My hair is falling out!! I know it’s normal to lose some hair post-pregnancy, but seriously, strands of my hair are ALL OVER THE HOUSE! First off, I am a “shed-er,” my hair naturally tends to fall out (probably because I have so much), so even pre-pregnancy, it wasn’t uncommon to see my hair all over the bathroom floor. However, that paired with the postpartum hair loss, is nothing short of annoying, and I know my “other half” think it’s pretty “gross” too – mind you, he sports a “bald” hairdo! At any rate, I know I’m not alone in this and it was nice to enjoy back to back pregnancies and not endure globs of hair coming out in the shower or constantly having to sweep it up off the floor. Next, it was about the time I found out I was pregnant with my second son that my hair began falling out from the first pregnancy, and I think once the prenatals started kicking in, the hair stayed intact. Although, I do see the “baby hair” new growth all around the crown of my head, which I can only assume is from round one! Fortunately I do have LOTS of hair, it is super thick and the strands are strong, long and coarse. My head of hair is weave-worthy…and I often get asked if it is a weave! haha!! The truth is, I am lucky to have a beautiful head of hair that I get THINNED at the salon (at least 2 times a year), because there is simply “too much” to deal with on a daily basis. The downside is that it is a lot of upkeep and my hair is everywhere…we’re talking every room in the house.
Okay, so let me stop my vent there. I’m not going to get a short cut, it’s just not me and I kind of need my hair to stay long to keep it weighed down. I do realize there isn’t too much more that can be done aside from constantly cleaning it up, but I do want to share some of the info I found about this hair loss “issue” that I found on Baby Center!
- On a normal basis 85-95% of hair is in a growing phase, while the remaining percentage is at rest.
- The growing phase is prolonged during pregnancy due to increased levels of estrogen. So with fewer hairs resting and fewer falling out = thick, full, luxurious tresses
- After birth, estrogen levels go down and more hair follicles start to rest, therefore the shedding, falling out and hair loss!
- The increased shedding should taper off anywhere between 6-12 months after delivery
So, the moral of the story…you can opt for a shorter cut that may be more manageable with new baby – bonus! And if you have thin hair or would prefer a more volumized look, try using hair mousse and other styling products for lift and fullness. Or you can just grin and bear it, keep a broom or little hand-vac around and keep cleaning it up! Also a word of caution, strands of hair can easily get wrapped around baby’s tiny appendages, including fingers, toes, wrists, ankles, etc… so be on the lookout, to keep baby free of your shedding strands!