This is by far one of the biggest shockers that I got after having my baby. Besides having to deal with the struggles of sleepless nights, the fact that breast milk does not always come automatically and the endless buzz of advise from all sides of society including the security guard at the gate, I was definitely not prepared to see chunks of my hair in the drain of my shower!
I had my baby in March of 2017, and the first time I noticed that the postpartum shedding had begun, was 2 months after baby arrived. I installed crochet braids, and upon taking them out, ALL my edges followed... This was the first mistake I made.
Here is a photo of how my edges looked like...
I had never not had a hairline/ edges in my life, so getting used to seeing myself without edges was quite something, to say the least. I quickly took out my laptop and started reading about postpartum shedding in more detail. This is when I realised that there were some things I could do to reduce the shedding and breakage, but the shedding was here to stay until my hormones got more balanced.
So I prepared this post for all the mamas who are struggling with postpartum shedding, or the soon to be moms who want to know how to prevent it. The sad news is, you cannot prevent it! Postpartum shedding occurs as a result of hormone changes after birth.
During pregnancy, your estrogen and progesterone levels are much higher than normal, and this is necessary to sustain your pregnancy. As a result, your hair might grow thicker or faster than you are usually used to. For me, I did not experience any crazy hair growth, so this will not always happen.
Once you have delivered your baby, your estrogen and progesterone levels will go back to normal, and so will your hair growth patterns. HOWEVER, your hair will also go into its "resting phase", which happens after the extended "growth phase" that you might have experienced during pregnancy.
The resting phase of hair is also associated with shedding, and this is when postpartum shedding kicks in.
Here are a few things that you can do to reduce the amount of shedding that you will experience:
(1) Continue taking your prenatal vitamins/ folic acid.
(2) Eat healthily. You really do not need to take a whole lot of carbs and starch to be able to produce breast milk. Try your best to have a balanced diet, it will go a long way in keeping your hair and your scalp healthy.
(3) DO NOT install any protective hairstyles that will pull on your hair. Styles like crochet braids, single braids, will only increase the chances of your hair falling out once you remove the styles. Your hair follicles are already in a sensitive phase, and pulling on them will not make things any better - it will most likely increase the rate at which you lose hair.
(4) Try gentle protective styles such as wigs or buns.
(5) Keep up with your wash days, so that you can keep your scalp clean and healthy. It might be terrifying to see all that hair in the drain, but you will be doing your hair a favour by taking care of what is left on your head
(6) See a specialist like a trichologist, if the hair loss does not ease off after 12 months of having your baby. If you have a known hormone condition such as PCOS, see your OBGYN and discuss on possible treatment to help balance out your hormones. The hair loss is really just a result of your hormone changes, and if your shedding is not reducing, most likely your hormones are not at the right/ balanced levels.
(7) Avoid using heat on your hair, such as blow dryers and flat irons.
(8) Try using tea rinses and coffee rinses once a month on your wash days.
(9) Relax, enjoy the moments with your baby and know that this is only a phase which will pass. The amount of hair loss that you will experience is far outweighed by the experience and journey of motherhood :-)
If you have gone through postpartum shedding and you have any other tips to share, please leave them in the comments section :-)
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