I recently got asked a really great question:
“ I am currently 4 months postpartum and I am dealing with a SEVERELY dry scalp and a moderate amount of hair loss around my hair line. What on earth can I do about this?? (P.s I have natural hair) 😊😊"
Did you know that #postpartumhairloss is a real thing? No I don’t have kids, but I get asked at least on a weekly basis if it is “normal” to lose hair in clumps after having a baby.
Yeah, girl, unfortunately its WAY more common than we ever talk about. Why?
While pregnant your estrogen and progesterone hormone levels rise, and which causes hair to remain in the growth stage.
Did your hair get thicker, shinier, healthier while pregnant? That was why.
In the 2-6 months after pregnancy your hormones level out. This resting phase can last upwards of 3 months, then it falls out and new growth is seen. Baby bangs on your hair line? Yep that’s new growth!
Pre-pregnancy its normal to lose 80-150ish hairs a day. During the #postpartum period upwards of 400 becomes the new norm! AH!
Decreased hormones, low iron levels, poor nutrition, lack of sleep and stress ALL contribute to this hair loss. Taking care of a new baby is stressful.
So what can you do to combat this?
1)Address the external factors. Focus on eating healthy, decreasing your stress and getting better. Sleep! This might mean asking for more help from family and friends.
2)Address your body. Take supplements and use hair products that will decrease shedding and increase hair growth by making your scalp and hair as healthy as possible on the surface. Hair products that focus on scalp health will also improve dryness, itching and flaking!
3)Patience. Our scalp and hair are reflections of what happened about 60-100 days ago. When an external or internal stressor causes hair to stop growing, hair enters into a resting phase before it falls out. This lasts 2-3 months! If you’re experiencing hair loss now, look back and ask yourself what happened. New hair will not appear until an old hair falls. Be patient and give growth products time to work, at least 3-6 months!
Leave your questions in the comments!