Do I Be Worried About Hair Loss After Pregnancy
No, you should not be worried until there are severe signs of persistent hair loss even beyond the first year post delivery. Hair loss after pregnancy is normal and it is not like the actual hair fall, rather dermatologists call it as a phase of hair shedding which is triggered by a fall in oestrogen levels. And it is not a worrisome condition, as most women recover within a years time. But if at any point you feel you are experiencing an unusual hair loss, check with your gynaecologist immediately and take this ahead to a trichologist for treatment
Does Lactation Contribute To Hair Loss
The Australian Breastfeeding Association notes that there is no relation between nursing and postpartum hair loss.
There are three main stages of hair growth: growth, apoptosis-driven regression, and quiescent state. People also refer to the growth stage as the anagen phase.
According to a 2016 retrospective review , 4 months after giving birth, lactation had an influence on the anagen phase.
However, the authors also note that the total number of people in the research was too small to make an assumption regarding the effect of lactation on the health of a persons hair.
Why Do Women Experience Hair Loss After Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most common sources of temporary hair loss in women. The reason is that during your pregnancy, hormonal changes can cause your hair to stay in the resting phase for a longer period of time instead of shedding as it normally would. This can often result in fuller, thicker hair during pregnancy.
Once your hormone levels return to normal, usually about 12 weeks postpartum, youll start noticing more shedding than usual. If youre noticing more hair loss than normal after giving birth, its only natural to wonder whether its related to your pregnancy or being caused by something else. Another worry is whether the hair loss is temporary or will eventually grow back.
Typically, when hair loss is caused by the normal hormonal changes during pregnancy, your hair should return to its normal growth cycle after a few months, and you should start to regrow much of your lost hair. If your hair loss continues and you dont experience any significant hair regrowth after six months, see your physician to determine whether your hair loss is being caused by something else.
Bosley Medical Director Dr. Ken Washenik explains the potential for hair loss in women during pregnancy and related to other hormone changes.
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Maintaining A Healthy Diet
Nutrition is an important part of postpartum recovery. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins helps ensure the body is getting the nutrients it needs to function and promote healing.
The Trichological Society recommends the following foods for hair growth:
- fish, including salmon and mackerel
- dark, leafy greens, including spinach, Swiss chard, and broccoli
- legumes, such as kidney beans and lentils
- nuts, such as Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, and cashews
- carrots
Plantur 21 And Hair Loss After Pregnancy
Even during pregnancy, Plantur 21 can help to prepare your hair and prevent possible hair loss. The products can be used even during pregnancy with no problems. You can also ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Continuous use of Plantur 21 after childbirth will additionally support hair growth and ensure a sufficient supply of energy to the scalp.
Plantur 21 contains an activating nutri-caffeine complex that provides energy at the hair roots. Plantur 21 Nutri-Caffeine supports the energy supply. Valuable micronutrients such as zinc, biotin and magnesium also ensure strong and healthy hair growth. This recharges the energy reserves of the hair roots and you have one less thing to worry about after pregnancy.
Too much stress with your newborn to allow you to wash your hair daily? No problem. Plantur 21 Nutri-Caffeine Elixir ensures the daily caffeine supply to your hair roots even on days when you do not wash your hair. It is applied by parting the hair and then massaging into the scalp. The elixir does not need to be rinsed out. The hair can be styled as usual.
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Try A Lash Growth Serum
Nowadays, there are a variety of lash growth serums on the market that promise to help grow your lashes thicker and faster. And according to consumer reviews, many of them work. explains that the main ingredient in lash serums is bimatoprost, which lengthens the time the hair follicle stays in the growth phase, thereby promoting more hair or lashes at once.
Not all lash serums are created equally. Some have been exposed to harmful ingredients some research has found it can reduce upper eyelid volume, which can contribute to the look of aging. Do research to ensure the lash serum youre choosing has a good track record, and speak to a cosmetologist or doctor to get their professional opinion.
Choose Your Makeup Carefully
What you put on your lashes will affect their growth, so its important to be careful with the type of makeup you choose to apply. Opt for makeup with gentle, clean ingredients. Avoid or only do minimal eye makeup. The more you must rub to take the makeup off afterward, the more damage it can do to your lashes.
Additionally, avoid waterproof mascara, which is usually tougher to take off and requires more force. False eyelashes or extensions can also irritate the follicles, contributing to lash loss, so avoid these whenever possible when growing your lashes.
However, dont forget to take your makeup off. Its important to wash off makeup and dirt on a daily basis, otherwise, it can build up and weigh your lashes down, contributing to lash loss. Opt for a gentle, oil-free makeup remover and use circular motions to remove eye makeup.
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Can Postpartum Hair Thinning Be Prevented
While the area of postpartum hair thinning is sadly under researched and often underreported by women experiencing it, there are ways to support recovery through this transition for better hair growth.
One option is to consider adding a supplement to your routine. Nutrafol Postpartum was developed with an OBGYN using whole-food-sourced ingredients traditionally used for lactation to target root causes of postpartum thinning hair. The blend of clinically-tested ingredients were chosen to help support recovery from nutrient depletion and the physical and emotional stress that can lead to thinning hair in postpartum women.
Prenatal and postnatal supplements tend not to account for the increased nutrient needs women have during the unique period after pregnancy and childbirth. Nutrafol Postpartum was formulated to fill the nutritional gaps between prenatal and postnatal needs and to deliver added nutrition specifically for postpartum hair growth support. Unlike other options on the market, Nutrafol Postpartum is breastfeeding-friendly, compatible with most prenatals and multivitamins and can be taken immediately after birth to support whole-body and hair health recovery.
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What Causes Hair Loss After Pregnancy
The average person loses 50 to 100 hairs every day, and it simply goes unnoticed. But during pregnancy, elevated hormone levels keep those hairs from falling out the way they normally would. Remember that thick, lustrous head of hair you marveled at while you were pregnant? Those hormone changes are exactly how you got it. Unfortunately, theyre also to blame for postpartum hair loss.
Estrogen and progesterone keep hair follicles from shedding their individual strands of hair, says Dr. Joseph Chappelle, an assistant professor of OB-GYN at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, and creator of the OB/GYN Podcast. This means that during pregnancy, women have much fewer hairs being lost and they end up with thicker hair. The side effect of this process means that there are nine months worth of hair follicles that are all ready to lose their hair strands when the hormone levels fall back to normal postpartum.
What this means is that after you give birth, not only do you lose the normal 50 to 100 strands that the average person loses every day, but the hairs that stayed in during pregnancy begin to fall out, as well, leaving you feeling anxious every time you look at your shower drain.
Dr. Alan J. Bauman, a hair restoration surgeon, agrees and says postpartum hair loss is totally common.
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When Does Postpartum Hair Loss Start
“Generally with telogen effluvium, there’s some sort of eventin this situation it’s giving birth, but there can be other causes. Basically, a larger amount of your hair than normal is triggered to enter this resting/shedding phase,” says Dr. Shah. It takes about three months for that hair to shed out, she adds, which is why most people notice postpartum hair loss around three months after delivery.
Hair might fall out all around your head, or clumps may come loose when you brush it or shower. Some women simply lose some strands around their hairline, so their mane looks very fine in the front, as if they’re going bald, says Stephanie Scuoppo, a hairstylist at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon and Spa in New York City.
Maintain A Healthy Diet
We all know that maintaining a healthy diet is an important factor for optimal health and wellbeing. For postpartum women in particular, a healthy diet can help your overall recovery and stop postpartum hair loss from progressing.
Make sure your diet includes the necessary balance of vitamins and nutrients found primarily in vegetables, whole grains and fresh fruit. Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day in order to stay hydrated.
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Postpartum Hair Loss Is Totally Normalbut There Are Things You Can Do To Stop It
Your hair is falling out in clumps, and you’re starting to panic. Hair loss after pregnancy is quite common. Here’s when it will stop and what you can to slow down the shedding.
A few months following the birth of her third child, amid the sleep deprivation and endless nursing sessions, 29-year-old Alicia Mideys hair started coming out in alarming clumps. It really started to accelerate three months after I gave birth, says the Chesapeake, Va., mom. I knew it was a part of the postpartum process, but that didnt make dealing with the bald spots around my hairline easier. It was worse than it had ever been with my first two children.
Stephanie Black, a 38-year-old mother of one from Charlton, Ont., had a similar experience, though her hair loss was delayed. In my case, it didnt start until about a year after I had my son, and it happened so fast I thought I was going bald, Black says. My doctor said it was likely pregnancy related, but I was surprised that it took so long to take effect, since I only breastfed for a few months and didnt go back to work until months after my hair started falling out.
Shedding hair at a noticeable rate in the first two to six months after having a baby is not unusualonline parenting groups and social media status updates are full of new moms posting, Is this normal? Im freaking out! But the experience can vary among women.
Stopping Postpartum Hair Loss
A combination of vitamins, minerals, and supplements can help to decrease the amount of hair you will lose after having a baby.
Did you lose hair during the postpartum period? Do you have any great tips or tricks to share to help make the hair loss easier? Leave a comment and let me know.
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Hair Can Become Thinner
Some women experience more of their hair falling out during pregnancy. This is due to a in oestrogen, which may happen as a result of the following:
- experiencing an abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth
- a hormonal imbalance during pregnancy
It is also common for women to experience hair loss after pregnancy when their oestrogen returns to normal levels. This causes the additional hair from the growth phase to change to the resting phase, which then falls out more than usual, until around 3-4 months after your child is born.
This hair loss is usually nothing to worry about your hair growth will return to normal by the time your baby is around 12 months old. If you feel your hair loss is excessive, or your hair growth has not returned to normal by 12 months, speak to your doctor.
What Are The Best Supplements For Postpartum Hair Loss
Supporting your hair from the inside out can be one of the best ways to strengthen strands during this postpartum transition period. Many new moms will continue taking their prenatal vitamins well after delivery to support overall health. In addition, here are some great supplements to incorporate into your routine. Please speak with your doctor or dermatologist before taking a new supplement if you are breastfeeding.
B complex vitamins and biotin
B-vitamins can promote hair growth by creating red blood cells that help carry oxygen and nutrients to your scalp. Natural sources of B-vitamins include leafy greens, seafood, lean proteins, and whole grains, but various supplements are available on the market to help address any nutritional deficiencies.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays a crucial part in cell growth, including hair cells. It also contributes to sebum production to protect hair strands and keep the scalp moisturized and healthy. Natural sources of Vitamin A include kale, sweet potatoes, carrots, eggs, and beef liver.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential antioxidant responsible for cell division and wound healing. It also helps fortify hair and allows it to thrive. Natural sources of zinc include spinach, lentils, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas.
Collagen supplements
Probiotics
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Why Postpartum Hair Loss Occurs
Most women notice their hair changing while theyre pregnantoftentimes hair will thicken up, become fuller, and maybe a little on the dryer side. After pregnancy, however, these same women might notice that their hair starts falling out in earnest.
The simple explanation is this: there are a lot of different hormone shifts happening while youre pregnant, one of them promoting hair growth. The hormones going on inside your pregnant body are actually preventing you from shedding. Everyone sheds every day, but that typically stops while youre pregnantsomething subtle that you might not notice. Instead, youll notice your hair getting thicker.
After pregnancy, your hormones return to their status quo, meaning theres a big drop in estrogen. This drop triggers your regular shedding schedulewhich you havent been on for months. So, your body starts shedding more than usual to get rid of all the excess hair. This event is called telogen effluvium and is usually triggered by a significant event like giving birth. It normally takes about three months of all that excess hair to shed out, which is why most women notice shedding around three months postpartum.