At long last, Marylyn’s pregnancy symptoms are over, and her bundle of joy has brought newness in your life she could only have imagined. But while she’s working hard to get her body back to its pre-pregnancy shape, she notices another frightening change: hair loss!!
Many new moms begin to notice that they’re losing their hair a few weeks after having a baby; while this may be normal, a lot of new moms find this worrisome.
Yes, you heard that right! Hair loss after childbirth is normal; however, it is not true hair loss. Excessive hair shedding after childbirth occurs as a result of changes to your hormone levels after delivery. During pregnancy, your hormones change dramatically, especially estrogen and progesterone. Immediately after your baby is born, several of these hormones fall back to normal levels. High estrogen level was responsible for your thick, shiny hair during pregnancy. Estrogen prevents your hair from shedding fast, decreasing hair loss.
So after your baby is born and your estrogen level falls, your hair begins to fall out faster than normal - making you lose a nine-month worth of hair loss in weeks.
If your hair thinning out after childbirth is not so much of a concern to you, you might not need to do anything about it. However, if you feel so concerned about this natural process, there are a few things you can try:
Although a volumizing shampoo won’t slow down the rate of postpartum hair loss, it may make your hair appear fuller. Conditioning shampoos will do the exact opposite, so avoid those.
Vitamins and proteins give your hair that lustrous and healthy look. Vitamins nourish your hair and help them grow healthy. So when you begin to notice your hair falling out too often after childbirth, that’s when you need to increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and proteins to ensure your body is getting the right amount of nutrients it needs. You may also need to take vitamin supplements to boost your nutrient intake.
Brushing your hair too hard just makes it fall out in bigger clumps, so brush gently and infrequently - not more than once or twice a day to prevent excessive shedding of your hair.
Some hairstyles make your hair appear fuller and thicker, so while you wait for postpartum hair shedding to stop a few months after birth, a new hairstyle may help you maintain your hair’s full look.
You may have begun to notice your hair thinning out and falling out since you welcomed your bundle of joy. Well, rest assured that this is a natural process and would resolve after a few months. However, there are a few helpful tips outlined in this article to maintain your hair’s full look if you feel very concerned.
