Hair Loss After Pregnancy
By | Submitted On June 14, 2010
Hair loss after pregnancy is something that women who have given birth often experience. In fact, more than 50 percent of women experience this loss of hair problem at some stage during their pregnancy and after — though most occur between one to five months after giving birth. Obviously, this is not a pleasant experience to have for these women, as it will affect their looks, mood and self confidence. It is worse enough that most women have to deal with post-natal depression, this additional problem could really add more salt to the wound.
The loss of hair in pregnant women and new mothers are commonly caused by the changing level of hormones, especially the estrogen. During pregnancy, most will experience an increase in the scalp hair. This is due to the increase of estrogen levels in the system, which improves the supply of nutrients to the body. When the body receives enough nutrients, it can promote hair growth.
However, estrogen levels in the body will decrease after giving birth – mostly back to their normal level. When this happens, hair loss is expected to occur. The discontinuing use of contraceptives, abortion, miscarriage and hormonal imbalance could also contribute the loss of hair.
Is There Treatment For Postpartum Hair Loss
Taking care of a newborn is a stressful, exhausting time and can put a lot of strain on your body, as can breastfeeding. Start by ensuring your blood sugar, iron, ferritin, zinc and vitamin D levels are normal. Next, do as much as you can to minimize stress , eat a healthy diet with plenty of protein to aid the hair growth process, and dont be afraid to shampoo frequently. Its commonly thought that not shampooing as often will minimize hair loss, but the truth is, the frequency with which you wash your hair will not affect the amount of hair you lose, says Salinger. The hair that is ready to fall will fall.
If youve ascertained that your blood work is normal, consider talking to a dermatologistor certified trichologist. Treatment options can include medication, therapies to reduce inflammation around hair follicles and at-home lasers that stimulate new hair growth.
The bottom line: Though losing clumps of hair feels anything but normal for most women in their child-bearing years, it really is. Its almost a mom badge of honour, says Midey. I ended up wearing headbands, and strategically parted my hair to cover bald spots. I even used hairpieces at times. But my hair is growing back steadily now. Even if I had to go completely bald in order to have my children, it would still be worth it.
Know Your Hair And Scalp Type
Before deciding on which shampoo, conditioner or massage oil to use, it is important to figure out what your hair type and scalp type is. You have to understand whether your hair is thick or thin, straight or curly, dull or shiny. You also need to figure out if your scalp is dry, oily, or normal. In case you have any problems like dandruff, brittle hair or thinning and limp hair, you need to pick a shampoo and conditioner suitable for that specific condition.
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Hair Can Become Thicker
Your hair has a natural life cycle. Each individual hair grows, then rests for 2 or 3 months before being pushed out by a new hair growing in that follicle . In pregnancy, this cycle changes.
Many women experience their hair feeling thicker at around 15 weeks of pregnancy.
This is not because each hair strand itself becomes thicker, but because the hair stays longer in the growing phase of its cycle, which means that less hair falls out than usual. This is due to an increase in the hormone oestrogen.
Hair Loss In New Moms
Hair loss in new moms
Many new moms see noticeable hair loss a few months after having a baby. This is normal and not true hair loss. Dermatologists refer to this condition as excessive hair shedding. The excessive shedding is caused by falling estrogen levels.
If the excessive hair shedding bothers you, these tips from board-certified dermatologists can help until your hair regains its normal fullness.
Many new moms see noticeable hair loss a few months after having a baby. This is normal and it is not true hair loss. Dermatologists refer to this condition as excessive hair shedding. The excessive shedding is caused by falling estrogen levels.
The good news is that this excessive shedding is temporary, and you do not have to do anything to remedy it. Most women see their hair return to its normal fullness by their childs first birthday. Many women regain normal fullness even earlier.
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Can You Go Bald From Postpartum Hair Loss
It is normal to experience postpartum hair loss for about 6 months after delivery. This happens due to the hormonal changes that the mothers body undergoes. One might witness chunks of hair shedding every day after delivery. It is important to treat hair loss so that the condition does not get extremely bad.
Taking a good diet, resting properly, and de-stressing oneself are all very important to maintain good health post-pregnancy. If even after following all these measures you feel that you are losing hair and getting close to baldness you must immediately consult a hair specialist.
Shedding a good amount of hair after pregnancy is normal but it will not make you bald if you take the appropriate treatment timely. Even if the situation worsens a little, there are multiple treatments available with hair specialists and hair surgeons that can help you regrow or regain your lost hair. You can undergo laser therapy or even cosmetic surgeries to cover your lost hair.
However, you must remember that the earlier you decide to treat your hair loss the better it will be. It is important to consult a hair specialist since they can help you identify other problems behind your hair loss by conducting some tests and guide you on the suitable treatment.
Dont Worryit Wont All Fall Out
Postpartum hair loss is a temporary thing! While everyones postpartum hormonal shift acts differently, its very unlikely that youre going from full volume to comb over after pregnancy. If your hair is feeling especially thin, theres no need to worry. The time it takes to get back to your pre-pregnancy hair can vary from woman to womanfor some, its three months, and for others, its a year.
While you probably cant stop hair loss altogether, there are ways you can control it. For starters, proper nutrition is essential to managing your postpartum hair loss. Getting all the vitamins and minerals you need will help keep your hair strong, healthy, and intact. Pregnancy is not the time to skimp on your protein or iron.
If your shedding genuinely seems out of the ordinary, you can always ask your doctor to air on the side of caution.
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Hair Loss After Pregnancy Find Solutions
By | Submitted On December 29, 2009
When looking up information on hair loss after pregnancy, about the only thing you’ll really find is you have to wait for it to grow back. In like a year. It is nice to know it will come back, but what do you do in the meantime?
When I lost a lot of hair, it was long so it was more noticeable, and my forehead grew from so much loss. The first thing I did was to go make an appointment to get it cut off because I was upset. I sat and spent some time with my hairdresser and found out which part of my hair was the thickest and was less prone to this falling out, and we worked on getting a shorter style that incorporated where I had hair to cover where I was losing so much.
After that, she told me to use hair care products that were made for thin hair and added volume to the strands. There are shampoos and mousse and even weekly treatment to make your hair look thicker which can help while you have to wait for it to grow back in.
The best advice I did get was to stop dying my hair. This can actually make it fall out faster, and caused more damage to the follicle. If you do have to dye it, find a rinse at a beauty supply store. While you can only go with a shade of your natural color, this is much less harmful on your hair then they dying process. I was also told to not wash it every day, so the hair can rest and be less brittle, and I went to washing it every other day, which did help after a few weeks.
How Long Does Hair Fall Out After Having A Baby
The estrogen level starts dropping right after delivery causing hair to fall after delivery. Normally, a woman might experience hair fall for about 2-3 months after she has given birth. However, the hair eventually stops shedding and grows back in another 6-8 months.
Stating broadly, the hair fall situation must be under control before your babys first birthday. However, if you still experience hair fall or any other hair problem, you must see a hair specialist to identify the cause behind your hair condition.
It is important to follow some basic measures to stop further hair loss and regain hair after pregnancy. If these measures do not work, there might be a possibility of some other reason behind your hair loss problems such as lack of nutrition, excessive stress, or even an underlying medical condition. The sooner you identify the cause and start treating your hair loss, the better results you can get.
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Is There A Safe Way To Color Hair While Pregnant
There’s little to no evidence that the dye will directly harm your baby. While there are pores in the scalp that can absorb the dye, there’s not much of a chance of these chemicals can reach your baby.
To be cautious, you can ask for your stylist to use dyes that don’t contain little to no ammonia. You can also request for them to use an off the scalp technique. This will minimize the risk of any adverse reactions to the dye.
Be mindful that dyes can trigger allergic reactions or irritate the skin. Pregnancy changes the way your body reacts to certain things, so even if you have tried a specific dye before, it can still cause a reaction. To limit any negative reaction, you can do a skin test patch. Place some of the dye on part of your skin and let it sit for a while to see if your body reacts. If it doesn’t, then you are safe to color your hair!
Why Does Hair Loss Happen After Pregnancy
After you have given birth, the excess hair that was not shed during pregnancy will be lost. It may seem as though you are losing abnormal amounts of hair, but in actual fact your hair is simply returning to normal.
Its also believed that childbirth can be a trigger for telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss which causes widespread thinning on the head. Telogen effluvium is associated with intense physical or emotional stress.
More severe hair loss, including hair loss that causes patchy bald spots, may be a sign of another problem such as a vitamin deficiency.
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What Are The Causes Of A Post
VASCULAR CAUSE: poor blood flow to the hair bulb means the hair does not get the essential elements it needs to grow.NUTRITIONAL CAUSE: a deficiency in the nutrients essential to hair growth. INFLAMMATORY PATHWAY : Hormonal changes after childbirth result in an imbalance that will be conveyed as stress at cell level. At the scalp level, cells subject to this stress will release neurotransmitters, including substance P. These neurotransmitters will trigger an acute inflammatoru cascade. hair goes into the telogen phase prematuraly. This triggers sudden, rapid hair loss.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SLOW DOWN THIS HAIR LOSS?
In order to slow down sudden hair loss, you need to treat these three causes. Each can be responsible for sudden hair loss, alone or in combination with an other.
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How To Deal With Postpartum Hair Loss
Although postpartum hair loss is normal, there are conditions that can cause hair loss, such as thyroid problems or anemia. If you feel you are losing a lot with nothing in sight, tell your doctor to rule out other problems, says Dr. McIntosh.
However, the only treatment for hair loss after pregnancy is patience. There is no magic vitamin or secret supplement that can prevent a fall, she adds.
If your thinning hair bothers you, try a new haircut or invest in a bulky shampoo. And look on the bright side: with a new baby taking up your time and attention, your hair would probably end in a ponytail anyway.
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How To Deal With Hair Loss During Pregnancy
So hair loss during pregnancy can happen for a variety of reasons, but hair loss due to hair damage is often the culprit. The hair may break off or have more hair on your hairbrush that needs to be washed away. While hair will eventually grow back, there are some things you can do to minimize hair loss.
Weve all heard about how having babies changes your body big time! Women experience hair loss during pregnancy and it can lead to hair thinning and hair breakage. This happens mostly because the hormone progesterone causes blood vessels in the scalp area to expand and swell. The increased amount of hormone leads to more shedding and broken hairs that enter the hair follicles and cause healthy hairs around it to shrink and die. So hair loss during pregnancy can happen for a variety of reasons, but hair loss due to hair damage is often the culprit. The hair may break off or have more hair on your hairbrush that needs to be washed away. While hair will eventually grow back, there are some things you can do to minimize hair loss.
What Is Hair Tourniquet
If you have long hair, then a strand that falls out may get wrapped around your babyâs fingers, wrists, ankles, toes, or penis. This hair-wrap is called hair tourniquet , which could be painful for the baby. The hair might get wrapped up so tightly that it may restrict blood flow in that area and cause infection.
If you ever see such a strand wrapped around any part of your babyâs body, then try to unwind the hair gently or cut it carefully using scissors. If the strand is tightly strangled, then seek medical attention immediately.
After delivery, it may take some time for the body to get back to normalcy. During this period, the hormonal fluctuations might bring several changes in the body, including hair. If severe hair fall persists months after your delivery, then visit a dermatologist. But, mostly, hair loss after delivery is short term and temporary, so you need not worry.
Do you have any remedies for hair loss after pregnancy? Let us know in the comments section.
References:
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What Is Vaginal Discharge
After your baby is born, your body gets rid of the blood and tissue that was inside your uterus. This is called vaginal discharge or lochia. For the first few days, its heavy, bright red and may contain blood clots. Over time, the flow gets less and lighter in color. You may have discharge for a few weeks or even for a month or more.
What you can do:
Use sanitary pads until the discharge stops.
C The 4 Best Treatments For Postpartum Hair Loss
As the delivery date approaches, you are probably looking forward to losing your fat belly and extra baby weight.
But there is one thing that you should not miss: its thick and shiny curls of pregnancy. It is not your imagination. Most women think that pregnancy makes their hair thicker. And its not the stress of a newborn that makes your hair fall out! See whats going on with your pregnant hair, what to expect after giving birth and what to do about it.
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Manage Your Stress Levels
When you have to balance between attending to your crying little baby and taking enough rest, your stress levels can go up. Increased stress levels are known to lead to conditions like alopecia or telogen effluvium that force your hair to be shed suddenly.
Coupled with the hormonal imbalance brought about by childbirth, stress can lead to massive loss of your hair.
Make sure you manage your stress levels by resting whenever you can while taking care of your baby needs. This will help protect your hair from shedding off.
Hair Loss After Pregnancy And Breastfeeding
Women noticed the most hair loss during breastfeeding. So what is the relationship between hair loss after pregnancy and breastfeeding? Well, there is a definite increase in hormones during pregnancy. It has a positive effect on the hair. It makes them thick, shiny, healthier and less prone to falling out. However, after birth, there is a sharp drop in the level of hormones in the body, which leads to hair loss. Breastfeeding may extend the period of hair loss as prolactin is secreted during breastfeeding. It is a hormone that too much can weaken the hair follicles. Unfortunately, the secretion of this hormone is also caused by stress, which means that increased production of prolactin may also occur in non-feeding women. An increase in prolactin and a sudden drop in other hormones are the reasons why which can lead to hair loss after pregnancy. However, this is a natural reaction of the body.
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