Raise your hand if you have ever gone through the pain of hair loss. I sure have! And honestly, I hate it. Styling your hair daily, keeping up with the latest trend, having your hair down in parties – who doesn’t want that. But woman, as soon as you have delivered your child, you can say bye-bye to all that because you are not going to get any time for that. You must be thinking why such negativity? Well, let me share a brief personal experience with you. While I was pregnant with my baby boy, my hair grew voluminous, luscious and thick. Trust me, I was in the 7th cloud. But as soon as I had given birth, I started experiencing hair loss, and by that, I mean a LOT of hair loss. Upon consulting doctors and various dermatologist I realized hair loss is common after delivery. And we need to follow some strict do’ and don’ts if we want to avoid wearing a wig. (not against it, though. It’s a trend after all!) Going through the rules, it made my life easier. I didn’t find a bunch of my hair on the pillow as soon as I woke up, or having to unclog the drainage hole in my bathroom, stuck with hair.
Being a fellow mother, I think it’s my solemn duty to come to the aid of all you ailing mothers, and help you with your hair loss. Hence, this article is going to brief you about postpartum haircare for women and how to reduce it.
The Cause
Let’s start with the term ‘Telogen Effluvium’. Ring any bells? Of course no! Most of us mothers reading this article aren’t nerds. And even if we are, this word is not going to be in the dictionary for a long time. It’s a medical term that denotes the loss of hair after pregnancy due to hormonal imbalance in women. Now what does hormone has to do with hair loss? The thing is that every cell in our body is meant to last for a limited time. And it goes on in a cycle. The process of degeneration is something that we cannot avoid. But with degeneration comes regeneration as well. Almost 40 to 50 percent of women out there, experience postpartum hair loss. The sudden change in the body due to hormones, cannot be avoided. But the after-effects can be surely reduced, and that is what we are going to put our focus on.
The Cure
If you are a frequent reader, you will know, the cure to a naturally caused disorder, is always to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Below are some of the tips that you need to take care of which will significantly reduce hair loss in you.
- Healthy Diet
Trust me on this. Pick up your phone and call your dietician immediately! Ask her to make a chart for you based upon your weight, health, and other factors like diseases and disorders. Or better! Just ask her to provide a diet chart for postpartum women. Follow the routine strictly, and let the nutrition from your meal do the rest of the job. Your hair loss is going to significantly decrease after this.
- Supplements
Supplements like Biotin and Vitamin C, E, etc. are known to help increase the pace of hair growth in women. Don’t worry, these supplements are recommended and tested by the American Pregnancy Association, and hence they are safe. But if you need more proof- I took Biotin after pregnancy, and it really helped me in reducing the amount of hair fall I was having. At least it helped accelerate the production of new hair and saved me from going bald (Thank You, Biotin!)
- Reducing Stress
Yes, I know it’s not easy. With a toddler running around the house, causing havoc. Maintaining stress levels isn’t going to be an easy task. Especially if you also have to take care of your home along with office work. But the least that you can do is try. Try meditating in the morning, taking deep breaths or even yoga. There is a multitude of YouTube videos available that will help you in getting rid of the tension in your life. Stress can cause a lot of hair fall, and if you don’t want to lose your precious locks, I will suggest a minimum of 40 minutes of meditation daily.
- Changing Hairstyles
Another difficult task for fashionable moms. I know, my heart skipped a beat when I realized I will either have to cut my hair short or go for a ‘mom bun’. Cutting hair short will help you maintain them easily, and a mom bun will keep your hair in place while you are sleeping or doing tasks at home. It reduces the amount of hair you find tangled to your shirt at the end of the day. But you can also try, pulling your hair up into a ponytail. So, all hope is not lost yet!
- Change Your Shampoo and Conditioner
That is very important. In order to stop the unending hair loss, you need to switch to a better shampoo that is natural and does not have too many chemicals. My suggestion will be to go for an all-natural postpartum shampoo and conditioner. Try massaging your scalp slowly with shampoo before rinsing it off.
So, there it is. My shortlist on caring for your hair with a toddler. I followed each of the above-listed steps, and I have never been more thankful for anything other than this list. Today, I can style my hair in any way I want. postpartum hair loss does not last for a long time, so do not panic. It’s only a matter of time before your life goes back to normal again.