Want to know how to stop or prevent postpartum hair loss? In this post, you’ll find all the necessary information – from reasons to treatments and remedies. Read on!
Did you have thicker and shinier hair during pregnancy? But after your baby has arrived, you might have experienced hair thinning and falling out. How disappointing! And it’s happening after all that stuff you passed through! No worries! Postpartum hair loss is completely natural, and it’ll be over soon. However, you can take some steps to prevent this process or make it not that excessive.
Our team of experts has put together all the important info concerning this subject so that you know what to do without wasting time searching.
What Is Postpartum Hair Falling Out And How Long It Lasts?
Postpartum hair loss or postpartum alopecia is hair falling-out which you may experience 2-4 months after delivery. Don’t worry! You aren’t going bald, although, you could feel like that. Actually, the American Academy of Dermatologists doesn’t name this process “hair loss” – they consider it “excessive shedding”. How much hair you are going to lose doesn’t depend on your locks quantity or quality. However, if your hair is long, the shedding might seem more extreme.
So, calm down and remember that this condition is temporary, and it’ll stop soon. Some lucky tykes experience thinning hair for no longer than 4-6 months. Other women can suffer from it up to a year; after that, a normal hair growth pattern has to return. Anyway, if you believe that you lose too much hair consult a physician, dermatologist or trichologist.
The Main Reasons For Postpartum Hair Loss
There are several reasons responsible for losing hair, here they are:
- Sudden change between estrogen and progesterone – a hormonal imbalance in your body after giving birth can cause postpartum hair loss, which is absolutely normal. While you were pregnant your body produced more estrogen, thanks to this your locks grow faster and thicker. After childbirth, the level of estrogen has dropped, and you could notice hair thinning and falling-out. But as it was mentioned above, this process will end almost as soon as the need to wear nursing and pumping bra.
- Other causes of hair loss are stress and diet – after your little one has arrived you feel tired and stressed almost all the time (sleepless nights, baby’s cries – you always stay alarmed). Plus, if you breastfeed your baby, you have probably changed your diet. Stress and nutrition affect greatly your overall appearance, not only the quality of hair.
- Lastly, you might have a medical reason – inflammation of the thyroid gland or thyroiditis creates thyroid hormones disbalance which can result in hair loss.
Tips To Stop Hair Loss
We’ve got good news for you! We know how to prevent hair loss, and here are recommendations from our experts.
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Eat right
A new mom needs a nutrient-rich diet, you know it. However, you have to add more protein to boost healthy hair growth.
Also, you should include the next product into your diet: red meat (beef, lamb), poultry, eggs, fish, lentils, quinoa, nuts, chickpeas, almonds, spinach, beetroot, yogurt, kefir. These products are full of protein, iron, vitamin B, which prevent excessive hair loss.
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Try to stress out less
Yes, it’s hard to eliminate stress when you are raising a baby, however, you have to do your best! Studies have shown that lots of stress cause thinning and losing hair.
Here are the methods you could try to reduce tension and restore balance:
Get enough sleep – your body repairs and regenerates during sleep. We know how challenging it is to get enough sleep when you have a newborn but try to nap in the daytime while your little one is sleeping. Also, do not surf the net or watch TV too much, you don’t really rest while doing these activities.
Relax, take care of yourself – if you have some time, take an aroma bubble bath, listen to relaxing music, read a book, meditate, etc. By the way, research has shown that prayers and meditations reduce stress significantly.
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Use high-quality, natural products for hair
We understand that you want your hair to recover and grow faster as soon as possible. However, our experts don’t recommend using products for “hair growth” since they contain chemicals. They may affect not only your hair but overall health. For example, some chemicals can cause hormone imbalance, skin issues, and even cancer. But you can use organic solutions successfully, they are quite effective. What to try?
Avocado treatment – avocado is a great source of proteins, vitamins, and fatty acids.
Castor oil – it contains fatty acids and other antimicrobial components to get rid of dandruff and stimulate hair growth.
Egg mask – rich in proteins, fatty acids, and vitamin A; they help to eliminate dandruff and make the skin healthier.
Mayo wrap – you can use mayo instead of eggs; it’ll moisturize and improve your hair.
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Get to know some don’ts
To combat postpartum hair loss successfully, you should avoid using different solutions for styling. Besides, do not use curling iron, straightener, hairdryer – they damage your locks significantly.
Don’t wash your hair frequently – prolong the time between washes with shampoos, let your hair rest.
Do not brush the hair when it’s wet – you’ll damage it.
Do not use tight hairstyles – if you pull your hair up into a tight bun, braid or ponytail, it’ll put more strain on hair follicles and damage them.
To sum up, postpartum hair loss, as well as other post-pregnancy stuff, is so disappointing! But don’t stress out! When hormones return to a normal level, your hair will look thick and beautiful again. Use our tips, and you’ll see good results sooner!
If you have your own recipes on how to improve hair condition during the postpartum period, share them with us! We’ll learn from each other.
Bio: Betti Wilson has been working as a skincare expert for 7 years. Also, she is a mom to 3 kids. In her spare time, Betti likes writing posts for both young and experienced moms & dads about parenting, health, and lifestyle.
