Try Different Hair Accessories
Never underestimate the magical power of hair accessories such as headbands and bandanas.
Not only will they hide any bald spots or a receding hairline but they will keep your hair out of your face so you dont have to wear a ponytail.
Now is a great time to start wearing hats or stylish baseball caps that will give you a fresh look while concealing your fine hair.
On the other hand, avoid hairstyles that require you to pull your hair back as this can lead to more hair loss.
If you absolutely need to tie your hair up, choose a scrunchie instead of a regular hair tie.
Only brush your hair when necessary and use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair after you get out of the shower.
Postpartum Hair Loss Serums & Treatments
If you need a low-maintenance solution that can be incorporated into your regular hair care routine, this natural hair serum can be mixed right into your shampoo to stimulate those lazy follicles with a variety of natural plant extracts. It also prevents split ends while nourishing your scalp, so youâll end up with an all-around healthy head. âI bought this product to try to lengthen and thicken my hair, and after a couple of weeks, Iâm starting to see a real difference,â said one Amazon reviewer. âUsed this product for hair and the hairs feel so much stronger but soft to the touch. It is easy to apply and doesnât irritate my skin or my eyes.â
What Can I Do About Postpartum Hair Loss
Many patients wonder, how to treat postpartum depression. While the condition cannot be prevented, there are several ways to minimize or hide the symptoms of postpartum hair loss. These haircare methods are simple life style changes that can help to retain hair or reduce the visibility of hair loss.
Hair Care Products: When trying to strengthen your hair, you can turn to a volumizing shampoo. Volumizing shampoos often contain ingredients such as biotin, which coat the hair to strengthen the hair follicle and make your hair look fuller. Other products that keep your hair moist, such as a mousse, can also help to make your hair look fuller. You need to be careful avoid conditioning shampoos or any other intense conditioners. These conditioners can way down the hair, which further speeds up the process of hair loss. Instead, seek out a conditioner for fine hair, as those conditioners will be gentler on the hair follicle and not weigh down your hair.
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Why Youre Losing Hair
While this is a completely normal and luckily temporary issue, its nice to have a little science-based info for those times you think you might actually be going bald. Like with most pregnancy-related things, postpartum hair loss is due to hormonal changes. While pregnant, our estrogen levels rise, which stimulates the dramatic increase in the growth phase of our hair. After birth, however, the hormones shift yet again, and your hair enters its resting phase, which is followed, about 3 months later, by shedding and regrowth. These phases are typical of hair growth, but they become very intense thanks to the upsurge of hormones during after pregnancy.
Pro Tip:Choose a healthy, organic conditioner that wont add weight to your hair, and one that also enables you to skip the shampoo between washes, says Fabian Lliguin, Co-founder and CEO of Rahua. Rahuas Voluminous Conditioner works wonders for this, and thanks to its Omega 9 Amazonian molecules, it also reduces hair loss while maintaining the essential moisture and oils on the hair and scalp.
How Hormones Affect Your Hair
Hormones are the biggest reason for your pregnancy hair changes and postpartum hair loss.
During pregnancy, your high levels of estrogen prevented your usual rate of hair loss. Normally, your hair falls out in small amounts every day. During pregnancy, your hair loss decreases. The effect is compounded by your increased blood volume and circulation, which also causes your hair to fall out less than normal.
So after your baby arrives and your hormone levels drop, your hair makes up for lost time by falling out in much bigger clumps than it normally does. The total volume of your hair loss probably isnt more than you would have lost over the last nine months, it just seems like it because its happening all at once.
Postpartum hair loss can set in any day after your baby arrives, and it sometimes continues as long as a year. It usually peaks around the 4-month mark, so if your baby is a few months old and youre still losing clumps of hair, that doesnt mean its time to panic!
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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.
Is Postpartum Hair Loss Normal
If you’ve suffered with postpartum hair loss, you’ll be relieved to learn that this is totally normal. “Many new mothers see noticeable hair loss a few months after having a baby. This is normal and it is not true hair loss,” notes Dr Dhoat.
As for whether postpartum hair loss is something to be embarrassed about, the expert says: “Absolutely not!” She continued, “It is important to emphasise this is incredibly common, affecting up to 50% of new mothers, if not more. Although it is stressful to experience hair loss at such a physically and emotionally vulnerable time, it is also important to normalize it and for new mothers to be kind to themselves, with the reassurance this largely reverses with time alone.”
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How To Prevent Postpartum Hair Loss
If how to boost fertility? is one of the most commonly asked questions about fertility, then how to prevent postpartum hair loss? is one of the most common questions women ask in the months after childbirth. Fortunately, some of the answers are similar!
You can prevent postpartum hair loss by maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle in the weeks and months following delivery:
- Ensure that you are getting regular, gentle-to-moderate exercise.
- Consume a healthy diet rich in nutrients to support your changing body and help its postpartum recovery.
- Take postpartum vitamin and mineral supplements if recommended by your doctor.
Take Postpartum Hair Loss Vitamins
Did you know that there are vitamin supplements specially formulated for the postpartum period?
New moms usually take prenatal vitamins while pregnant but you can continue taking either postnatal or postpartum supplements after you deliver your baby.
In addition to this, some women take biotin supplements that are supposed to promote the growth of hair and nails, as well as improve the appearance of skin.
Naturally, a balanced diet should still be a priority but the vitamins can improve your health, especially if youre breastfeeding.
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How Much Hair Is Normal To Lose
On average, non-pregnant women lose around 80 hairs throughout the day, each and every day. Although you might see a lot of that in the drain when you shower, you likely wont even notice much hair shedding on a day-to-day basis.
However, during pregnancy, your raised hormone levels prevent your hair follicles from releasing these extra hairs, so you continue to hold onto them even while new hairs are growing hence the luscious pregnancy locks. Then, once your hormone levels normalize after childbirth, you could start shedding 400 or more hairs a day. Thats definitely enough to get your attention.
So, how much hair do you lose a day? It varies from person to person and is largely based on your bodys own hormone levels. If you notice that youre shedding large clumps or even developing bald spots, dont panic. Even this is normal, and itll start growing back eventually.
When Does Postpartum Hair Loss Stop
Inquiring minds want to know: How long does postpartum hair loss last? Rest assured that this funky hair phase will pass. Itll take time for regrowth, but youll get there. Postpartum hair loss usually peaks three to four months after delivery and then tapers off you may notice that any hair clumps in your drain or brush are smaller. Though shedding lots of hair is frustrating, its important to remember that this is temporary, says Tzu. Your tresses should start looking more like they did before you were pregnant within six to 12 months. The main thing you can do is waitand, over time, the shedding is going to normalize and go back to what it was before, says Murase.
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The Shift From Pregnancy To Postpartum
When someone is postpartum, their normal hair shedding cycle resumes. This often makes people feel like they are losing more hair than normal, but sometimes this is just because less hair falls out when you are pregnant.
Normal hair sheds 50-100 hairs per day, regularly, says Luis Pacheco, master hair expert, colorist, and founder of wellness-based beauty and lifestyle brand TO112. It’s called the exogen phase, or resting phase, of the hair follicle. This is when it stops growing and rests between growth cycles and sheds the hair shaft to make way for new growth.
Once hormone levels dip after giving birth, the body lets go of the hair, resulting in shedding. Hair loss that occurs in the postpartum period is known as telogen effluvium, notes Dr. Mariwalla. She explains that this type of hair loss has nothing to do with pregnancy itself, but rather, is caused by the stress of delivering a baby.
This type of hair loss occurs after any kind of stressor including illnesses, general anesthesia, and even a happy occasion like the birth of a child, she adds.
Telogen Effluvium is when a stressful event, like childbirth, forces hair into the “resting state.” This basically means hair will not grow, and a symptom of this condition is hair loss. This is a reversible condition.
What Can You Do While You Wait For Your Hair To Return To Its Normal Growth Cycle
Get a good haircut. Some moms choose this time to get a shorter haircut or one that requires less care. Experiment with different hairstyles. A good quality shampoo and conditioner may help. Try different styling products, such as mousses or texturizers that bulk up the appearance of your hair. Avoid using a brush or comb that pulls or stresses the hair.
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Krastase Genesis Serum Anti
If your hair has always been prone to fall, this luxe oil is a worthwhile investment. Used daily, it helps to increase hairs resilience, strengthening strands to create the appearance of a thicker head of hair. It also keeps the scalp healthy, creating the optimum environment for new hairs to grow, as well as taking care of existing ones.
What Are The Expert Hacks For Managing Post
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When To Visit Your Healthcare Provider
If you notice that your hair loss is particularly severe or that youâve been shedding hair for longer than about half a year, it might be time to see your healthcare provider.
In some cases, a thyroid issue such as having an underactive thyroid may be causing the hair loss. Some thyroid conditions are also linked to pregnancy or the postpartum period. If your healthcare provider diagnoses a thyroid condition, she will be able to offer you treatment.
As you already know all too well, pregnancy and the postpartum period are filled with lots of wondrous â and not so wondrous â changes in your body.
Although it may seem as if thereâs no end to how many ways your body is changing, when it comes to your hair things will soon return to normal.
How We Wrote This ArticleThe information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.
- See all sources
Pay A Visit To A Hair Salon
While you wait for this period of your postpartum journey to end, one of the best ways to deal with your hair falling out is to visit your hairstylist.
For example, you can try a shorter hairstyle, such as a bob if you have long hair, which will be helpful since longer hair tends to weigh itself down and create the appearance of having less volume.
You can get a more layered haircut to create volume, as well.
Plus, getting a haircut is a great opportunity to get out of the house for a little while and practice some self-care away from all the daily responsibilities of motherhood.
Ask the stylist if they have any suggestions and dont be scared to let them know youre experiencing postpartum hair loss!
Chances are that youre not the first mama they have encountered with this problem and they will be able to suggest a temporary solution you might like and feel confident with.
Highlights are another solution that can freshen up your look and create the appearance of volume.
Just make sure to allow a professional to treat your hair DIY is great, just not when it comes to your hair.
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