Thursday 20 June 2013

Pregnancy and your hair - Dealing with postpartum hair loss

source: www.prissymommy.com

Postpartum hair loss...Some of you may have experienced this. While you were pregnant, your hair was thick, luscious, beautiful. Then, your bundle of joy arrived and all that beautiful thick hair went down the drain... literarily. Your hair started coming out in clumps, you started seeing thinning areas, bald patches. You are not the alone, according to the APA reports, postpartum hair loss occurs in 40 to 50% of women.

What causes postpartum hair loss:
Hair has 3 stages of growth. The first phase is the growth phase, where your hair is actually growing and increasing in length. The second phase is the catagen phase, this is the transitional phase where the hair follicle begins to shrink. The last phase is the resting phase, in this phase the hair stops growing and remains at the same length. This resting strand is eventually pushed out as a new strand starts to grow out resulting in normal 'shedding'. During pregnancy, high oestrogen levels cause more strands to stay in the anagen phase (growth phase) as a result you have significantly less shedding than normal and beautiful, thick hair. But of course, all good things must come to an end, when you eventually give birth and your oestrogen levels drop, the hairs that were in a prolonged anagen stage begin to fall out resulting in the 'excessive' shedding known as postpartum hair loss.

How Long does it last:
Postpartum hair loss starts from about 3 months after child birth and can last for anywhere from 2 to 12 months.

How to prevent postpartum hair loss:
Postpartum hair loss varies from person to person and even with the same person, it varies from pregnancy to pregnancy. There is no way to prevent it. However, taking prenatal vitamins, garlic supplements and biotin supplements which promote hair growth and healthy follicles may help. Avoid styles that put a lot of tension on your scalp, this could aggravate the problem. Get creative and opt for styles that make the problem less noticeable.

Will your hair ever grow back?
Yes, postpartum hair loss is temporary. By the time it's time to celebrate your child's first birthday your hair should be back to its pre pregnancy state. If you are experiencing postpartum hairloss for an extended period of time, see your doctor. Get tested for postpartum thyroiditis: A thyroid problem that often occurs after pregnancy which may among other things cause excessive hair loss in women.

Get tested for thyroiditis

For most of us, it can be difficult to deal with hairloss along with all the other changes that come with pregnancy. However, just hang in there and give your body time to do what it does and recover from the total body experience that is pregnancy.

What has your experience been with postpartum hair loss? Are you one of the lucky 50 to 60 percent who don't experience this? If you aren't, how did you cope with it and how long did it last? Tell us in the comments below.

xoxo
B

30 comments:

  1. Hi,i had my baby three months ago. I noticed i experienced massive hair loss d last time i visited the saloon. I really didnt know y till i read dis article. I havent done anytin bout it yet but i am consoled dat it isnt permanent..but is there anytin else i can do?
    Keep up d good work

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. First off, Congrats on your bundle of joy! The shedding is certainly not permanent. It will eventually stop. In the meantime you should, try taking prenatal vitamins, especially if you are breastfeeding, to ensure that you are getting all the essential vitamins and minerals. While this may help, for the most part, there isn't much you can do other than styling to hide the problem while you wait for your body to return to normal.

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  2. Oh! bAssey i didn't know u are pregnant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol. No, hun, I'm not pregnant. I just thought it would be helpful to share some information on postpartum hair loss as it is an ordeal that a lot of women go through.

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  3. Thankfully, I didn't get shedding with either of my boys.

    http://wwwlovingmyhair.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice! Keeping my fingers crossed that I'd be that lucky.

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  4. Hey,
    Nice blog.. Would you like to follow each other on bloglovin and GFC..!!!
    Keep in touch
    beingbeautifulandpretty.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello,

    I actually experienced lots of shedding after i gave birth to my boy 8months ago. In fact my hair was as though i had put a scissors in it. At first i was confused, but after lots of online research i realized i wasn't alone, and i derived means to protect my hair by wearing lots of wig, and protective hair styles. 4MONTHS on ,and my hair is growing back to normal. Hopefully by the time he is one year, it will all be history.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, low manipulation and a bit of patience seems to be the best way to deal with it. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Hi,
    Postpartum hair loss is major! 3months after my delivery i had box braids installed (bad idea) and the tension was so bad that i had to take of the entire braid after 3days! woh i lost my whole temple and nape areas :-( needless to add that my hair was already badly damaged from chemical processing.
    I have since recovered from that major set back and learned not to chemically process or fix high tension styles whilst pregnant and for several months after delivery.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congrats dear,Have a safe delivery,(Teasing)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have experienced postpartum hair loss after my second baby, I am trying to grow my hair to great length. My hair is presently 10" long, I want to retouch in a few days, please can you give me tips on lovely natural hair styling. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  9. this is a great post...one of my coworkers went tru this, it was sad to watch her worry over it but her hair grew back before her son's 1st birthday
    http://haircaregy.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
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  11. Hi

    I'm so glad you wrote about this. I had my baby 10 months ago and I'm currently experincing severe hair loss. Initally, i thought it was because I had the copper T iud so i booked an appointment with my dr and he referred me to a dermatologist who said it was due to the baby I just had. So right now, I have my hair in braids- the one that looks like locks and I intend carrying it till December. I'm told it doesnt break the hair. I just couldn't stand seeing my hair pull out and having to answer questions on my hair loss. I'm happy to know that its temporary.

    ReplyDelete
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  15. this is very serious problem with females from Dealing with postpartum hair loss. thanks for this informative post.

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  16. I really appreciate the information you have posted on your blog about postpartum hair loss. It really is a major problem that many women face after pregnancy. I know that diet is really important to the regrowth of lost hair as well. Sometimes women just don't eat the way they should and even lack nutrients like iron that can cause their hair to fall out as well. I actually posted an article on my blog at howtopreventbaldingnow.blogspot.com that focuses on the ins and outs to regrowing hair naturally based on diet.

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