Many women enjoy thicker, fuller hair during pregnancy. Some would even say that they had the best hair of their lives when they were with child. However, things often go downhill a few months after your baby is born. Many new mums might find that they’re dropping more hair on their pillow, clothing, and even in the shower.
If you’re struggling with postpartum hair loss, know that it is perfectly normal.
Postpartum hair loss affects up to 50% of women, and occurs as a result of changing hormone levels after pregnancy.
If you’re struggling with postpartum hair loss (hair loss after giving birth), you are not alone.
When you’re pregnant, the hormone levels in your body change drastically to help develop your baby.
This new balance of hormones, particularly in estrogen, inevitably alters your hair growth cycle - During pregnancy, a woman’s hair tends to remain in a growing phase for longer than usual before entering resting and shedding phases.
Since your hair takes longer to come to the end of its growth cycle, you’ll find yourself retaining more hairs than usual, and noticing less hair fall. This results in fuller, thicker hair.
Once you’ve delivered your baby, your hormone levels naturally return to their pre-pregnancy levels.
This causes a drop in estrogen levels, and returning your hair to its usual phases of growth, resting, and shedding. A noticeable amount of your hair will begin the resting phase right away, and then proceed to shed several months later.
This is when postpartum hair loss becomes painfully noticeable.
Also known as telogen effluvium or excessive shedding, the condition causes women to lose more than the typical 100 hairs a day.
Furthermore, the hormone fluctuations in postpartum women causes even more strands of hair to enter the resting stage and shed just weeks later. Some women might find themselves losing as much as 300 hairs a day.
For most ladies, postpartum hair loss is a temporary condition. The good news is that in almost all cases, hair recovers, and returns to its usual growth patterns within 3 to 6 months. And by the time your newborn turns a year old, your hair will likely be as thick as it once was.
However, if time has passed, and your hair only seems to be getting thinner, you should discuss your condition with your doctor right away - Excessive hair loss could signify an underlying health condition such as thyroid or anaemia.
While treatment is not often required for postpartum hair loss, supplements and topical therapies might be prescribed to help with hair growth. Some clever new mums also use styling tricks and products to make their hair appear fuller whilst it is recovering.
Even if you’re dealing with a bad case of postpartum hair shedding, the power is still in your hands:
With the help of a professional hairstylist or trusted product, you could hide fine hairs, thinning areas, and give your locks a fuller appearance.
After giving birth, your body will undergo stress as it heals from childbirth and deals with hormonal changes. This, along with the added demands of taking care of a baby, makes it crucial for new moms to manage stress as best as possible.
Healthy eating is essential for beautiful hair. A healthy diet that is rich in biotin, iron, and protein (think spinach, legumes, and broccoli) will help support your hair follicles in their return to normalcy and growth.
Additionally, biotin supplements and medicines such as Miriqa Hair exclusive and Nourkrin can help safely increase hair growth in new mothers.
Consuming more iron-rich foods.
Artisan Hair Regrowth Treatment
As a medically-backed hair loss solution in Singapore, Artisan Hair Regrowth treatment utilises an original hair growth serum designed by our team of Korean-trained doctors.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) utilises a specific type of laser in order to stimulate hair follicles, causing hair to grow back thicker and fuller.
As an FDA-approved, non-invasive hair transplantation method, it allows for dense hair to be transplanted without causing major scarring to transplant areas.
While hair transplants are a safe and effective way of treating hair loss in women, undergoing such treatment in your child’s first year, especially if you are breastfeeding, is not recommended.
However, this could be a great option for new mothers who have been struggling with postpartum hair loss for an extended period and who are no longer breastfeeding.
You can expect the following after a hair transplant:
Understanding our human hair anatomy allows us to achieve a higher success rate in reversing hair loss condition.
Cells in the root of your hair rapidly divide for new hair to form. Hair grows about half an inch a month. This phase lasts an average of 3-5 years.
Active hair growth ceases, and individual hairs separate from the hair follicle. This phase lasts for about 10 days.
Hair strands remain in their follicles for about 3 months before falling off to make way for new hair follicles. After which, losing about 50-100 strands of hair per day is normal. Hair loss may occur when this growth cycle is disrupted. If your hair is not growing as long or fast as it used to be, you may be experiencing a disruption in your hair growth cycle for various reasons. Speak to us for a solution.
