How To Combat Postpartum Hair Loss

No one enjoys running their hand through their hair and coming out with a clump of loose strands. Postpartum, it can feel like you are losing half of your hair with every brush. It is disheartening and quite frankly annoying to constantly have to pick stray hairs from your baby’s fingers.

The Science 

Postpartum hair loss is a normal occurrence that typically begins around 4 months after your baby is born. While you are pregnant, your hair grows in thicker, and the drop in estrogen that occurs causes increased shedding to return your hair to normal thickness. Normal levels of shedding should return by 6-12 months, depending on how long it takes for your estrogen levels to rise. Breastfeeding can slow the process down.

Perspective 

While I was pregnant, I lost very little hair, which made the sudden increase seem much more dramatic. After a while, I thought back to how much I would lose prepregnancy and realized that it is not much more than that. This helped me to feel a little better about how much hair I am losing and worry less that I am going to be bald before the end of the year.

Braid

The thing that I found to help the most to manage not only how much hair I lose, but to keep it from getting everywhere, is to keep my hair braided.

Braiding helps to prevent the hair from getting as tangled up, making it easier to brush and pull less when brushing. When hair is contained in a braid, it is less likely to fall out all over your house. I, at least, am less likely to play with my hair and cause extra fallout.

It is important not to make any hairstyle too tight so that it pulls unnecessarily.

Cold Rinse 

When you are in a hot shower, all your pores open up, loosening your scalp’s hold on your hair. Rinsing your hair and scalp with cold water will close up those pores and tighten their grip on your hair.

There is also the added benefit of decreased hair breakage and shinier strands.

Gentle Brushing

Being as gentle with your hair as possible while brushing will help tremendously. Start at the bottom and work your way up to avoid knot accumulation and increased pulling. Brush only enough to remove the tangles, then stop to avoid excess pulling.

Wringing It Out

I used to wring my hair out after a shower by squeezing at the base of my head and pulling. Poor choice. I discovered that it works better to squeeze and release going down the length of my hair instead.

Avoid rubbing a towel on your head to try as well. Instead, opt for a cotton t-shirt or a hair wrap.

Nutrition

Of course, it is always helpful to make sure you are eating well to support healthy hair growth, and health overall. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the thought of trying to eat well in this busy season, check out this post for some easy and heathy food ideas.

I hope my hair loss tips help you to shed a little less during your postpartum season. If you have any tips, I would love to hear them in a comment.