The Real Deal on Postpartum Hair Loss

Photo from beautyhealthtips.in

As a new mom, it is frightening to wake up one day and find that your hair is falling out more than usual.  Post-partum hair loss not being a much-discussed topic, women are left scared and stressed when they see their hair fall out in record numbers, sometimes even in clumps.  You blame your current shampoo regimen so you change it, but it does no good.  It could be lack of sleep or stress or a million other things but your hair just won’t stop falling even if you’ve tried everything.  What many new moms don’t know is that it’s a reality that many women experience a few months after giving birth.

Postpartum hair loss is a relatively common occurrence in women after giving birth, mostly because of the hormonal upheaval that your body has gone through (and is still going through) due to pregnancy.  It usually occurs a few months after the birth of your child and can last for months after.  Normally, there is nothing much that can be done except wait it out.  

For me, postpartum hair loss happened with my first born; and is now happening again with my second.  At around 3 months postpartum, I began to notice a lot of hair fall whenever I shampooed or brushed my hair.  It has come to the point where I am almost scared to pick up a brush or comb for fear that more locks will detach!  Sweeping up the bathroom floor is now both scary and embarrassing because there really is a big increase in the number of strands to gather up.

Though I constantly have to remind myself that this is natural and that it will all end in a few months, I still can’t help but be self-conscious about my hair fall.  It gets me down sometimes because it is happening just when I feel as though I have gotten the knack of being a new mom again, and when I am beginning to be happier and more confident about my body and myself once again.  It is a struggle not to panic and buy every hair growing solution available on the market, but I try to stay calm and remind myself that it is all part of the wonders of motherhood.  Also, I remind myself that my hair will grow back eventually.  For the time being though, I have found some ways to get through this ordeal.  If you are experiencing post-partum hair loss, here are some things you can do:

1. Get a shorter do.
Give your roots a little bit of down time by lessening the stress of the weight of longer hair or being tied up or treated.

2. Find a gentle alternative to your shampoo and conditioner.  
I have started using an all-natural shampoo from Ilog Maria and conditioner from Human Heart Nature.  Both are very mild and gentle on the hair and scalp.

3. Nourish yourself.  
Maintain a healthy diet and keep taking your vitamins.  This will help the body cope with the upheavals it is going through.

4. Speak up.  
Talking to my partner or to a confidante about how I feel has helped me.  I have people to support me.  I also talked to my doctor for reassurance that everything is normal.

Related: Lauat, the Natural Remedy to Falling Hair

Postpartum hair loss is something very real but rarely talked about. I find though that it should be discussed because it can cause women to unnecessarily worry or be ashamed or self-conscious. It is normal and it will eventually end.  For now, all there is to do is find a place of calm and find other things that make me the beautiful person that I am—with or without a thick head of hair!