Having a baby is both an intensely gratifying and challenging experience. You meticulously track your cycles in an effort to increase the likelihood that you'll conceive, you create seemingly unending to-do lists to ensure you're adequately prepared for the arrival of your little one, and finally, you endure countless sleepless nights dealing with everything from constant crying to breastfeeding. Then, there are the postpartum concerns like hair loss which is understandably unnerving to many women.
There's no denying that the early stages of motherhood are no walk in the park. Of course, these moments of anguish and sleep deprivation are interspersed with ones that feel impossibly gratifying. Your baby smiles at you, the first tight grip on your pinky finger, and all the other moments of tenderness shared between a mother and her newborn often bring a sense of unmatched joy. We want you to be able to focus on these special moments while still taking the time to care for yourself.
If you're dealing with postpartum hair loss and find yourself unsure of why or how to cope, we've got everything you need to know so you can put your mind at ease. Plus, we've got the scoop on how to combat the problem so you can enjoy full, voluminous hair while your hormones rebalance and your hair growth is restored.
Postpartum hair loss: why it happens
If you're wondering what on earth is causing your postpartum hair loss, the first thing to note is that you are most certainly not alone. Whether you've noticed you seem to be losing a bit more hair than usual or you feel your hair is significantly thinning, rest assured that hair loss happens to many women after childbirth.
So, why exactly is this the case? Well, it starts with pregnancy. You may have noticed your hair felt particularly thick and shiny during pregnancy. That's because of hormonal fluctuations that naturally occur and estrogen, especially, has a significant impact on your hair cycles. In short, the spike in estrogen that occurs in the body during pregnancy, coupled with the increased blood flow, slows down your normal rate of hair fall. Hence, the thicker hair that results. However, once you deliver your baby, these hormone levels drop causing sudden and significant hair fall.
This can be devastating at the onset but you can take solace in the fact that for most women, this typically isn't more hair loss than what would have occurred over the past 9 months if you had not been pregnant, though it is happening in one large episode.
When does postpartum hair loss take effect?
Postpartum hair loss typically begins 2 to 4 months after childbirth. In most cases, this is totally normal and your hair will restore itself naturally within 6 months to a year. Basically, if it feels like your hair is falling out in large chunks and you think you're about to go bald sometime soon, don't worry as this is just your body's way of recalibrating and your growth patterns should go back to normal in due time.
What can you do about postpartum hair loss?
Experiencing hair fall after pregnancy is both natural and normal, so you can't really stop it entirely. However, there are a few ways you can keep your hair healthy and prevent damage while it is replenishing itself, while also helping your hair look fuller.
We recommend keeping the heat styling to a minimum as this can cause unnecessary damage and also get rid of natural volume which will make your hair look fuller. As well, the styling process can be pretty rough (think round brushes and lots of pulling) which can accelerate the hair fall process, so it's best to limit this wherever possible.
If you can't live without your curling iron, then we definitely recommend using a heat protectant spray beforehand to limit the amount of damage.
It's also advisable to eat a balanced diet to help facilitate hair growth and help rebalance your hormones. Dark, leafy greens, fruit, healthy fats, and whole grains contain lots of essential vitamins such as iron, vitamin C, magnesium, and omega-3s. Some doctors may also suggest taking a multivitamin or continuing with your prenatal vitamin to help combat hair loss.
Apart from this, using natural hair care that's aimed at adding volume back into your hair can be helpful at concealing bald spots or thinning.
Of course, reducing stress is essential. This might mean taking long, relaxing baths, meditating, going for walks, and just taking the time to pamper yourself. Caring for a newborn can be a lot to manage so make sure to carve some time out of your schedule to give yourself some rest and relaxation.
Mom Hairstyles to Try
We know as a mom, you're often strapped for time; between your baby's strict nursing schedule and the lack of sleep, even finding 5 minutes to do your hair can feel like a luxury. To help you out, we've rounded up some of our favorite quick and easy hairstyles that you can rock day-to-day or even for a date night out with your husband.
Not only do these looks help conceal hair loss, but they also look totally chic and are really easy to achieve whether you haven't had time to wash your hair or only have a few minutes before you head out the door.
The updo
Perfect for third-day hair or to prevent your baby from yanking on your hair day-to-day, the updo is a totally chic and timeless 'do. Whether you prefer something messy and effortless for running errands or are looking for a more formal, romantic style you can create yourself for a special event, there are so many ways to make this hairstyle your own. You can also add more fullness and volume with one of our hair bun extensions.
The donut bun
As the name implies, a hair donut is a donut-shaped hair accessory that lets you roll your hair up into a full and voluminous bun with minimal effort. Don't own a hair donut? No problem! Simply cut the holes off a long sock and begin rolling inwards. All you have to do is tie your hair up into a ponytail and roll it through the "donut" to create a full bun. This hairstyle is especially perfect for concealing hair loss and making your hair look thick and voluminous.
The ponytail
It may seem basic, but there are so many ways to elevate an everyday ponytail whilst keeping the styling to a minimum. From high and sleek to low and to the side, we've got tons of ponytail tutorials to suit your personal style.
Need some more easy-peasy hairstyles while you're in the new mom phase? Here's a list of gorgeous looks that require minimal styling to make you look put together no matter how tired you are.
Add instant fullness with our new Fourth Trimester Hair Fill Ins
Unfortunately, hair growth isn't exactly a speedy process, but we don't think you should have to let thinning hair get you down. Our postpartum hair extensions let you add instant volume and fullness in just minutes so you don't have to spend time in the salon or hours in front of a mirror styling your hair. Perfect for new mothers, clip-in Luxy Hair extensions won't cause any damage to your hair so you can wear them whether you're running errands or celebrating a milestone, without having to worry about lots of maintenance.
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