Showing posts with label Postpartum Alopecia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Postpartum Alopecia. Show all posts

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Postpartum Alopecia - Hair Loss After Pregnancy

By Jared Wright


Postpartum alopecia is the condition that causes new mothers to suffer some hair loss after the delivery of their children. It is caused by reduced levels of estrogen in the body.




During pregnancy, estrogen levels are at their highest, leading to increased hair growth. After pregnancy, estrogen levels drop, which causes an increase in the male hormone testosterone, resulting in hair loss. Testosterone is produced in the male testes, and in lesser amounts by the female ovaries.

On average, a human would shed around 50-100 hairs every day. Postpartum alopecia will normally peak around four months after childbirth and within twelve months hair will have been restored back to its normal levels.

At any point in time, roughly ninety percent of your hair is in a growth phase. The rest of the hair is resting and will then fall out at the end of this phase. When you shed your older hair, new hair grows and take their place. It is after this resting phase that hair loss occurs.

When your hormone levels are elevated, hair growth is above average and will result in less shedding. Once the delivery has occurred, all the hair that would normally have been shed will tend to fall out in one go. The result will be ahead of hair that appears thinner than before.

This is quite normal and cannot really be avoided. You can focus on making this postpartum alopecia appear less noticeable. Wearing your hair shorter, for example, can give the illusion of a fuller head of hair.

Securing the hair during sleep, such as a loose ponytail, will reduce the incidence of friction that causes hair loss.

Satin pillows are great for limiting postpartum hair loss, and at other times as well for that matter. This is because of the reduction in friction that the satin pillow brings. As a matter of fact, it is this friction that will cause your baby to lose hair as they rub their head while lying in the cot.

Hair may be missing from the back of your child's head which is normal and will be a temporary situation.
Other causes of hair loss may include:
Stopping birth control pills, miscarriage or stillbirth, abortion, and a hormonal imbalance.
All of the above relate to fluctuation in estrogen levels, which is the same thing as a hormone imbalance. Remember, increased estrogen means hair growth, while a decrease in this hormone will result in hair loss.
Management:
- Eat a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Avoid using hair products that have harsh chemical ingredients.
- Avoid wearing your hair in any style that pulls tightly at your brow.

- Use natural hair shampoos and conditioners that nourish and revitalize your hair.
It is not much you can do to stop postpartum alopecia from occurring. What you can do is take steps to minimize the obvious appearance of this condition as well as treat your hair with tenderness to ensure as little fall out as possible.
Jared Wright is the marketing manager of Clivir.com where people meet to learn from one another on topics such as female hair loss. You can follow the links to find more related articles such as female thinning hair 

and hair loss in a woman.



Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Postpartum Alopecia

By John Tulley

Childbirth can be a stressful time and for some women, it can result in a temporary hair loss condition called postpartum alopecia (also known as postnatal alopecia). The condition usually starts around two to three months after childbirth, gradually worsening for up to three months then recovering over the next three months until the hair starts to re-grow. Postpartum alopecia is characterized as a general thinning (also known as diffuse thinning) over the whole scalp. This is unlike male pattern hair loss where the hairline recedes and a completely bald patch appears on the top of the scalp. Postpartum Alopecia can affect up to 90% of all mothers and the extent of hair loss can vary considerably from mild to excessive shedding.





Why does it occur?
The exact cause of postpartum alopecia is still not fully understood but it is linked to the hormonal changes that occur during childbirth. During pregnancy, there are increased levels of estrogen in the body which keeps the hair in the anagen growing phase resulting in temporarily thicker hair. After childbirth, a withdrawal of estrogen switches off the extended growing phase and switches the hair to the catagen shedding phase resulting in sudden excessive hair loss. It has been suggested that modern lifestyles and poor nutrition are major factors for postpartum alopecia, but research has shown that these factors do not play a part in this condition.
Can it be treated?
Since postpartum alopecia is a temporary condition where the hair fully recovers there are few effective treatments available. You can consult with your local GP for advice but you will probably be advised that there is nothing to worry about due to it being part of the natural postpartum process. The best that can be done is to try not to exacerbate the condition so that no more hair loss than necessary occurs. To help maintain your hair during this period you should try and avoid hairstyles with plaits, pigtails, braids and use tight hair rollers that tend to pull the hair. Also, avoid using hot blow dryers and heated hair strengtheners as these can also put excessive stress on the hair. After washing always try to pat the hair dry with a good quality bath towel, hair is always more fragile when wet so try not to rub the hair vigorously.
Eating a healthy diet that includes fresh fruit and vegetables can also play an important part in trying to maintain the hair. Fruit and vegetables contain flavonoids that are thought to encourage stronger hair growth by strengthening the small blood vessels supplying the hair follicles. Diet supplements are also known to help with hair growth and can be used to help treat postpartum alopecia. The most effective vitamin supplements are Biotin, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Zinc and these are readily available in multivitamin capsules. Finally, there is a range of hair loss shampoos that may help to reduce hair loss in some cases but these are not generally guaranteed to help with postpartum alopecia.

The most important thing to remember about postpartum alopecia is to try not to worry too much, it is only a temporary condition and it will eventually stop.
Please visit our website for more information about the causes of alopecia