Postpartum Hair Loss Causes And Treatment

Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful periods in a woman’s life, however, along with the growth and development of the baby, a woman’s body undergoes tremendous changes to accommodate the baby and some of those changes affect her negatively, postpartum hair loss is one of them.

Postpartum hair loss is a term which refers to the loss of hair that most women tend to experience after they give birth to a baby, and there are many different reasons as to why postpartum hair loss takes place in so many women.

Understanding Postpartum Hair Loss

During pregnancy, a woman undergoes significant hormonal imbalances that may provoke mood swings but at the same time, it will promote hair growth and also will prevent it from falling. However, immediately after childbirth the same hormonal imbalances will activate and accelerate the hair regeneration process, which basically will manifest by the woman losing significant amounts of hair at that time.

First and foremost hair loss after pregnancy is a normal occurrence therefore there is nothing to panic about. However, in order to help your hair regenerate and grow back, you should understand how it works.

There are two phases of hair growth and they are: the anagen phase that usually last between 3 to 6 years and promotes hair growth of approximately half an inch a month and the telogen phase where the follicles rest; the telogen phase usually lasts anywhere between 3 to 4 months before it starts all over again.

A normal person will lose approximately 50 to 100 hairs each day, as the new hairs push their way out forcing the old one to fall out however, postpartum hair occurs at an accelerated rate. This is because first, there was no normal hair loss during pregnancy and secondly because the regeneration process (the second phase) will not kick in for at least 3 to 4 months, which will leave the woman temporarily with thin hair and probably some balding spots.

Other Causes

Another cause of hair loss after pregnancy is the fact that the stress level will automatically raise even if you are not aware of it, with the arrival of a new baby; less sleep, poor eating practices and vitamin deficiency can also lead to weak immune system and more causes of hair loss.

Helpful Tip

To improve hair growth after pregnancy a woman should simply use targeted products that will improve the hair from outside and inside, such as, shampoos, conditioners, pills like Procepia, masks as well as a nutritious, balanced diet with additional supplements of vitamins and minerals. She may try to use natural herbal remedies if she wants. There is no treatment to accelerate or avoid hair loss after pregnancy however, it is possible that some women may not offer as significant hair loss as others.