Your newborn baby has just turned three months old and you are just starting to get the hang of motherhood. Your body is starting to feel good, there is just one thing that terrifies you- your hair is falling out in chunks! Don’t worry as unnerving as this is, it is perfectly normal. How can losing hair be normal you may ask? Well while pregnant your body is overflowing with those amazing hormones that help your body care for a baby. During this time period many women say their hair seems fuller and thicker, partly this is due to those hormones which actually prevent hair loss during pregnancy. Following birth and breast-feeding, your body reduces those unneeded hormones as your body returns back to normal postpartum. The down side of that is whatever hair follicles you didn’t lose during nine months (typically you lose 30-100 hairs a day), are all coming out now. What can you do to help prevent so much loss at once? The following three tips are sure to help.
Don’t deplete your body of needed vitamins
Just as a prenatal vitamin was essential during pregnancy, it is just as essential while breastfeeding and as your body recovers from pregnancy. Typically it takes a woman’s body a complete year to recover from having a baby. So make sure your body doesn’t become deficient nutritionally and continue to take your vitamins. This will help your hair to stay healthy and prevent loss of hair due to being deficient in vitamins and minerals it needs to grow.
Don’t abuse your hair
As your body is balancing itself hormonally postpartum, be especially kind to your hair. Excessive pulling such as wearing your hair up in a ponytail or bun all the time will cause additional pull to the follicles of your hair. This will make them weaker and more likely to fall out or thin where there is pulling or strain. Don’t worry, all will return to normal before pregnancy, but in the meantime be kind to your hair. Avoid brushing multiple times a day and blow drying too.
Take extra time to nourish your hair
Though time may be sparse now while caring for a baby, try to take some time to nourish your hair. Doing a hydrating treatment with oil or conditioner every few weeks will help hydrate your hair and may lessen the fall out of hair. Though tempting avoid any type of chemical treatments such as dying or perming your hair. Instead of preventing fall out, this may encourage it. There are quite a few over the counter hydrating and nourishing treatments found in your local beauty store that you can do from the comfort of your own home.
Post-partum hair loss can be devastating. However, you can have peace of mind by taking the time to nourish your hair, resist abusing it and making sure you continue to give your body the vitamins it needs. Yes, take comfort in knowing that though this is normal following having a baby, that there are things that can be done to avoid unnecessary hair loss during this time period.