Does Breastfeeding Cause Postpartum Hair Loss
Three years ago when I was still pregnant with my youngest I researched anything and everything that would prevent postpartum hair loss. I joined every Mommy community out there and grilled seasoned Moms about what they had done that worked. I was surprised that so many seemed to blame breastfeeding on their hair loss.
Do you lose vitamins while breastfeeding?
The more I thought about it, the more the possibility grew on me. When I had my first son I was breastfeeding exclusively and I remember feeling so drained and depleted after. I ate more while pumping than I did during my pregnancy, which made me wonder now years later had I lost vitamins while pumping? Had that loss affected my hair? Was feeding the baby literally the cause of my hair loss?
The consensus Ive been able to find is this: It comes down to the mothers diet. Breastmilk is rich in vitamins and minerals that are needed to protect the health of a baby, and promote their growth and development. If the mothers diet is poor, then either the nutrients in the breastmilk may be compromised or the mothers own health could be affected.
Alright, since I was taking my prenatal while breastfeeding and eating decent that should have covered the nutrition for the breastmilk, but then why did my hair still fall out?
I took my prenatal while breastfeeding, why did my hair still fall out?
What can I do to minimize the hair loss?
The Takeaway:
What Is Hair Skin And Nails Vitamins
Hair, skin, and nail vitamins commonly contain Vitamins A, C, and E and most importantly biotin, a B-complex vitamin. You may find selenium, manganese, fish oil, and flaxseed oil as other ingredients to support healthy hair.
There are many brands of hair, skin, and nail vitamins are available in the market that claims to thicken hair, improve skin tone, and fix a brittle nail.
The common ingredient in all of them is -biotin or Vitamin H. Biotin is particularly responsible for healthy hair, nails, and skin and is often touted as a miracle cure for hair loss.
Dont Miss: Does Trelegy Cause Hair Loss
What Every Woman Should Know About Postpartum Hair Loss
Your body goes through a lot of changes during and after pregnancy. You expect the growing belly and weird cravings, but there are many things you may not expect, like hair loss.
Postpartum hair loss doesnt happen to every new mom, but it is pretty common. If you experience it yourself, it can be quite alarming when you see strands coming out in chunks or clumps of it collecting on your hair brush. Dont worry its not nearly as bad as it may seem.
Postpartum hair loss isnt really permanent hair loss. Dermatologists refer to it as excessive shedding, or Telogen Effluvium. Just how some women experience thicker and fuller hair during pregnancy from increased hormones, some can experience shedding and thinning as those same hormone levels drop after the baby arrives.
Its normal to have questions about unexpected and startling changes in your body. Dr. Dy has the answers to some of the most common questions women have about experiencing postpartum hair loss.
Read Also: How To Thin Leg Hair
Can Postpartum Hair Loss Be Prevented
There isnt anything that can necessarily stop your hair from shedding, but there are things you can do to help combat it. There are treatments you can do with the help of your dermatologist, and there are things you can add into your daily routine to help your hair look and feel fuller.
- Your dermatologist can perform a variety of diagnostic tests that can be used to confirm the diagnosis to render the right therapy to stop hair shedding. One of the treatments includes replenishing the iron in your body, or taking specific hair vitamins that are well studied and proven to prevent or treat Telogen Effluvium.
- Maintain a healthy and active lifestyle: exercising, eating well and taking care of your body are essential in hair health.
- Its easier said than done, but try and keep your stress levels low. Stress can contribute to hair thinning and shedding.
- Use therapeutic shampoos containing growth factor peptides to regrow hair, or volumizing shampoo to coat the hair and make it appear fuller and thicker. Also, use therapeutic conditioners: not only do they add moisture to your hair strands, but they add elasticity and repair the cuticles of the hair shafts. Lastly, condition only your ends so the conditioner doesnt weigh down the hairs on your scalp.
- Maintain a clean and healthy scalp by using therapeutic scalp sprays and anti-fungal shampoos to remove scales from the scalp this allows the hairs to grow in.
ph. 832-1185fax: 730-3617
How Does Your Body Change In The Weeks After Giving Birth
Many things are happening in your body right after you have a baby. During pregnancy, your body changed a lot. It worked hard to keep your baby safe and healthy. Now that your baby is here, your body is changing again. Some of these changes are physical, like your breasts getting full of milk. Others are emotional, like feeling extra stress.
Many discomforts and body changes after giving birth are normal. But sometimes theyre signs or symptoms of a health problem that needs treatment. Go to all of your postpartum checkups, even if youre feeling fine. These are medical checkups you get after having a baby to make sure youre recovering well from labor and birth. At your checkups, your health care provider can help spot and treat health conditions. Postpartum care is important because new moms are at risk of serious and sometimes life-threatening health complications in the days and weeks after giving birth.
Also Check: What Vitamins To Take For Hair Loss
Can I Take Vitamin C While Pregnant
You can easily get the vitamin C you need from fruits and vegetables, and your prenatal vitamins also contain vitamin C. Its not a good idea to take large doses of vitamin C when youre pregnant. The maximum daily amount thats considered safe is 1800 mg for women 18 and younger and 2000 mg for women 19 and over.
Tags
Where Do You Get The Belly Hair
Our mums found it could either be all over your belly, while others found it centred around the dark line you can develop during pregnancy called the linea nigra.
Its kinda a line from my belly button then spreads out from there! says Hayley_JC.
I have a lot of hair on my belly too but only where the happy trail is, says purpleflamingos. Its really thick.Then again, Im having to shave my legs and underarms daily. Wish the hair on my head grew as fast
Now the fuzz on the belly of Faith 85-56518 got so long, she gave her bump a comb-over. I just had a bath and it looked even worse in there! And when I got out and dried my belly, it looked really funny cos all the hairs went flat. It looked like a bald mans head who has combed some hair over, lol.
Recommended Reading: Can You Donate Plasma While Pregnant
You May Like: How To Help Thinning Hair Grow Back
Best Prenatal Vitamin For Hair Loss
One of the best over-the-counter prenatal vitamins for hair loss is Feed Mom & Me Complete Prenatal with DHA. It is backed with all the vitamins and minerals needed for healthy hair growth.
This prenatal supplement is formulated by an OBGYN & Registered Dietitian, containing all the nutrients needed to conceive and during pregnancy. Each small and easy-to-swallow pill is packed with 22 vital natural nutrients to provide nutritional support for you and your growing baby. It contains Vitamin A, B Complex, Vitamin C, D, E, Iron, Zinc, Calcium, and Selenium.
The vegetarian formula is free of artificial colors or flavors, chemicals, preservatives, non-GMO, dairy, soy, or gluten-free. Adding to that, it is a women-owned company. Who better than a female would understand pregnancy!
Treatment For Hair Loss
Most hair loss does not need treatment and is either:
- temporary and it’ll grow back
- a normal part of getting older
Hair loss caused by a medical condition usually stops or grows back once you’ve recovered.
There are things you can try if your hair loss is causing you distress. But most treatments are not available on the NHS, so you’ll have to pay for them.
No treatment is 100% effective.
Also Check: What Medicine To Take For Hair Loss
What Causes Postpartum Hair Loss
The average person loses about 100 hairs a day, but not all at once, so you don’t notice them. When you’re expecting, however, your pregnancy hormones keep those hairs from falling out leaving your hair looking as lush as a supermodel’s, or so thick that you can barely get a brush through it.
But all good things must come to an end, and that includes your awesome new ‘do. When those hormones drop back to normal, the extra hairs drop, too.
Causes Of Postnatal Hair Loss
On average we all shed between 50 to 100 hairs a day we just dont really notice. In pregnancy this number is less due to rising oestrogen levels. As trichologist Anabel Kingsley tells Bazaar, this keeps hairs in the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle for longer than usual hence why hair often feels thicker and fuller when youre expecting. However, once the baby is born, or breastfeeding is stopped, oestrogen levels drop and return to normal, causing about 50 per cent of us to experience postpartum hair loss around six to 12 weeks later. Here, hairs that were kept in the growth phase move all at once into the telogen phase, creating substantial hair fall.
Trichologist Eva Proudman adds that its not only fluctuations in hormones at play, but multiple factors. Postnatal hair shedding, she reveals, can also be caused by a loss of blood during the birth, a lack of sleep, increased anxiety and diet. While it doesnt matter what type of delivery you have, you do find different types of pain and physical discomfort from the different births , blood loss and fatigue can also really vary and these two factors will affect postpartum shedding, she explains. A very traumatic birth with a greater blood loss may impact underlying blood stores, that in turn exacerbate hair loss and may be a factor in a slow or non-recovery of the excessive hair shedding.
2) Supplements
3) Scalp care
Read Also: What Foods Help With Hair Loss
How Long Does Postpartum Hair Loss Last
Now that you know when and why it starts, you may be asking yourself when does postpartum hair loss stop?
Its important to remember that postpartum hair loss is only temporary. For many women, 4 months postpartum hair loss is quite common and postpartum hair loss may continue for several months. Normal hair growth patterns typically return after 6 months postpartum, but some women may experience postpartum hair loss up to a year after childbirth.
Speak with your doctor if you believe you are experiencing severe postpartum hair loss or the symptoms persist for more than a year.
Postpartum Hair Loss Vitamins
As a new mother, you have a lot on your plate. The stress of hair loss is the last thing you need to be added to your long list of new anxieties.
But alas, mama, you dont need to fret. Your hair loss can be easily addressed with some additional help. We encourage you to contact us and implore us about how we can help. We are confident that we can provide you the solution to your hair loss.
Be proactive and give your hair the extra care to ensure its continued growth with postpartum hair loss vitamins.
You May Like: Does Thyroid Cause Hair Loss
How To Stop Postpartum Hair Loss
Because postpartum hair loss is a normal result of your changing hormones, it is not something that you can immediately stop. However, there are steps you can take to minimize the effects of postpartum hair loss and help promote healthy hair growth.
Here are six things you can try for postpartum hair loss treatment:
Can You Remove/bleach This Preg Hair If So Whats The Safest Way
The good news is that this excess hair is very likely to fall out after youve given birth, usually within 6 months. But thats a long time to wait for some were feeling those hairs, Faith.
So, yes, if you want to remove the fuzz, its safe to do so by waxing, plucking or shaving. Its also safe to bleach the hair. But remember, you may find your skin is more sensitive during pregnancy.
I have a hairy belly and have even started plucking them out by my belly button, confesses hollysmumbump.
I pluck out the big ones , but leave the fuzzy ones! I figure the midwife has definitely seen worse things! says BR2B.
Hayleyspirit regrets resorting to shaving. I have a hairy belly too. Its quite lightish but I can really see them when Im in the bath. Its horrible and Ive shaved it twice! But I wish I hadnt, as its worse then ever! My own fault.
Karen130770 agrees. My hair is blonde but it stands out on end like its got permanent static its very off-putting, But whatever you do DONT SHAVE IT! Not a good look when it grows back.
Also Check: Will Hair Loss From Thyroid Grow Back
Why Do You Feel Tired After Giving Birth
You may have lost blood during labor and birth. This can make your body tired. And your baby probably doesnt let you sleep all night!
What you can do:
- Sleep when your baby sleeps, even when he naps during the day.
- Eat healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and pasta, and lean meat and chicken. Limit sweets and foods with a lot of fat.
- Ask your partner, family and friends for help with the baby and around the house.
- Limit visitors. Youll have plenty of time for family and friends to meet your new baby when youre feeling rested.
Perfectil Plus Hair Faq
Why has Perfectil Hair been developed?
Perfectil Hair formula has been developed for those who want to maintain the health of their skin and nails but have a particular interest in maintaining their hair health and wish to give this aspect extra support. Key nutrients include biotin, selenium and zinc which contribute to the maintenance of normal hair. The specialist formula also includes amino acids, marine collagen, inositol and grapeseed extract. With 28 micronutrients specially chosen for their combined effect, Perfectil Hair supports all the key areas of beauty skin, hair and with extra support for hair health.
Who should use Perfectil Hair?
Perfectil Hair is recommended for those who want to focus on the health of their hair whilst also maintaining overall skin and nail health. Perfectil Hair replaces your daily multivitamin and mineral supplement and can be used for as long as required.
Can Perfectil Hair be used during pregnancy and breast-feeding?
During pregnancy, we would only recommend a multivitamin supplement specially formulated for pregnancy, such as Pregnacare, Pregnacare Plus or Pregnacare Max. Vitabiotics Pregnacare contains a careful combination of vitamins and minerals, specially developed for use throughout the whole of pregnancy, and also whilst breast-feeding.
Can Perfectil Hair be used simultaneously with medications?
Should I take a multivitamin together with Perfectil Hair?
How many tablets does one pack of Perfectil Hair contain?
Don’t Miss: How To Tell If Your Hair Is Thinning Male