Postpartum Hair Loss
Blog by Guest Contributor, Aderans Hair Centre Trichologist Elizabeth
As your due date looms closer you may be getting excited about losing your bump and meeting your bundle of joy. But there is one thing you might not be expecting to lose, your luscious pregnancy locks!
We’ve all heard about them, your hair being thick and full. This happens as during pregnancy your levels of oestrogen rise, your blood volume increases, and circulation improves.
This is great for your hair.
Oestrogen prolongs the Anagen phase of the hair growth cycle which means you hair grows for a longer period of time before entering the Telogen phase where the hair sheds.
Let’s face it, once pregnant we tend to improve our diets and cut out all the bad habits like alcohol and smoking. So, our blood has a better supply of nutrients to nurture the whole body – hair included.
So, where you would have shed up to 100 hairs a day before pregnancy, that fall is far less during pregnancy.
Big win for your hair’s appearance, but what happens next?
Once the baby arrives and your hormones are returning to normal levels your hair wants to make up for lost time and will shed in larger amounts than the previous 9 months. The total hair loss volume shouldn’t be any more than you would have lost normally, it just seems more as it happens more rapidly.
Post-partum hair loss can begin as soon as the baby arrives and can continue for the first year of the Childs life. It does however usually peak at 4 months.
Now we’ve all heard that word on a loop this past year, “peak”, but what does reaching the peak actually mean for us after 4 months?
Don’t panic, it isn’t as clear cut as that, as I said it could last for up to a year and still be in a normal range. Its normal and far less terrifying if you understand it.
There are no treatments that can prevent post-partum hair loss as the telogen hair needs to come away. However, if it is bothering you there are some things you can do to help improve the way your hair looks during this time.
Try and maintain the good eating habits that you had while pregnant. Any fruit or vegetable with a dark or bright colour, eggs, fish, and eat red meat in moderation only.
Minimise your styling routine by avoiding heat and chemicals.
Shampoo with Mediceuticals Folligen, a light-weight, volumising shampoo that helps plump up the hair shaft and help to balance hormones.
Conditioners can weigh the hair down so go for a lightweight detangler, Mediceuticals Final Finish or Defend leave-in if you’re going to heat style as this contains a heat defence. If you do have dry, damaged hair, Vitatin can be used on the mid lengths and ends for rehydration and an enhanced natural shine.
Let your hair dry naturally. With a young baby, who has time for styling their hair anyway?
Talk to an Aderans stylists about a new more manageable style.
Brush your hair gently with a natural bristle brush or one with wide teeth. Mediceuticals Scalpro smoothing and detangling brush is designed specifically to protect the scalp, quickly detangling the hair, and smoothing the cuticle to prevent frizz.
Top Tip: Always start at the bottom and work up to the root. Never drag the brush through from the top.
If you’re throwing your hair up in a pony tail use a silk/satin scrunchy rather than a tight hair band and never an elastic band!
Sleep on a silk pillow case to stop friction when you’re grabbing those precious moments of shut eye.
Take a supplement. Mediceuticals Bao-med food supplement has all the essential nutrients to support hair growth
Low level light therapy is a non-invasive treatment that renews the cells in the follicle. Treatments are available in Aderan’s London salon or buy a home device such as our Hairmax Band 82 or the HairSpa to promote hair growth.
All these treatments are safe if you’re breast feeding and can give you a little pamper time to yourself.
Post-partum hair loss is completely normal so don’t worry about the losses.
If you do feel that the losses are continuing past your baby’s first birthday, book a consultation with an Aderans Trichologist to discuss your concerns.
Elizabeth x
