Pregnancy Related Hair Loss

Hair loss after pregnancy is a common condition that many new moms are unaware of until the excessive shedding begins. Several months after baby is born many women begin to lose the lovely locks they so proudly grew during pregnancy.

A woman’s hair during pregnancy is often the envy of others. Although their glowing hair is often attributed to the effects of prenatal vitamins, the main reason is the dramatic hormonal surge and increase in blood circulation that occurs during pregnancy. During this time hairs that would normally shed, stay in the growing phase, resulting in thicker, longer-growing hair with minimal hair loss.

After delivery, the sudden drop in hormone levels and blood circulation interrupts this cycle. A signal is sent, telling the hairs that normally would have fallen out during pregnancy to begin shedding. Sometimes the fallout is extreme, causing women to lose handfuls of hair at a time.

In normal circumstances hair shedding will begin to taper off within six months, and the woman will be left with only slightly thinner hair than her pre-pregnancy hair. In other cases the hair loss creates noticeable thinning. Extreme hair loss can be an indication that the body has become imbalanced in other ways.n
In order to prevent excessive hair loss and noticeable thinning a woman must take optimal care of herself during this time. The postpartum period requires additional nutritional support and adequate rest. Many women run on caffeine and very few hour of sleep while tending to their new baby.

Although most women are advised to nap when the baby naps, many ignore this advice as it seems like the only time to accomplish other tasks. Paying attention to this advice, eating healthy foods and continuing nutritional supplementation may help to prevent excessive postpartum hair loss.

Relaxing scalp massages with warm coconut oils or nurturing essential oils can have a positive effect on postpartum hair. Natural treatments such as reflexology, massage or acupuncture can also help restore balance during this time.

Although postpartum hair loss can be severe it is usually temporary and in most cases it will eventually resume back to a normal state.n