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August is National Hair Loss Awareness Month.
While that may be news to you, most new mothers are acutely aware of the fact that they're losing hair at a dreadfully alarming rate.
Most women will experience postpartum hair loss at the end of "the fourth trimester," around that three-month postpartum mark, and this tumultuous time for your tresses can last up to six months.
And while it's not an official, textbook definition of "true hair loss," this phenomenon is an intense shedding of hair that takes place pretty much all at once and causes mamas to mourn their mane as they try to figure out how to style this new mess of a muss without any fuss (read: okay, let's be serious, it can take lots of fuss, despite there being no time for it).
So, what causes postpartum hair loss, anyway?
Increasing pregnancy hormones (human chorionic gonadotropin, estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and prolactin) can do weird things to your body, from turning toilet seats blue (yes, I'm being serious), to intense and incredibly vivid (yet, totally bonkers) dreams, to the most amazing head of hair you've ever had the honor of rocking.
Honestly, my hair has never behaved better than after my twins were born. My always-frizzy-never-would-stay-put hair needed zero styling or maintenance. It was magical.
If you had a postpartum hair glow-up like me, you were likely admiring your luxurious locks and trying not to ask any questions...except you couldn't help but think of all the questions. Like, "What in the heck is THAT?"
For example, halfway through my pregnancy with my twins, I had the most bizarre hair change I'd ever experienced. After a shower, I discovered a single hair, still attached near the front of my face, that had somehow gone from my normal, semi-wavy texture, to looking like I had stuck my finger into an electrical socket.
This single strand of hair was coarser than the rest and looked scorched and jagged from the end right up to the root.
This definitely wasn't from a straightening-gone-wrong incident. It seemed to be a pregnancy-hormones-gone-right situation.
When you reach the last trimester, your estrogen levels further increase, halting the usual shedding cycle of your hair. This is why some expectant mothers expect (and receive) a beautiful head of hair before their due date.
Once you give birth, your hormone levels fall quickly. Within 24 hours of welcoming your babies, your estrogen and progesterone levels are nearly back to normal; your prolactin levels will stay higher as long as you're breastfeeding your twins.
It's your drastically dropping estrogen levels that cause postpartum hair loss.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the sudden hormone change after giving birth tells your body to push any hairs that were in the growing phase (the anagen phase) to immediately skip ahead to the resting phase (the telogen phase). And then, a few months later, you say farewell as those hairs fall out—on your pillow, on the floor, in your brush, in the shower. Everywhere.
In general, people have anywhere from 80,000 to 120,000 hairs on their head and they shed around 100 hairs each day, says the clinic.
With postpartum hair loss, people lose more than 100 hairs every day.
With all these extra hairs laying around in random places, you need to keep an eye on your newborns because there is a small chance a rogue hair can get wrapped around your babies' fingers, toes, or other body parts and cut off blood supply, causing pain and damage.
If you find yourself in this situation, carefully unwind the hair tourniquet, use baby-safe scissors to cut it, or call your twins' pediatrician immediately.
Especially check the feet of your babies' sleepers and socks when they're fresh out of the dryer, as they somehow tend to pull random hair from the abyss and weave them into their fibers.
Does breastfeeding affect postpartum hair loss?
Some people may wonder if postpartum hair loss is triggered by, or even delayed by, breastfeeding. Both of these ideas are myths.
Whether you breastfeed your twins or not, your beautiful hair is going to begin shedding in what seems like an excessive way around that three-month postpartum mark.
Again, the reason for this is the shifting hormone levels in your body once your babies are born. Unfortunately, there's no way to dodge the hair loss. But there are ways to give yourself a leg-up as you stumble through this hair-raising transformation (more on this, below).
It's important to note that there are other possible reasons for postpartum hair loss, including hypothyroidism and iron deficiency anemia, which can be more common when you're carrying multiple babies simultaneously.
Talk to your family doctor or OB-GYN if you have any concerns or questions about what you're experiencing. Blood work can usually confirm or rule out any underlying conditions.
My mood depends on how good my hair looks
Your hair health can influence your self-esteem.
We've all had that exceptionally good hair day, when we've walked a little taller, sashayed a little stronger, or tried to catch a glimpse of our good fortune in the reflection as we walked past a window.
When you're dealing with tricky postpartum hair and the inevitable shedding of your glossy, glorious strands, it can be difficult to tame or style the hair you're left with.
If you have fine hair, like me, you will probably experience breakage, no matter how careful you are while brushing your mane. This can leave you with some very unfortunate and very unpredictable (and very unstyleable) areas. Sigh.
After fighting a losing battle with some unscrupulous "bangs" (just totally broken hair that was damaged along my hairline), I tried using a repurposed mascara wand dipped in hairspray to comb these hairs into line (read: oblivion).
Those little effers were blended into place, never to be seen again (until the next shower and style day). Without this trick, the baby bangs would have stood proudly at attention, saluting to complete strangers for the entire world to see from five miles away.
Nourish your body, nourish your hair health
If you nourish your body, you will also nourish your hair health. While this still won't prevent your hair from shedding postpartum, it will put you in the best possible position as new hair comes in.
Healthy foods, like dark and leafy greens, sweet potatoes and carrots, eggs, and fish are all packed with nutrients your body needs to amp up production—iron and vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin D, omega-3s and magnesium.
Prenatal vitamins are another great source for everything your body (and hair) need to thrive once you've shed your excess hair.
Jamieson Prenatal Multivitamins
These daily multivitamins are formulated for prenatal and postnatal care. They also have essential minerals, like iodine and iron, and folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects.
ONE A DAY Women's Prenatal 1 Multivitamin
These daily multivitamins provide nutritional support before, during, and after pregnancy. These softgel capsules have folic acid, DHA, iron, and calcium to help benefit fetal brain and eye development.
Your crowning glory
While you're making your way through this tough transition from Lady Lovely Locks to the other side (which will, hopefully, also result in you feeling like Lady Lovely Locks), take it as easy as you can with your hair.
And keep in mind, this stage won't last forever (even if it feels like it).
Be extra careful and gentle when washing, brushing, and styling your hair.
Brush your hair carefully before hopping into the shower. This won't prevent shedding; you'll still end up with a chunk of loose hair when you pull the brush away, but at least then you can collect it from the teeth and toss it out instead of having to deal with a gnarly, wet hairball you were forced to scoop up from the shower drain.
Use low-heat if you style your hair. If you can let it air-dry, even better.
Give preference to low-tension hairstyles. Wearing your hair down rather than in a high, tight ponytail or bun can cause repetitive pulling in the same area along your hairline, which can lead to thinning around the temples.
If you do notice thinning around your temples, try changing your part. If you usually part your hair down the middle, opt for a side part and see if it helps hide those areas. I know that worked wonders for me.
If you find you've been stranded (pun intended) in a weird, postpartum limbo, where your hair hasn't gone back to the way it used to be (read: the way you knew how to style it without having to wave a white flag and throw it into yet another bun, causing even further breakage), consider trying Weleda Rosemary Condition & Shine Hair Oil, which is supposed to moisturize and encourage healthy hair growth.
It'll take time to see results, but you may love those results when you see them looking back at you in the mirror. This oil can be used before or after you shower, which is nice because it requires less planning in the hair care ritual department, which if we're honest, takes more time than most of us like.
The rosemary oil, clover, and burdock root extracts work together to give you a deep conditioning treatment to make your hair more manageable.
Weleda Rosemary Condition & Shine Hair Oil
This is Weleda's Rosemary Condition & Shine Hair Oil. It's formulated to nourish dry hair and split ends.
Another tool you can add to your hair revival arsenal is the Tangle Teezer Scalp Exfoliator & Massager. It's a silicone exfoliator and scalp massager with flexible teeth that help clear build-up and promote hair growth.
You can use it on wet or dry hair just on its own, or you can brush oil through your hair to nourish and moisturize your scalp at the same time.
Tangle Teezer Scalp Exfoliator & Massager
This is the Tangle Teezer Scalp Exfoliator and Massager. It is made of silicone and has flexible teeth to help clear build-up and promote hair growth.
Alternatively, you can use this brush while you're washing your hair, for an extra deep clean and some added TLC.
Sorry, I can't hear you over the volume of my hair
Breathe life back into your hair by using strengthening, volumizing shampoos and lighter conditioners that won't weigh your hair down. These products will also help to prevent further breakage, which is crucial in this battle of the bangs.
When you find the right product for your hair type, they will add body to your style. Focus your conditioning efforts on the ends of your hair instead of higher up at your scalp and you'll achieve more lift. This will help your hair look soft, vibrant, and healthy.
My favorite leave-in conditioner came into my life during this postpartum hair loss transition. I hope it's around forever, because I don't want to go back to life (read: hair) without it.
Marc Anthony Coconut and Shea Leave-in Conditioner
This is a coconut and shea leave-in-conditioner by Marc Anthony. It's moisturizing, smells delightful, and helps keep those frizzy postpartum hairs in place.
Almost as important as the leave-in conditioner is the brush that equally distributes it throughout my hair.
It might sound silly, but it's actually the best brush I've ever owned.
It's thoughtfully designed with flexible bristles that are constructed and strategically spaced apart to gently glide through your hair without tugging (and, therefore, without breaking) your hair.
Wet Brush Detangling Brush
This is the Wet Brush Detangling Brush. Its flexible bristles are spaced further apart to prevent hair damage and breakage.
This is especially important for wet hair, as it's more susceptible to damage and split ends.
That's a wrap
Once your postpartum hair has been brought back from the brink, it deserves some extra love.
That love comes in the form of the Dyson Airwrap, which will continue to keep your hair healthy thorugh its innovative and ingenious design.
This multi-styling hair tool harnesses the power of air instead of using extreme heat to style your hair. The technology generates air pressure that creates enhanced coanda airflow, which attracts your hair to the tool and makes it wrap itself around the styling barrel, creating a curl.
Impressively, this tool measures the airflow temperature over 40 times a second, adjusting the heating element so the temperature never exceeds 150°C (300°F), preventing extreme heat damage.
The Dyson Airwrap shortens styling time, almost by half in my experience, and gives you a salon quality blowout in the comfort of your home.
The curling barrel attachments create uniform curls, while the paddle brush attachments smooth and straighten hair and tame flyaways. The wire brush attachment gives you voluminous lift at your roots, adding depth to your style.
My favorite feature, I think, is that with the barrel attachment, you can switch your curl direction on the fly.
That's right, there's no need to stop and switch which way the tool faces. You just turn the knob on the top of the barrel, even if you're in the middle of creating a curl, and it will automatically switch directions without damaging your hair.
This is a HUGE timesaver and an amazing thing because this is often how people accidentally burn themselves with straighteners, switching directions and going too close to their ear or neck with the hot plates on the straightener.
This is no longer a problem with the Airwrap because of this innovative design on the barrel...and also because of the enhaned coanda airflow it uses instead of extreme heat.
Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler
This is the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler. It uses enhanced coanda airflow to attract and self-wrap hair for voluminous curls or waves without heat damage.
A hairy situation
Throughout your pregnancy, your hormone levels are changing. Increased estrogen levels during your last trimester tell your body to stop shedding hair, giving you the hair of your dreams.
Then, you give birth to your wonderful babies and your hormone levels drop drastically. Your body tells any hairs in the growing phase to immediately skip ahead to the resting phase, and then postpartum hair loss kicks in a few months later.
While there's nothing you can do to prevent this shedding of excessive hair, there are ways you can help give yourself (and your 'do) a leg up once you and the postpartum hair loss part ways.
What was your postpartum hair loss experience like? How long did it last? What did you do to encourage new growth? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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