There are surprisingly many moms that become anxious about hair loss due to childbirth, and you can get very stressed over the amount of fallen hair that you see on the floor or pull out of your head. But do not worry. After childbirth, hair changes easily because of the changes in physical condition, and hair fall will decrease as the normal cycle returns.
However, you cannot help but get worried after seeing all that hair which keeps on coming out. So let’s learn about the causes and countermeasures to make hair easier to grow back after birth.
Reason why hair falls out after childbirth
A female hormone necessary for the growth of a baby. One of these hormones called “estrogen (follicle hormone)” has the function of growing hair and sustaining its growth period.
Therefore, hair growth increases during pregnancy with increased secretion of estrogen. On the other hand, the hair has a changing cycle, and usually it repeats the following three cycles.
- Growth period (about 2 to 6 years): period when hair grows
- Regressive period (about 2 to 3 weeks): period during which hair falls off
- Telogen phase (about 2 to 3 months): Period of rest before entering the growth period
When the hair that was supposed to have regressed or stopped during pregnancy is influenced by estrogen, the growth period is prolonged.
Therefore, when the amount of secretion of estrogen decreases after birth, hair which has been prolonged in the growing season comes out altogether, and hair loss increases temporarily. Nonetheless, the hair grows again from the pores that have come out once the telogen phase ends and enters the growing season, so there is no worry of becoming bald.
However, hair loss may also happen which the normal cycles of hair growth may have nothing to do with.
If you are getting stressed from parenting or child-rearing or insufficient sleep due to breastfeeding, have nutritional deficiency or problems with postpartum diet, and many others, these can prevent nutrition from reaching the hair and may cause it to fall off.
Postpartum Hair Loss Prevention
Relax and take care of yourself. You can also prevent unusual hair loss by utilizing ways to avoid accumulating stress, such as planning your breaks, or “me time” to take a rest from child rearing.
With that being said, it is also effective if you keep in mind the following things.
Maintain balanced eating habits
The nutrients necessary for hair are carried by the blood, so if the nutrition is insufficient, the hair cycle will be disturbed or make the condition of the hair worse. Be more careful about your diet because you need lots of feeding and lots of nutrition.
Get moderate sleep
Many mothers have to breast-feed day and night to accommodate their babies’ appetite. It cannot be helped that one gets tired from the routine which causes blood flow to get worse. It affects the hair as a result, of course.
From time to time, allow other family members, like your parents or partner, to take care of your child and try to recover by getting some sleep. Pay attention to your sleeping environment and make sure that it is conducive for quality sleep, so you can refresh even from a short nap.
Use organic shampoo that does not cause irritation
The body changes after giving birth, and causes changes in your hair and other body parts. If the scalp becomes sensitive, you may get a rash from using a shampoo that you had never used before. Since scalp abnormality also causes hair loss, use an organic shampoo that is mild on the skin after birth.
Refrain from using chemical hair care agents for a while. Also, because clogged pores contribute to hair loss, keep the scalp and hair clean daily with the mildest and safest shampoo you can afford.
Summary
Don’t let thinner hair sink your mood. You may have a hairdresser cut it in a style that gives volume or you can also wear a bandanna or hat when going out to protect your scalp.
Losing hair after having your baby may seem an unpleasant turn of events, but make sure to keep to your routine where you can eat nutritious food and sleep, take breaks, and strive to be moderately relaxed at all times.
