Showing posts with label Dealing With Post-Partum Hair Loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dealing With Post-Partum Hair Loss. Show all posts

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Dealing With Post-Partum Hair Loss

By Maria Turner




A new baby brings so much joy and happiness to a family. It's an exciting time that is also filled with uncertainty. Along with the joy of giving birth comes a few changes to your body that you might not be expecting. Most women are prepared for some bloating and other physical changes but other issues like post-partum hair loss are not as widely discussed.





Many women experience significant hair loss after giving birth. It's not the first thing a new mom will talk about because there are so many other things to discuss so a lot of women don't know to expect this. In fact, this hair loss doesn't even begin until the baby is a few months old. At first, you might observe more hair than usual at the bottom of your shower and the next thing you know, your hair is noticeably thinner when you look in the mirror. As scary as this seems at the time, it's actually very normal and temporary.

Although it may look like you are losing quite a bit of hair, you also have to keep in mind the fact that your body holds on to a lot of extra hair during your pregnancy thanks to the increase of estrogen running through your body. Extra estrogen means less hair loss which is why many pregnant women's hairs look fuller and thicker than normal. As the estrogen starts to level out post-partum, the hair it was retaining slowly starts to begin the shedding process. So even though it looks like tons of hair is falling out, you are really going back to the way you were before. The hair should stop falling before the baby turns a year old.

There are several things a woman can do to get through this unpleasant time. One thing that can make a big difference is volumizing hair products that give the hair some body and lift. Many women opt to get their hair cut a bit shorter not only to save time with a new baby around but also to help make their hair loss less noticeable and make cleanup easier. A layered haircut can also help make the hair loss a bit less dramatic-looking to outsiders.

Cleaning up the fallen hair can be a bit of a pain but it's important if you want to avoid clogging your drain and paying the plumber. Moreover, fallen hairs can wrap around the baby's fingers or toes and cut off circulation so check your baby's digits daily for wrapped hairs, especially if the baby seems to be crying for no reason.

Another way you can improve the look of your hair is by using vitamins such as Vitamin E and biotin. This can help with blood flow to the scalp area which should boost new hair production. Shampoos and other products that contain vitamins can help but the best way to use vitamins to your advantage is to take them internally. This can make a difference even if you're not losing your hair and has other health benefits as well.

Not only do you lose hair from your head but your eyelashes and brows may suffer as well. Biotin is one of the best vitamins for hair loss and you can even take biotin eyelash growth supplements if you are noticing much sparser lashes as a result of post-partum changes.