Strategies For Dealing With Post-Partum Hair Loss

By Maria Turner

Many pregnant women focus so much on what will happen during the birth of their baby that they forget to learn about the things that will happen to them afterward. Most women know that their stomach won't look like it used to immediately after giving birth but a lot of women are surprised at some of the other physical changes that happen to their post-partum bodies. One of the most alarming of these changes is the hair loss that happens after having a baby.

Your hair can start to fall out quite rapidly within a few months of giving birth. Somehow this little annoyance doesn't make it into many lists of what women should expect after giving birth and many new mothers run scrambling to find out if others have had this same experience. It is indeed normal for a new mom's hair to start falling out in droves as the baby nears four months of age and this can last for several months but rest assured it will not last forever and is something completely normal that happens to almost everyone after giving birth.

This hair fallout is not quite as dramatic as it looks. Although you will notice a shocking amount of hair in your drain, this is really the extra hair you had during pregnancy falling out and not your regular hair. Pregnant women have higher estrogen levels which cause them to lose less hair than normal. That's why your hair looked thicker while you were pregnant. Once the baby is out, estrogen returns to its normal levels, and the extra hairs that would have normally fallen out during your pregnancy finally drop off. It looks a lot worse than it actually is and the problem usually disappears completely after a few months.

If you are experiencing postpartum hair loss, you might need to buy some hair products that you never needed before such as mousse. You can use a spritz of mousse toward the roots of your hair and then lift it up a bit with your fingers to make it look a lot fuller than it actually is. A lot of new mothers opt to get their cut shorter out of frustration with finding so many fallen hairs and this can also help you make your beauty routine easier and give you more time with your new baby.

You should also be careful with the fallen hair that collects around your house because sometimes hairs can get wrapped around the baby's toes or fingers and restrict circulation. A lot of doctors tell parents to check little toes and fingers for wrapped hairs when a baby seems to be crying for no reason because this can be really painful for little ones.

You can also make your hair a bit fuller and thicker by using vitamins like biotin and B complex in general. This is an effective way to increase hair health and production beginning at the scalp. The best way to get the hair benefits of vitamins is to take them internally but shampoos and conditioners infused with vitamins can also add to the effect. Moreover, vitamins are good for your general health.

Biotin can help boost hair growth fairly quickly and it's also very cheap. If you want to buy biotin, be sure to check out the Vitamins for Hair Loss Guide for reviews and dosing advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Turner

Successfully Fighting Postpartum Hair Loss

By Hannah Bajor

Postpartum is part of pregnancy. It is 6 to 8 weeks after having a baby. For a new mom, these weeks can be very stressful, challenging, and confusing for new moms. Read on for great postpartum stress survival tips to make this precious new mother/child transitional period less stressful, less traumatic, easier, and more enjoyable for you and your new baby.

As a midwife, I put a lot of thought and effort into my pregnancy and birthing experience. My first son was born at home in a birthing pool surrounded by people I loved. But none of my midwifery knowledge prepared me for the first few weeks after having a baby. For me, the postpartum part of pregnancy was very stressful and physically challenging. I had a long labor and every part of my body hurt. It felt like I had been hit by a truck. I share with you some post-delivery stress-reducing survival tips that made the end of my second pregnancy more enjoyable.

Arrange help for the household chores: 

Believe me; you will be too exhausted to keep up with everything postpartum. Don't be afraid to ask for help during your pregnancy or request a home cleaning gift certificate as a great baby shower gift that can be used after having a baby.

Stock your freezer with pre-cooked meals:

 New moms get hungry at odd hours and it is not unusual to be too tired to cook.

Schedule chiropractic adjustments during the first week postpartum: 

Pregnancy and childbirth move many of your pelvic bones out of alignment (even if you have a cesarean section birth). Use the expertise of your chiropractor to realign your pelvis, hips, and back. This will definitely expedite your recovery following birth.

Have a good supply of large sanitary napkins and adult diapers in your hospital bag and at home.

 I am not kidding! After pregnancy new moms will experience very heavy bleeding and regular sanitary towels will not do the job. Most hospitals give new moms cheap sanitary towels postpartum. This will also save your bed linen from being destroyed.

Sleep when your baby sleeps. 

As a new mom postpartum be prepared to be exhausted. Take every opportunity to sleep whenever your baby sleeps.

Don't be afraid to cry (and don't worry about it). 

Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum result in changing levels of hormones. After childbirth, there is a rapid decrease in hormones that occurs approximately on the third, fifth and tenth day. These hormone adjustments can be emotionally challenging for the mother. You may cry for no apparent reason so let it out and know this is all part of a normal pregnancy postpartum.

Supplement with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are breastfeeding safe:

 Every organ and system in your body is under a lot of physical stress postpartum as they attempt to return to their normal nonpregnancy state. High-quality vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are safe for breastfeeding will provide the foundation to prevent post-delivery complications and result in an overall better pregnancy experience.

Having a new baby is a wonderful time in a woman's life. Knowing the above plan ahead and think of ways to support yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ahead of time before you are all consumed with your new baby. I am a great believer in the good internal health of the body for optimum health and pretension of stress, sickness, disease, and depression. I highly recommend all pregnant and new moms supplement with high-quality vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed to support the many challenges of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood.

Motherhood can be an extraordinary, yet exhausting experience for a woman. Pregnancy has a huge emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic side to it. The more you understand these aspects, the easier and less symptomatic your pregnancy and postpartum will be. Learning how to connect with the emotions of your new baby will allow you to enhance your postpartum experience and create a strong bond between you and your baby. It will also allow your baby to be more content and be an easier child to manage.

If you are facing any emotional challenges after having a baby then you are not alone. Then please do not be afraid to reach out for help and seek professional support, remember your baby has picked you out of all the mothers in the world to be his or her mother. Once you have made the adjustments to motherhood, you will be a great mother!

Midwife Hannah Bajor C.N.M., M.S.N. is the founder, CEO, and Visionary behind the Lumalove® brand of getting pregnant, pregnancy, infertility, and miscarriage educational support products and services.

Hannah says "knowing my life's purpose gives one a huge advantage". Her 30 years of midwifery experience along with her personal journey through ten years of infertility, having personally experienced a 16-week miscarriage and a near-death experience delivering her second child has lit a fire in her soul that NO ONE can put out and that is to "change childbirth education as we know it".

Lumalove LLC helps couples globally access new and dynamic prenatal education and in doing so lays the foundational blueprints for a happier, healthier pregnancy outcome and gives their unborn child the opportunity of unlimited potential.

Take advantage of her FREE offer to self-assess what energy centers may be out of balance and add to the challenges of adjusting to motherhood. To get your FREE Lumalove Self Assessment Of Your Energy 

Centers to click on http://www.LumaloveGettingPregnant.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hannah_Bajor

Female Alopecia - The Facts You Need To Know About Female Alopecia

By John Tulley

Although androgenetic alopecia is more commonly known as male-patterned baldness, it is also a condition affecting women due to the presence of male hormones in the female body. For women, it is known both as female alopecia or female-patterned baldness.

What Is Female Alopecia?

The pattern of baldness for women is different from men. Rather than making itself known with patches or spots of hair loss, it starts out with the thinning of hair throughout the entire scalp but almost always without causing the hairline to recede. Even better, female alopecia rarely results in complete baldness.

Important Figures for Female Alopecia

As many as thirteen percent of women suffering from premenopausal syndromes are experiencing androgenetic alopecia. The numbers only go up as women get older and reach menopausal and postmenopausal stages. Nevertheless, female alopecia can show up as early as women reaching thirty years of age.

How Does Female Alopecia Start Out and Progress?

Female alopecia may not be a life-threatening illness but even so, it can be a serious cause of dismay as many perceive hair loss as a detractor to their physical appeal. Thankfully, female alopecia takes place gradually. It begins with hair thinning, made more evident with an increased degree of hair shedding.

Procedures for Female Alopecia

Rarely is a biopsy needed to determine if a woman is actually suffering from female alopecia? But if a biopsy is indeed performed, this can also be used to determine whether female-patterned baldness is occurring. It is usually better if two types of hair samples are taken: one from vertical sectioning and another from horizontal sectioning.

Possible Treatments for Female Alopecia

Not all treatments for male alopecia will work well with female alopecia especially if the woman isn't in perfect health. It is best to consult with your doctor prior to taking any kind of medication or treatment for your condition. As medications and treatments are usually taken on a continuous basis, money might also be one of the important factors you should consider when choosing the optimal solution.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil wasn't originally intended to be a medication for baldness, male or female, but rather, it was a medication for high blood pressure. When subsequent studies showed hair growth as one of the side effects of Minoxidil, this led to the idea of turning it into a medication for baldness. Later on, Minoxidil was officially used for creating a topical solution for baldness and it became one of the two officially accepted treatments for baldness by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Continuous application is necessary since abrupt withdrawal or discontinuation can lead to a sudden reverse effect of all the positive results of the treatment. There are two kinds of this treatment currently available in the market: one that contains 2% Minoxidil and another containing 5% Minoxidil. The latter is said to be somewhat more effective. The best news about Minoxil is how studies show women responding more positively to the treatment compared to men.

Finasteride

Unlike Minoxidil, it is not entirely safe for Finasteride to be prescribed for treating female alopecia. One of the various side effects of taking Finasteride is causing your unborn child to suffer from severe birth defects. Finasteride is thus a danger for women who are already or might become pregnant.

Surgery

Lastly and the most expensive option of all would be surgery. Women can opt for micrografting - a process that transplants hair from other areas of the scalp to those areas suffering from female alopecia.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Tulley

Hair Loss After Pregnancy (Postpartum Alopecia)

By Michael D. Phillips

Postpartum alopecia, also known as hair loss after pregnancy, is an ailment afflicting many new mothers once they have delivered their child. The hair loss that occurs is generally a result of reduced levels of estrogen throughout her body. While she was pregnant her estrogen levels were at their highest peak which led to an increase of excess body hair.

When she had given birth, her levels of estrogen began to drop which naturally increases the level of the male hormone testosterone, in her body. While it is thought that only men produce testosterone in their testes, women also develop normal testosterone hormone levels amounts in their ovaries. As her levels of testosterone heighten, it begins to bind with 5-alpha reductase which produces DHT, or dihydrotestosterone.

With higher levels of dihydrotestosterone in her body, hair loss after pregnancy is a natural occurrence. The DHT while traveling to the bloodstream begins to bind with follicles and hair strands on her scalp. Once DHT is present in the hair follicle it immediately stops the production of hair, causing the follicle to go dormant, and in time the strand of hair falls out. The natural process of immediately starting another strand of hair is now diminished as the follicle remains dormant.

While this is typically common for new hairs to form after the old hairs have fallen out, DHT stops this process and you begin to develop thinning or balding areas on your scalp. While hair loss after pregnancy is a common occurrence, it can be reversed quite easily.

You simply need to find a way to elevate your estrogen levels back to the correct level. The sooner this happens, the sooner the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) will stop.

One of the easiest ways of restoring your estrogen levels back to their correct amounts is to take all-natural herbal supplements designed specifically for hair growth. Many of the supplements for women include Biotin, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, and Horsetail Silica. Beginning a daily routine of taking these all-natural organic supplements, as directed, can effectively start hair rejuvenation on the thinning and balding areas of your scalp.

Working to rectify your hair loss after pregnancy sometimes requires altering your diet to a more natural healthy balance. Eating correctly and nutritionally can improve your overall general health which will naturally restore your estrogen levels to their correct amounts. Using a high-quality hair loss shampoo specifically formulated for women's hair loss is another way of restoring and rejuvenating hair re-growth.

Most hair loss after pregnancy is reversible with just a proper routine of eating properly, using the right shampoo, and taking your all-natural herbal supplements each day. If it is working, you should begin to notice positive results of hair growth in the Bolding and thinning areas on your scalp, within as little as four months.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_D._Phillips

Frontal Hair Loss: What Causes It And Can It Grow Back?

By Marcus Maloney

You may have noticed that many men suffer from frontal hair loss (receding hairline). This loss is seen across the top of the forehead, it is easily identifiable, sometimes the hair will look extremely thin, but in some cases, they can be total baldness of the frontal hairline.

Frontal hair loss is genetic, this is because a compound called DHT is being produced in our bodies. This is produced due to hormonal imbalances. Although many believe that this is a condition that just affects men, it can also be found in women, but this is rare.

If frontal hair loss is a problem for you, you should consider a natural treatment or medication. There are many treatments and medications available, most of them can be obtained without the need for a prescription.

Some natural treatments for frontal hair loss are;

Saw palmetto, is a natural herb and can be used to prevent hair loss, and encourage healthy strong hair.
Vitamin B group, these vitamins have many benefits for hair loss. Vitamin B can be found in foods and as a supplement.
Toupee, this is a hairpiece much like a wig. Unlike in the past the toupees these days are much less noticeable.

Some medications for frontal hair loss are;

Finasteride, this medication is for men. It has a 60 % success rate, and it has some side effects, such as temporary impotence and lack of sexual desire.

Minoxidil, this medication has a 60 - 70 % success rate. It promotes strong hair and encourages density. Some side effects are known such as dry flaky skin, dandruff, and itchiness.

Hair implantation surgery, this is highly expensive and needs repeating throughout life.

If you notice any unwanted effects whilst taking a treatment or medication, seek medical advice and stop using the product.

If you are looking for a suitable treatment I advise you to do some light research beforehand. Try to find a product that is better suited to your needs. Basically, if the hair is thinning try a supplement, if you are bald you may want to consider a toupee or surgery.

As I mentioned above this hair implant surgery costs a lot of money, not only that you have to have it repeated up to 10 times in your life. This seems a little extreme when there are other treatments available. But your individual needs at this point in time may be higher than others.

Before you get to the stage where you are considering hair implants I would advise that you try several of the treatments and medications on offer. Sometimes the most effective treatment is the one that you would not usually choose to use.

If you suffer from frontal hair loss, you may notice that it can occur over a lengthy time period, in extreme cases you may notice that it happens rather quickly. Because of this, I recommend that you speak with your doctor or start a course of treatment or medication as soon as you notice the problem.

For further information on health-related topics then visit our health ezines site for detailed information not only on this disease but many other health-related topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Maloney

Vital Reasons For Hair Loss After Pregnancy

By Angel E. Murray

Pregnancy is the stage that transforms a woman into a mother. During pregnancy, different changes occur and it could either be physical or mental. Pregnancy is like a burden placed on a woman, and when it is to be disposed of, it is always very painful, and few women are not successful in that area. Hair loss after pregnancy is one of the physical changes that occur in a woman, and it occurs in about 80% of the population of women in the world after childbirth.

Sometimes, the hair breaks so much that it becomes so unbearable for the bearer, and this may make such a person take the decision of scraping everything off and letting it grow again. There are so many reasons for hair loss during pregnancy, and they are listed below for your understanding.

1. The normal rate at which a woman loses her hair daily is around 25-90, and it can be either while brushing or washing, but a pregnant woman loses the little amount of hair than that of a normal woman either due to changes in the hormonal activities that occur in the body during pregnancy.

2. In a woman who has not undergone the pregnancy stage, the hair is always at rest at every period. This stage is called telogen which is the resting phase of the hair follicle. When the hair falls off, the remaining hair continues to grow, which is called the anagen phase and later passes through another phase called the transitional stage or the catagen phase. This phase is when the hair is developing from the anagen phase to the telogen phase.

3. During pregnancy, the level of hormones which are estrogen and progesterone increases and this prevents the hair from falling. Once the baby is delivered, the scalp becomes thick, and this makes the hair breaks easily, and the body's chemical change and the hormonal level becomes normal, and this makes the hair go back to its resting stage, and fall off. Though it is observed that the hair falls in excess, it will not cause visible baldness and new hair will grow after that, which can take a long while; possibly, a year.

4. Also, stress and nutrients that are lost during breastfeeding can also cause hair loss.

So, these are the reasons for hair loss after pregnancy, and I encourage you not to be affrighted or panicky when you notice your hair fall off after pregnancy.

You can quickly and easily learn about hair loss after 
pregnancy by going to a website that contains several hair loss and growth tips including a FREE ebook that answers 5 MOST asked questions/problems about hair loss and how to overcome by visiting: http://www.hairgrowthtipshq.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angel_E._Murray_

Pregnancy Hair Loss - Managing Alopecia Pre And Post Childbirth

By Joey Logan

Pregnancy is not only an emotional but also a physical journey that often tests the psychological well-being of women. Changes in hormones affect almost every function of the body, from internal to external aspects including hair, skin, and nails. Some of the changes like pregnancy hair loss or alopecia are highly unsightly but fortunately temporary in nature.

However, these changes can and do cause undue worry to expectant mothers despite the fact that they are very common effects of pregnancy. While it should be noted that postpartum/post-pregnancy hair loss is the most common scenario, an expectant mother should be aware of early pregnancy hair loss as well as postpartum hair loss and work closely with your gynecologist to manage the process.

Early Pregnancy Hair Loss

Most women do not experience this scenario but if you happen to be one who does, there might be vitamin or mineral deficiency in your system and you should be seeking the advice of your gynecologist. Hair loss has a direct correlation to the imbalances of hormones and estrogen levels. And to complicate matters, if you have been trying to get pregnant and stopped taking birth control pills abruptly, alopecia can arise. And when you finally realized you are successfully impregnated, you start are experiencing alopecia and are led to associate it with your pregnancy. Alopecia due to hormonal changes like thyroid disorder in pregnancy can happen during the process and your doctor should be able to help treat the condition.

Postpartum hair loss, on the other hand, is a normal and temporary scenario that is not related to breastfeeding. Generally speaking, most expectant mothers do not usually experience much alopecia during pregnancy until after three months from childbirth when the full impact of post-pregnancy hair loss is more often felt. This is the time when your hormones have normalized to original levels and the hair that was supposed to have fallen off during pregnancy due to low estrogen levels did not.

The time frame between childbirth and the start of shedding correlates to the length of the resting phase of your hair growth which is an average of 3 months and ranges from 1 to 6 months. You might find that alopecia is more intense especially when your hair grew much faster during pregnancy. You can expect to return to your usual cycle within six months after birth.

While your post-pregnancy hair loss is temporary, it could deteriorate over a period of as long as half a year or longer after childbirth before they grow back again. Keep your cool and manage the process nonchalantly. Comb it lightly and gently, and try not to blow dry it or use curlers. Do not tie up your hair as this will stretch and pull at the roots, weakening the already weak follicles and this includes avoiding weaves, braids, and pigtails. Have a well-nourished and balanced diet as well as get sufficient exercise and rest. Check with your doctor to ensure that you are not suffering from post-pregnancy hormonal imbalance and his or her recommendation on the right type of shampoos too.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joey_Logan