2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
After giving birth, your hair is falling out by the handful and you're worried about it? Are you losing your hair? Don't lose your mind…it's only temporary!
During and after pregnancy, you experience powerful hormonal changes. And your hair is not spared. Under the effect of a hormonal surge, your hair may fall out and be less vigorous. We often hear that during pregnancy, the hair is in its best shape and beauty, but it's not the same for everyone! Your hair also changes during pregnancy, as the effect of hormones is wide!
Postpartum hair loss affects about half of women.
Classic and not dramatic
A few months after giving birth (between one and three months), many women notice the beginning of more marked hair loss. For a few weeks, the problem persists and gradually fades back to the pre-pregnancy state.
The scientific explanation is simple. Hair is greatly stimulated by estrogen, a hormone present in large quantities during pregnancy. They are brighter, stronger and even more numerous because this hormone prolongs their lifespan. This is why yourhair seems to have gained in volume! They take advantage of this "extra" perfect for them!
However, the shock is brutal after childbirth. Estrogen levels drop which leads to severe hair loss. They even sometimes fall by handful which has every reason to worry. Know instead that estrogen kept hair alive and in place that should have fallen gradually during the nine months of pregnancy. This is why we believe that we lose more hair! Even if the problem is unpleasant, there is no reason to worry too much.
Women who have had an abortion or miscarriage or who stop taking high estrogen birth control pills may also experience this phenomenon.
Also, if we add to this hormone imbalance sleepless nights, a little baby blues, breastfeeding, fatigue and adaptation to this new way of life, the factors favoring hair loss are multiple in this postpartum period.
Another hormone to watch out for. Androgens so-called "male" hormones - which women also secrete in smaller quantities - can weaken the hair and be the cause of thin, brittle and less abundant hair. A massive intake of hormones such as estrogen can neutralize the influence of androgens.
Stress in the dock… too! Hair is also a reflection of our life! Stress, accumulated fatigue, an important event or a change in your lifestyle canbe triggers for hair loss or a hair problem. Why? Stress causes the secretion of androgens! And pregnancy can therefore be included in the box of new states that require adaptation to change!
Eat Well. The favorite menu to keep your hair supple, silky and he althy: proteins rich in amino acids, vitamins B and PP (B3). A good diet with a good balance between all the mineral and vitamin intakes and good portions of fruits and vegetables is recommended to activate hair renewal.
Take care of your hair
- Forgo harsh hair treatments during or just after your pregnancy.
- No need to dry your hair unnecessarily (dyeing, coloring, bleaching, brushing, blow-drying, ironing, etc.).
- Try to dose manipulations and irritating products (gel, hairspray, etc.).
- Pamper your hair by using mild shampoos rather than harsh, stripping shampoos.
- Always rinse your hair well, but avoid too hot water which damages it.
- Go for a natural bristle brush, not a plastic one.
- Beware of the sun, which also dries out your hair.
Daily Hair Loss
Called female alopecia, temporary hair loss can be linked to various factors:
- infection;
- hormonal imbalance;
- stress or emotional upheaval;
- taking somedrugs.
Baldness is very rare in women. Most commonly, a thinning or partial loss of hair is observed on the forehead, sides and top of the head.
Did you know…
- Brunettes have about 100,000 hair follicles (cavity where a hair is born). The blondes, a little more. Redheads, a little less!
- There are on average 200 follicles per square centimeter. We normally lose between 1 and 150 hairs per day (less than 1% of our hair).
- A hair grows about 0.04 mm per day, or about 1 cm per month.
- A hair has a lifespan of about 5 years.
