Answers to Keep Your Sanity...and the Rest of Your Hair
My Hair. Everywhere. On my clothes. On my pillow. All over my couch…
Every time I take a shower I clean enough hair out of the drain to give a doll a wig! In my shower staring at the tiles covered in my wet curly hair, my mind began racing.
Why is sooo much hair falling out? This is not normal for me! I’ve been eating right, drinking water, and even exercising. What is wrong with me?
Maybe I need to see a doctor...Is it my thyroid? Could I have cancer? Alopecia? I need answers!
Suddenly, I stopped. Then I laughed softly at myself as I began to clean the hair off the walls. I, of all people, should know exactly what is happening, and I do.
I have explained this same phenomenon flawlessly to many of my clients. I have calmed these very fears that I just allowed to race through my mind. But now I understand.
Losing handfuls of hair even a double handful of hair doesn’t feel normal. But for women who have just had a baby, it is! These are classic results of postpartum hair loss. And I’m here to give you peace of mind and answer your questions.
Yes, your hair will grow back.
Yes, postpartum hair loss is completely normal
No, new growth won’t take long to show
What vitamins can help you to regrow hair in your new post-partum life?
How do you style those little hairs that postpartum regrowth brings?
How do you know when to see a doctor?
Does Postpartum Hair Loss Grow Back?
It’s scary to see hair clogging your drain and filling your hair brush, especially after having your body go through so many other rapid changes. Through those changes two benefits you clung to were my skin is glowing and my hair is full.
But now the time has come for another change. The dreaded postpartum shed.
I do not call it hair loss because you haven’t really lost anything. The hair is going through its normal growth cycle just like all cells. Only during pregnancy, you have more estrogen in your system which tells your cells to hold to your hair.
Hello, telogen effluvium! That’s is just a science-y way of saying a longer growth (telogen) phase. So your body is holding on to all of your hair for longer.
After you’ve had the baby, your body signals that it’s finally time to let go of all that hair. That’s why about four months after pregnancy, you start noticing losing lots of hair.
It’s the body going through its own natural process during a different stage of your life. And remember it’s actually normal to lose anywhere from 50-100 strands of hair per day. Now guess what happens after those hairs shed...That’s right! They all grow back!
So yes, you’ve shed a lot of hair. But rest assured that all is not lost! It will grow back.
How Long Does Postpartum Shedding Last?
The beauty of the hair’s growth cycle is it doesn’t take long to start growing back. The rate of growth varies from person to person, but you start seeing little hairs popping back up between 3-9 months. Sometimes it could take as long as a year, but that is not typical.
I know what you’re thinking.
3-9 months? It took almost two years for my hair to grow back! But remember, I’m only talking about when the hair starts growing back. The journey of growth from your scalp to the desired length is a whole other story.
Hair grows between ¼ to ½ and per month depending on the person. If I’m generous and say your hair grows ½ an inch every month for 12 months that’s maybe six inches of growth over the year.
Yeah, it’s gonna feel like forever, but hang in there. You’re making a comeback!
What Vitamins Can You Take to Help You Regrow the Hair You Shed Postpartum?
Unpopular opinion, vitamins don’t provide a significant difference.
“But what about Biotin?!”
Yeah, I know everyone always brings up biotin, but biotin’s primary job in the body is energy conversion. It also contributes to your body’s keratin structure, which eventually ends up as the dead cells that make up our hair and nails.
Yes, there are a few scientific studies that show correlation not causation between biotin and hair growth. But that’s still under controlled conditions.
Let me tell you what happens when you take vitamins “for your hair”. Most likely as a new mother you’re tired...okay, exhausted is a better word for it.
You’re so focused on keeping your baby alive and fed that you’re not eating a perfectly balanced diet.
You are most likely drinking coffee by the gallon, and you’re not drinking enough water.
Oh, and if you’re breastfeeding, you’re probably even more deficient – I know I was!
I’m not pointing this out to shame you or make you feel inadequate as a new mother. You are doing your best! And that is enough.
But when you take these vitamins, your body doesn’t immediately allocate them for your hair, skin and nails. It says, “YES! At long last, nourishment! Iron for my blood oxygen levels, biotin for converting food to energy, calcium for my depleted bones…” and can you blame your body?
Your body understands that it’s more important to nourish your inner body then your outer collection of dead skin cells that we – as a culture – glamourize. Any benefit your hair, skin, or nails might’ve gotten from those supplements goes to your body instead.
That being clear, I have seen good results when women begin to focus on their nutrition overall. That means eating regular meals with veggies, drinking water, getting sunlight, and some form of exercise. (Long story short: exercise helps open up the pores of the scalp and increases blood circulation. All good for hair growth.)
If you want to take beauty supplements, go for it! They certainly don’t hurt. But I have not seen a dramatic difference from someone taking supplements for hair versus not taking supplements.
How Do You Style the Postpartum Regrowth?
Yippee! You see those little hairs growing back, and you finally believe that this phase is passing. Those hairs keep growing, and now you look like you tried to give yourself micro-bangs...ugh.
I have three easy ways to cope with those little hairs.
Headbands: A soft wide band allows those hairs to grow without sticking straight up or tickling your forehead. Just be sure it’s wide and not so tight that it leaves an imprint in your hair. Also, don’t wear the headband all the time. That’s how you train the hair to grow straight back which can get awkward later.
Clear Mascara: This is one of the more creative ideas that my clients have brought to me, but it works! The mascara wand is perfect for coating those little hairs and incorporating them with the rest of their hair. A word of caution here: This is a creative fix for a special occasion. I do not suggest doing this every day or even once a week. Why? Because too much could cause them to break off. Those new hairs have not fully undergone the keratinization process yet. That means they are finer and more brittle. Too much styling can actually harm them. Remember you want these hair to grow out, so be nice to them.
Cut It Off: No, I don’t mean shave your head! But once your hair has grown out a bit try changing up your style with a shorter cut that celebrates those new hairs! They did grow back after all. And you will find your hair easier to style when it’s all one length.
One of my clients, a mom who actually had very stressful postpartum health issues, decided to cut it off. She was the rare case where she probably lost more than half her hair.
She came in with two distinct layers of hair. One was close to her jaw. The other was past her shoulder, and she just said, “Do your best with it, Caitlin,” and let me do what I wanted!
I love that kind of trust.
I took her hair pretty short to get everything blended, and she ended up with a rocking awesome curly bob with a little bang action going on. It was fantastic! And because she lost the excess weight of the length, she had a lot more volume.
She didn’t expect to like it. She had never had short hair before. But she walked out beaming! She even texted me the next morning to say she loved waking up to it! Cutting off the length actually freed her to do more without worrying about her hair.
When Do You Need to Call a Doctor?
I am not a doctor. But as your hairstylist I assess your hair and scalp every time you’re in my chair. I look for skin conditions. I look for changes in moles and skin tags. I look because you can’t see back there.
In the case of hair loss, the time to worry is when your hair is coming out in patches and leaving a bald spot behind. That is your body saying something is wrong. It can be many things ranging from 'no big deal' to 'it’s good you called us when you did cause we need to act'.
Don’t overthink it, just call your doctor and get checked.
How Do You See Yourself?
We’ve tackled the main questions and concerns around postpartum hair loss by looking at the outside, but let’s take a look inside. I want to encourage you to...
Embrace yourself. You are more than the pile of dead skin cells that get worn in a mom bun on top of your head.
Stop calling yourself names like frizz ball, ragamuffin, bum...that’s not nice! And it’s not true. You are a strong, nurturing, caring mother.
That sparse parting you hide is your battle scar, and those little hairs popping up are you healing. Your body is re-growing itself after growing another life to bring into this world. That is nothing to be ashamed of!
I get it though. When we look in the mirror, we get disappointed because we expect to see that same person we feel we are inside. But looks are deceiving.
Embrace it. Embrace that you can lose half your hair and still be just as young and vibrant and beautiful on the inside.
You are more than your hair. Now Go BE Gorgeous!
Comments