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Pregnancy Hair Loss In WomenAhhhhh... my hair is falling out!!!Unfortunately, screaming won't change a thing... trust me! Pregnancy hair loss in women is simply one of those postpartum things that you can't change. This does not happen to all of us...but most will experience some level of this pregnancy side effect. I dreaded this side effect because I already had thin locks and I didn't want to increase the limp-look I had going on. But I knew after 9 months of glorious luscious locks that the inevitable was about to take place. Like clock work it did! I woke up about a few weeks after the birth of my first born and noticed a bunch of baby hairs sticking up at the top of my forehead. Then over a few weeks I watched this area stretch farther and farther back. I had a receding hairline! It had receded about 1/2 an inch or so. I was beside myself!
What causes this?
At any given time 90% of the hairs on our heads are growing and the other 10% are at a "resting stage". After the resting stage those hairs will fall out in order to allow for new growth. Simple! But...when you are expecting, your hormone levels increase. The result is that the high levels of hormones extend the growing stage of your hairs. This causes fewer of them to actually be in the "resting stage" which means that less will fall out during your pregnancy. This is not very common during pregnancy. It usually happens around 1-5 months post birth and can in some circumstances not even begin until after you are finished breast feeding your baby. It is a well known fact that the average woman loses about 100 hairs a day. Multiply that over a 9 month period and you may feel you have a reason to panic! However, the amount of luscious locks to be lost varies from woman to woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy. Some ladies do not lose any hair after one pregnancy but lose a lot after their second one. Remember when it comes to side effects...each person is unique!!! The GOOD NEWS...Around 4-5 months post birth, you will see an improvement though it may not be back to it's normal luscious self until about the time your baby turns one. But boy will that will make for some great birthday party photos right? Finally!! When should I become concerned?If extensive hair depletion should persist past the 6 month (postpartum) mark, you should notify your doctor to do a full medical screening of your hormone levels. This is important because your hormones may be imbalanced due to your thyroid. Other reasons for the loss could be a fungal infection of your scalp or an iron deficiency. Any of these can be cause for concern and should be dealt with as soon as possible. Do I have a Nutritional or Vitamin Deficiency? What can I do to hide my receding hair line?This was the question I asked myself. The solution??? I got my locks chopped. I cut my long do into a cool reverse bob! It was hot and I loved it! So did my husband! I also asked the hairdresser for some nice long swooping bangs! This completely covered up my ever growing receding hairline. I would recommend going to a someone that is familiar with this and one that comes highly recommended. The last thing you want is a bad hair-do on an already bad hair year!!
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