During pregnancy most women will experience a fuller head of hair, however, along with your little bundle of joy comes some other rather trying factors of having a baby. Along with the common sleep loss and mood swings, you may notice that your hair begins to shed, or even that clumps of hair are falling out. Don’t panic! This is very common and you’re not alone.
85-95% of your hair is in the growth phase at any time, and during pregnancy your body will experience huge levels of estrogen and progesterone which will lengthen this growth phase, resulting in thicker hair. However, after pregnancy you hair isn’t always so kind to you. Your hair will remain in the resting phase for an average of 3 months before it starts to shed and new growth starts. Normally you would lose an average of 80 hairs a day, however, new mums can lose a massive 400 hairs a day.
How to cope
There are several things you can do at home that will benefit your hair during these months. Reducing stress (sometime difficult when raising a newborn!) in general and where possible will help. Remember, stressing and worrying about losing hair won’t help you, you’re not alone and this will most likely pass like the other slightly favourable elements of pregnancy.
Keeping a healthy diet with lots of protein, more nourishing shampoo and conditioner, and using a brush that won’t stress or pull your hair will also help to decrease the likelihood of your locks shedding. Don’t be afraid to shampoo often either, there is a common misconception that washing your hair regularly increases hair loss but this isn’t necessarily the truth. In fact, the frequency at which you wash your hair shouldn’t have an impact on the amount of hair you lose at all. Boosting the blood flow to your scalp, also recommended by many, can help to feed your roots, promoting growth. You can do this by massage, using kneading motions on your scalp for 2-3 minutes every morning.
How Lucinda Ellery can help you
We understand that raising a baby can be stressful enough without the added trauma of hair loss, which is why we’re here to help you. If you find that your post pregnancy hair loss has surpassed the norm, and are worried about bald patches or thinning of your hair, we have a variety of treatment options.
The Intralace System is commonly used for those suffering with larger areas of hair loss, whilst our Medi Connections are a great solution to hide areas of thinning that won’t affect already existing hair. The Intralace Minima is another that is perfect for those with thinning or hair loss at the fringe, parting and crown area. With more than 30 years of experience with the systems we have, we can help you to find the perfect treatment for you, so you can care for your little one and have one less thing to worry about.
Our friendly teams can boost your hair and your confidence, so start your Lucinda Ellery journey by booking a FREE consultation today. (Link is to our London Studio – other studios also available from the contact menu)
We’ll confidentially discuss your hair loss, and chat about the best treatment option to suit your hair.