Pregnancy hair growth / changes

[hermosamendoza]

I couldn't find this as a specific thread so if it already exists please someone direct me to that thread.

I am currently in my 3rd trimester and am loving the hair growth I get while having the mix of prenatals and pregnancy hormones. Last time I quit taking them and got anemia and my hair fell out for an entire year. Hence my first picture in my signature. I had to cut it short because I didn't know it was a lack of iron in my blood causing it.

How did your hair change for the better or the worse while pregnant?

Did you take prenatal vitamins? How long did you keep taking them after?

Where you able to save your length after?

Any other pregnancy hair or skin related stories to share?

[akilina]

I am curious too.
I am not pregnant and probably wont be for a while but I am totally curious. I hear so many women shed very badly after having the baby. I wondered if that was avoidable and how.

[Silverbrumby]

I had great hair both times I was pregnant. Man oh man. If they could make that into a pill without side effects I would take it forever. I didn't lose much with my first pregnancy but with the second there was more loss after the birth at around 6 months. Still I felt like I had better hair for up to 4 years after the birth.

[MissTulip]

My hair's growth rate definitely increased while I was pregnant and I don't think I had one shed hair the whole time either, it was awesome!. The texture changed also...it was growing in quite a bit straighter. I was really worried about my hair falling out due to hormone changes after my daughter was born. At about 4 months pp, the shed began but it wasn't too bad...just back to the regular amount. The hair that has regrown after the shed is curling again though, so I have an unruly halo of short curls at the hairline around my entire head...it's just lovely lol.

[Agnieszka]

During pregnancy my skin and hair were just beautiful. Not to mention no PMS which was great :-) Hair got thicker and shiny. After birth I've lost a lots of hair but mainly in the front (really a lot) and they grew back. My son is 15 months now and I have a fringe, which reaches my eyebrows. This is regrowth after loosing hair. So they will grow back!!! :-)

I haven't lost hair from top of my head ( I'm quite sensitive about that area as in a past I suffered with hair thinning because of seriously stressful year and surgery so I watch this area carefully)

Hair started falling about three months after birth and stopped about 10 months. But really, you will not notice a big difference on your head. Maybe just the fringe.

I took pregnacare supplement for first 3 months of pregnancy, but sometimes skipped day or two.

All the best!!!

[Mindy]

My hair got thicker and I think it did grow faster during my pregnancies, but I never measured so I'm not certain how much faster. I took prenantals and continued to take them for at least a year post partum.

I did experience very heavy shedding after each of my pregnancies. To the point that my hairline receded a bit and I had bald spots above my temples. (dont panic, i dont think this is the norm!)

The shedding started about 2 or 3 months post partum and continued for 3 months or so. The good news is that as soon as the shedding stopped my hair began to fill back in. Where the bald spots were, I now have about an inch of regrowth. I don't think most people experience such a drastic shed, but going through a major shed after having a baby is pretty common. My advice would be to continue taking prenatals and avoid any harsh chemicals like dye. I can't say for certain, but I think dyes and such may increase the shedding. I know mine got much worse the first time I touched up my roots post partum.

[Katze]

During my first pregnancy I had the longest, thickest hair I have ever had. It didn't shed hardly at all, and it almost got to waist - a hair goal I will probably never achieve! I took prenatal vitamins until DD was at least a year, since that's how long I nursed her.

When DD was almost exactly 3 months old, it started coming out in handfuls - over a thousand hairs a day (yes, I counted). I lost hair by the handful - but interestingly, no bald spots, as it seemed to come out all over my head - until DD was about 6 months old. In those three months of heavy shedding I lost over half my hair, but when I started taking biotin, it slowed, then stopped, and the new growth came in fast and thick.

That hair is now between shoulder and APL. DD is almost three and a half. My hair has still not fully recovered in length.

I am now 30 weeks pregnant and, sadly, notice that my hair hasn't shed much for a couple of weeks now - maybe 10 hairs a day - meaning that I will probably have a massive shed again. I am taking prenatals and also a vitamin supplement juice from food sources (Cellagon, for those of you in europe, highly recommended). My hair looks good most of the time, but it's not the same as during my first pregnancy. Perhaps because I just don't have the time to baby it?

I think a lot about what I am going to do with my hair if/when it all falls out again, because growing out and slowly trimming to catch up with the new growth all over again would break my heart, and I've never gotten my first pregnancy hair back, either. Probably some kind of angled long bob, or just shorter to maximize the thinness.

[MrsGuther]

I just found out I am expecting for the third time. yay! Anywho, my hair grew pretty fast with the first two pregnancies. I barely shed any hairs the whole time I was pregnant, then I had the baby and my hair shed a good bit. Making up for lost time I think. My scalp seems greasy easier now, due to hormones I presume. It's aggravating but it'll be ok.

[hermosamendoza]

I do remember getting fringe to help cover up the balding temples.
I don't know when but I was shedding a bunch and noticed today I have a bunch of little tiny hairs growing off my forehead.
I haven't noticed a huge change in my hair this time like I did last time so maybe since the sex is different that effects it too?

[neko_kawaii]

I didn't notice any change in my hair before or after pregnancy. My SIL lost patches of hair postpartum with both kids (boy and girl).