and parabens.
Bottom Line On Postpartum Hair Loss
Before you go popping nutrition supplements or packing your smoothies with mass doses of hair growth nutrients, keep in mind that the majority of these research on hair and nutrition is based on the notion that nutrition deficiencies can cause hair loss. Whether taking more of these nutrients aids in hair growth is still unclear. At the end of the day, getting adequate nutrition should be a priority any time in the life cycle, so whether it has a direct impact on postpartum hair loss may not be the most important thing. Somethings we just cant prevent, but like everything in this motherhood thing, this phase too will pass. Keep looking ahead mama, the next chapter is moments away. You totally got this.
So mamas, let me know did you experience any postpartum hair loss?
Leave me a comment below with your thoughts!
Contribution By:
Sofia Tsalamlal, RD, MHSc Nutrition Communication
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Can I Dye My Hair During Pregnancy
Yes, it is safe to dye your hair during pregnancy. However, you might want to take extra precautions by waiting until you are 12 weeks pregnant, and getting highlights so that the dye does not come into contact with your scalp.
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Dont Panic Postpartum Hair Loss Is Normal
It can be an alarming discovery. Youre going about your regular hair-care routine savoring those moments alone where you can tend to your own self-care. When all of a sudden you look down at your brush and find large clumps of your hair tangled in the bristles!
Dont panicpostpartum hair loss is normal. Learn more about what causes postpartum hair loss, how long it lasts, and some postpartum hair loss remedies to help treat it.
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Pregnancy And Postpartum Hair Changes
When youre pregnant, your estrogen levels keep increasing, before peaking around the time you give birth. That causes multiple changes to your body, including your hair growth cycle.
During pregnancy, you arent shedding as much hair as you were before, says Ob/Gyn Erica Newlin, MD. You may notice you get very luscious, thicker hair.
But once youve given birth, and in the time after, you can expect a steady decrease in estrogen levels. That means these extra hairs finally make their exit all at once during the postpartum period.
After delivery, your body is suddenly catching up, and so the shedding may be way more intense, Dr. Newlin explains.
This intensity even has a name: telogen effluvium. In that beginning period, sometimes you can find that youre pulling handfuls of hair out in the shower, Dr. Newlin notes. For people with longer hair, it can be quite noticeable.
Remedies To Reduce Hair Fall And Thinning After Baby Birth :
1. Ditch Straighteners, Dryers, Curlers :
This is my personal experience. I was more on Dryers after every wash, due to no sunlight in the winter months just after my babys birth. And it actually blew me out. I stopped using dryers and straighteners after 4-5months and left my hair to dry on a natural course. They were much better actually and I had some less hair fall. I learned that heated devices on hair cause more damage than any betterment. So, try avoiding them unless necessary once in a while.
2. Avoid Colors :
That can be tough for many, but control the temptation for at least a year. Any chemical usage on hair after baby birth will aggravate the fall multiple folds.
3. Be gentle on your hair :
- Get hold of a better quality brush and wide comb for your hair.
- While wet, try not to comb with a thin sharp-edged comb, rather use a wide comb.
- Be gentle and use a Hairbrush, later on, to detangle once dry.
- Forget those styles which need hair to be woven tightly. Tight hairstyles lead to more hair loss.
- Often leave them loose and dont play with them. Leave any tight clutches, braids, clips during that phase of hair loss and thinning.
4. Biotin Shampoos:
Its the time to ditch your normal Sulfate and chemical-laden shampoos, mamas. Get yourself some good quality Biotin and Natural shampoos to pamper your hair. Biotin is known for hair growth. Also if you wish to condition them, just put the conditioner on the hair strands and dont rub it on the scalp.
6. Supplements :
Eggs
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When To See A Doctor About Hair Loss After Pregnancy
Postpartum hair loss is common and its usually nothing to worry about. However, you should see a doctor if you have other symptoms as well and particularly if you have symptoms of the other causes of hair loss after pregnancy listed below.
You should also talk to your doctor if your hair doesnt go back to normal after 1 year.
Hair loss can be caused by lots of different things, and your doctor can check the cause and prescribe treatment if necessary.
Use our Smart Symptom Checker to help rule out other possible causes of hair loss, such as a scalp condition or health condition.
Do I Have Postpartum Hair Loss
Normally, a person loses about 100 hairs a day . But ladies with postpartum hair loss will notice much more than that. Youll seem to be shedding more than ever, especially compared to during pregnancy when you barely noticed any hair falling out.
Youll notice the extra hairs on your hairbrush, or you may even see some smaller clumps falling out. I realized I had this issue in the first three months or so of having my baby. I noticed my hair seemed to be thinner than usual and saw my hairbrush filling up way more than in the past.
I didnt understand why it was happening, and I felt like there was something wrong with me. It wasnt easy to deal with, but I did take some comfort in knowing I wasnt alone once I did some quick research online about the problem.
So if you see this happening, dont freak out. Its normal and common. Up to half of all women will lose more hair than usual in the first five months after having their baby.
The good thing is there are ways to disguise your hair loss until your body begins to recuperate from all its been through. When I was dealing with this, I learned some great tricks to fake a full mane that Ill share with you in a later section.
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Can Flax Seeds Help Reduce Post Partum Hair Fall
Yes, they can. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They are good for lactation too.
Most moms suffer from postpartum hair fall. There is nothing new or unnatural about it. Follow these simple home remedies and a healthy nutritious diet. Also, give it some time, your hair will be back to its glory.
What Causes Postnatal Hair Loss
So, why do hair fall after delivery? Normally we lose at least 70-100 hair per day. However, the increased levels of estrogen during pregnancy halts this process and most of our hair goes into the resting phase of the hair cycle. Therefore, instead of falling, our hair stays on our head and we get the most desirable volume. Increasing levels of hormones during pregnancy cause your hair to be in a resting phase called telogen, for a longer period.
This, it brings hair fall to its minimum during pregnancy, which makes your hair look dense and thick. This usually occurs after five to six weeks and ends by about six to eight months. Many women notice hair fall after delivery in the first month, while some others say it starts at about 3 months after the babys birth. Some think that there is a relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum hair fall. However, hair fall after delivery is a complete hormonal thing and will subside by itself, but still, you can prevent post-pregnancy hair fall to some extent by using some simple tips stated below. This is because the hormones start getting settled to their pre-pregnancy stage.
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Risk Factors For Hair Loss
Women who have a family history of hormone-related hair loss may lose hair while on the pill or just after they discontinue it. Some women lose a little bit of hair. Other women lose large clumps of hair or experience a lot of thinning. Hair loss in pregnancy is also hormonally related to hair being in the resting phase for longer periods.
Hair loss can also happen when you switch from one type of pill to another.
Dont Fear Washing Your Hair
Often the sight of an increased strand-count in the shower post-pregnancy, can make you want to put off washing it. However, stopping washing your hair as much because of fears of accelerating the hair loss is something you needn’t be worried about. You will lose the same amount of hairs whether or not you wash your hair once a week or once per day, this really has no impact on hair fall, says Iain. Left washing your hair a few more days? He warns not to be alarmed by the extra fallout. “You’ll have lost the same amount of hairs per day but saved them up for when it’s washed…which can be very traumatic!”
How often should you wash it? If your hair’s a little sensitised after giving birth, aim for two to three times a week. Dont wash your hair too much or too vigorously and dont go overboard on product – this will dry the hair out causing it to break easily and appear even thinner, advises Craig. Use gentle pressure to help reduce the stress to the scalp and hair. Keeping your scalp clean will also aid healthier hair regrowth.
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Coconut For Postpartum Hair Fall
You can use coconut in many forms to arrest hair fall. The use of coconut milk on the scalp can reduce your hair fall. Also, you can burn the hard shell of coconut to ashes, preserve these in a jar and then add these ashes every time to the oil before massaging it on your scalp. Regular use can check hair fall and can even make them darker, shinier, and full of volume.
What Is The Typical Hair Cycle
Hair goes through a growth cycle that includes growth and shedding. It includes three main phases :
- Anagen: This is the growth phase, where the hair follicles push out hair fiber. According to DermNet NZ, around 85% of hair follicles are actively growing hair and will continue to do so for 26 years .
- Catagen: This is the transition phase when hair follicles in diameter and hairs can become club-shaped. If these hairs subsequently shed, hair may appear to be thinning. This stage can last for a few weeks.
- Telogen: This is the resting phase when the hair follicle is not active, and no hair grows. DermNet NZ states that around 15% of hair follicles are typically in the resting phase. After 23 months, the anagen phase starts again and pushes telogen hair out.
In a regular hair cycle, it is typical for people to lose around 50100 hairs each day. A disruption to the cycle, such as childbirth, can result in up to 70% of hairs in the anagen phase switching to the telogen phase. Dermatologists refer to this as telogen effluvium.
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