If you're already seeing strands and strands falling out and you're amazed every time you comb your hair, it's time to understand what happens to our body in the postpartum period and understand why hair falls out.
About postpartum hair loss
It's normal?
Post-hair loss can seem quite frightening, but it is a common fact.
In general, it is common for us to lose 100 to 125 strands of hair per day, but in this phase of hair loss after childbirth, we can lose up to 500 strands daily.
And even though it looks like something very serious, it's a common fact and can happen due to hormonal changes and other factors. Therefore, we can only wait for this phase of postpartum hair loss to pass and see the new strands being born and growing.
Why does it happen?
Postpartum hair loss is linked to a series of factors that can trigger hair loss, and to understand why this happens, letβs first understand what the βlife cycleβ process of our hair is like.
Our hair has a life cycle composed of 3 phases β growth, rest and telogen.
- Growth: this phase lasts years and corresponds to 90% of our total hair, which is the time the hair takes between birth and hair growth;
- Rest: this phase is characterized by a process where the wires are in complete rest, and do not grow or fall;
- Telogen: it is the phase that represents hair loss, and which usually lasts around 3 months, reaching about 10% of our total locks, which undergo a natural fall process.
Understood the life cycle of strands, we can understand why postpartum hair loss.
During the gestation period, our body starts to produce a higher level of the hormone estrogen, and this accelerates the hair growth phase, giving us the impression that during pregnancy the strands are healthier and stronger.
Following childbirth, there is a hormonal change in the woman's body, which has a sudden drop in estrogen production, leaving the strands in the resting phase for the period of 3 to 4 months after the baby's birth. Then the strands enter the telogen phase, which is when the strands begin to fall more intensely, so it is notable that postpartum hair loss is more intense.
In addition to this hormonal change that is common in the period between pregnancy and postpartum, other factors can contribute to hair loss, such as the new, more intense routine after the baby is born, extreme fatigue, and deficiency of essential nutrients, such as iron.
How long does it last?
Female hair loss is different from postpartum hair loss, which is linked to hormonal changes and a number of factors surrounding the birth of the baby,
Therefore, postpartum hair loss usually happens after 3 to 4 months of birth and is a phase that lasts up to 3 months with more intensity, and then it usually returns to normal levels of hair loss.
If the excessive fall continues after a period of 3 months, it is good to stay alert and see a doctor to report what is happening, which can often indicate signs of postpartum anemia.
How to treat postpartum hair loss
For those who are going through the postpartum hair loss phase, we've put together some tips that can alleviate excessive hair loss.
- take care of food
Despite the fact that hair loss after childbirth is closely linked to hormonal issues, a factor that can greatly contribute to hair loss is an unbalanced diet and lack of nutrient-dense food intake, which can cause anemia in women and intensify the hair fall.
Therefore, establish a varied diet rich in nutritious foods that help regulate the body's nutrient levels and reduce hair loss.
In addition to eating healthier foods, don't forget to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
- Nutritional Supplementation
In some cases, the use of nutritional supplements is a great alternative to reduce hair loss, especially in cases related to a lack of some vitamin.
In this type of case, it is essential that supplementation be a medical recommendation, after all, this supplementation needs to be well evaluated so as not to interfere with breastfeeding, in addition to not causing hypervitaminosis, which can bring other problems.
- Hair Products
The use of shampoo and conditioner that help take care of the most fragile strands is a good idea to help strengthen the locks, preventing hair loss.
Therefore, keep good products in your routine use and when washing your locks, make circular massages on your scalp, helping to stimulate the birth of new strands.
During the breastfeeding phase, do not use stimulating hair products for hair growth, unless under medical advice.
- Avoid Chemical Processes
After childbirth, hormonal changes make the hair more fragile, and at this stage it is ideal to avoid chemical processes that may further damage already sensitive locks.
In addition to avoiding chemical processes, also avoid the constant use of heat sources (dryer, flat iron, babyliss) on the locks, which can also make the strands more sensitive and damaged, and thus intensifying hair loss.
- Avoid Stress
After the birth of the baby, the mother usually goes through a very intense phase, with sleepless nights, excessive tiredness and a lot of worry, which results in accumulated stress and that can intensify hair loss.
To avoid this, accept help with baby care and take some time to relax and rest, avoiding stress.
If you've already gone through this phase, tell me in the comments how this process was for you and share your tips to avoid excessive hair loss.
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