AAHHH!!

Two months after the birth of my second child, the worse thing happened…my edges were suddenly GONE, my hair was shedding like crazy, and was extremely dry! At first I thought it was from my braids but they were not tight at all and were in for only a month. I’ve experienced breakage before but not like this! So after much research, I chalked it up to POSTPARTUM HAIR LOSS because my hair was at its best during my pregnancy: thicker, softer, and longer. Now its super dry, brittle, and shedding like a cat. It felt like I was back to square one. SMH.

If you haven't experienced this before, postpartum hair loss is when your hair begins to fall out AFTER the birth of your child. It usually happens around three months postpartum and is typically temporary. Not everyone will experience it and although you may have experienced it after the birth of one child, you may not have it with the next! 

What causes it?

During pregnancy, the hair growth cycle is in a resting state or “frozen” due to the surge of hormones the body is producing. Because of this, the hair appears to be longer, minimum shedding, thicker, and more lustrous during those nine months. THEN, a few months after the baby is born,the hair leaves that “frozen” stage and the hair that normally would have shaded during those months fall out. The normal amount of hair that we typically shed a day is about 100 to 125 strands. With postpartum hair loss, it’s over 300 strands!

So what can I do to prevent or deal with this?

Although you may not be able to COMPLETELY prevent this from happening, there are things you can do to help decrease the amount of hair loss during this time with these helpful tips:

Eat a diet high in protein, fruits, and vegetables.

Stay away from heat (or use it less).

Reduce stress.

Drink plenty of water.

Take Vitamins.

Keep hair moisturized.

Massage your scalp.

Give yourself hair masks.

Get regular trims.

Postpartum hair loss is a normal process and although it isn't fun, it is temporary and should began to resolve between 6-12 months. Be patient and continue to give your hair the TLC it needs during this time!