Pregnancy and Hairloss

Hair .....not something I thought I would worry about during pregnancy or afterwards.

There are certainly more important things to worry about however this did bother me and I thought it was worth sharing for those of you experiencing the same thing.

My hair was always my go to - the one part of me I was pretty happy with - the part of me when asked in a beauty salon questionnaire ‘what's your most favorite part of yourself?" I without question replied "my hair".

They were actually looking for a physical part of me but hey that was the truth.

So to say I was upset when my thick curly locks started to fall out after my first baby and moreso with my second, (particularly around the hairline) is putting it mildly.

I was enjoying the extra thick locks I had whilst pregnant and this is apparently due to the normal hair cycle (where you lose a small amount of each hair every day) freezing in the ‘resting stage’ of the cycle, so you don’t shed hair.

Then.. around about the 5th month after birth the ‘catch up’ shedding started. I am not sure why but there was considerably more hair loss after my second baby. I had taken to constantly wearing my hair tied up in a bun so maybe the constant pulling on the hair had stressed it. Anyhow lots of hair fall – in the shower, on my clothes, on the floor just walking around… not ideal.

Its meant to stop by the six month but I’m sure for me it went on longer.

This is apparently due to hormones and is perfectly normal. For me it was particularly prevalent around the hairline, however it can be all over the head or just random clumps.

The good news for most ladies is that this shedding stops somewhere in the 6-12 mth period post birth but you may have some wispy new ‘baby’ hair regrowth as you hair returns to its pre pregnancy growth cycle.

So what can we do to help get through this ‘inbetween’ stage?

-          Get a new haircut – bangs can often be the way forward and conceal a whole host of hair issues. Layering can also help with appearing thicker. Consult with a stylist who should be able to advise what will suit you best.

-          Look after your hair with the right products- some really help with thickness and keeping hair conditioned will help keep it in good health

-          Try not to scrape your hair back into ponies or buns as this can stress the hair and accentuate any hair loss

-          Experiment with accessories – scarves and bands really suit some faces and are a great way to add some flare with ease whilst giving some camouflage

-          Speak to your doctor/health professional about supplements that could help boost hair growth

-          Look at your diet and try to eat foods which contain flavonoids and antioxidants that may provide protection for the hair and encourage hair growth

-          Try not to stress about it – this time should be spent enjoying your baby

For me and I don’t want to scare anyone here as I haven’t met anyone else so far that has experienced permanent hair loss, not all of it has regrown. My hairline has some white areas where the hair shows no sign of coming back and I’m 2 years post-partum now. However, luckily the rest of my head has a lot of hair so providing I wear it down it’s not really obvious. I’m still hoping it will come back so I’m taking a supplement of Biotin to help give things a boost. 

Other than that, I’ve moved on from being too concerned about it. I know it may seem cliché but it’s the truth when I say I look at my girls and the joy they bring that a bit of hair loss is so insignificant when you put things in perspective ♥