Why hair falls out after childbirth and what to do about it
Our task is to feed the child and not lose the hair.
Many women notice that after the birth of a child, her hair falls out more than usual. This discovery often poisons many of the joy of motherhood. Really, with the advent of children, you will have to forget about thick and shiny hair? Doctors-trichologists reassure: this phenomenon is temporary. The main thing is attention to the problem and an integrated approach to its solution. Our expert in this matter was Veronika Yazlyuk, dermatovenerologist, trichologist, member of the Union of Trichologists of Russia, specialist of the Slaviti clinic.
The first thing we need to know about hair is that the life of a hair is cyclical. Hair growth is a rather complex biological process and it consists of three phases.
Anagen is the phase of hair growth and can last from 2 to 8 years. Catagen is the phase of its transition to “rest”. The “resting” phase of the hair is called telogen, it is the hair that has reached this stage that you see every day on the comb. Although such hair does not necessarily fall out immediately – it is “dead”, but it stays in place. In a healthy person, about 5-10% of the hair is in the telogen stage. It is normal to lose about 100 hairs a day, although this figure is different for everyone.
As we know, hormones play a huge role in the life of the human body. Pregnancy is a period of strong hormonal surge. The level of various hormones in a woman’s body during this period increases several times, including those that affect hair growth. So, the level of progesterone increases almost 9 times, estrone – 4 times, estriol and estradiol – 8 times.
Thanks to circulating placental estrogens, the hair growth phase (anagen) is prolonged, so the hair quality and growth rate of pregnant women are very pleasing.
What happens after the baby is born? The hormone levels return to normal, so all hairs from the extended anagen phase simultaneously move to the catagen phase. Thus, the amount of hair that was supposed to fall out gradually over 6-7 months can fall out at once.
Intense hair loss usually begins about 2 to 3 months after giving birth. Doctors reassure: this phenomenon is widespread and, thank God, temporary. Moreover, an increase in the number of hairs on the brush after brushing is observed by about half of new mothers. This condition rarely leads to permanent hair loss and should be corrected within 4-7 months after delivery and is a physiological loss. It regenerates on its own, without treatment, and does not affect hair density.
If you are worried about hair loss after childbirth, you should talk with your pregnancy doctor about the possibility of hormonal imbalances and how to correct them.
In order not to overload the hair during a difficult period for them, you should avoid dense styling, which can lead to additional trauma to the hair, do not comb your hair when it is wet, and avoid combs with frequent teeth.
To preserve the hairline, shampoos and conditioners containing biotin and silicon are indicated. When blow-drying your hair, use cool air, not hot air.
Pay attention to your diet: your diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables containing flavonoids and antioxidants: citrus fruits, cabbage, grapes, carrots, apricots, avocados, blueberries, raspberries, and so on. You should also pay attention to complex supplements with vitamins B, C, E, as well as zinc.
If you plan to treat your hair with specialized trichological preparations, keep in mind that such therapy is not indicated during breastfeeding.
Hair loss can also be associated with other changes in the reproductive system, in which there is a change in the level of estrogen hormones. For example, stopping oral or any other hormonal type of contraception, termination of pregnancy (miscarriage or stillbirth), hormonal imbalance. Also, the reasons for postpartum hair loss can be a deficiency of micro- and macroelements, postpartum depression, chronic lack of sleep, exacerbation of chronic diseases.
There is another important aspect. Sometimes pregnancy can serve as a catalyst in the manifestation of a number of serious diseases, including diseases of the scalp.
Carrying a child forces all organs and systems of the body to work in a mode of increased stress. Depending on the “initial” state of a particular system, it can “better” or “worse” to cope with this stress. That is why, for some diseases, pregnancy is a provoking factor. For example, it leads to an exacerbation or primary manifestation of diffuse alopecia or female-pattern hair loss, a progressive course of alopecia areata and an exacerbation of chronic diseases of the scalp. In this case, as a rule, one cannot do without the help of a trichologist, because only a specialist using the methods of instrumental examination can understand the whole variety of hair diseases.