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boukje
August 30th, 2013, 01:37 PM
Dear fellow LHC'ers,

I haven't been online for a while but I would love to hang around more often now.

I gave birth to my third child (son, named Rowan) a month ago and I am looking for some hair advice.

My hair is almost classic length at the moment but super thin. Everytime I gave birth I suffered from horrible post partum sheds. Two pregnancies made me loose so much (I could even see bald patches) and last year I also suffered from hairloss after my miscarriage last year.

Now a month after given birth I am not sure what to do with my hair. I don't want to cut it back a lot and I am scared I lose a lot more hair making it super bad.

I now have a small layer which is 5inch or so (and looks like a soft fringe), shoulder length hair (from my girls pregnancy 2,5 years ago), bsl layer from my sons pregnancy (4 years ago).

It doesn't look like it is in bad condition but putting it up is pretty annoying because it os such a long taper.

I am now thinking of cutting the growth off every month for a year to see how it goes (because I cannot go longer inmy opinion since it looks bad). But it does scare me thinking it will take over8 years to get rid of the layers).

I am thinkiing of buying those amish pins to bun it up during the night. My hair doesn't look nice since I get up during the night a lot to feed my baby so putting it over the pillow is no option. Braiding doesn't work out either.

Is there someone with tips to help me out?

:) thank you so much in advance.

Xx

Panth
August 30th, 2013, 02:12 PM
With thinning hair, well, you can have thin, long hair or thin, short hair - you chose. Personally, I'd always go for thin, long hair. Maintaining your current length (by trimming off your new growth) would be a good way to get rid of the 'layers' from the sheds without having to do a drastic chop. Alternatively, you could cut to your longest 'layer' length (BSL?) and then grow back from there, then maintain at classic once you got back there, if you feel that the last bits really are unbearably thin.

As for hair styling, updos are a great way of protecting your hair and helping you grow your hair fastest (or, more correctly, to retain the greatest possible amount of your growth by preventing damage). Putting it up may be a bit awkward with the layers, but that is probably just a matter of practice, the right tools and becoming ok with there being a bit of sticky-out ends. You may get neater buns from plaiting the hair before bunning, or by using wet or oiled hair.

At night, buns might not be the best of ideas. Some people find they work well (particularly buns on the very top of the head). However, a lot of people find buns either are too uncomfortable or actually cause damage when lying down because they get rubbed, bumped, moved about, etc. during sleep. A better option might be to plait it. An even better option is a sleep cap or sleep stocking made from satin (ideally silk satin). This will prevent a lot of the friction-based damage from your hair rubbing on the pillow, reduces tangles during the night and can reduce frizz. It will also keep your hair out of the way when feeding baby. The only problem is that some people find they are too restless during sleep and can't keep the cap on their head. In that case, a satin (silk satin) pillowcase could help with frizz and some of the friction-based damage.

Magalo
August 30th, 2013, 02:58 PM
For the night, I would also say to get either a sleep cap or a satin pillowcase. It'll help greatly. Personally, buns on top of my head gives me a horrible migraine (tried it two times, never again), I make a low braid. You could also do twin braids.

I don't know how thin your hair is now, but if I was you I would cut maybe to tailbone, to hip, or to waist... and let it grow from there. Even just cutting monthly grow will take YEARS, and I know I'm not that patient!

vindo
August 30th, 2013, 07:39 PM
Congrats on your third child!! :flowers:

I have had 4 sheds in the past 4 years...I know what you are talking about when it comes to hair loss "layers"...
I have only had one child, but my hormones like to go on rollercoaster rides while breastfeeding :rolleyes:.

After each shed, I decided individually. After my first shed I decided to just maintain and trim, and my hair did thicken up slowly. Other times I trimmed a little and then maintained.
I never went for a big chop, but with repeated hair loss I have not been able to keep it at classic length.

I found monthly trims to be most effective after a small trim of at least one inch to get a straight hemline.
The good thing about my shorter length now is that thickening up does not take quite as long.

My recent sheds have been very mild. Ever since I regulated my hormones with the help of herbs during a shed, I have been shedding less. I am losing hair right now...but it is not bad at all. I started out with 40 hairs a day and am now loosing up to 80 a day.
But during my postpartum shed I lost over 200 a day or more.

vindo
August 30th, 2013, 07:43 PM
I don't know how thin your hair is now, but if I was you I would cut maybe to tailbone, to hip, or to waist... and let it grow from there. Even just cutting monthly grow will take YEARS, and I know I'm not that patient!

I found that for me monthly trims worked fast and efficient (see my siggie pics). I get 1.8 cm of growth a month at the moment.
Hair can thicken up much faster "visually" at least, than regrow...so I think one should really consider both alternatives.

lapushka
August 31st, 2013, 04:43 AM
Boukje, First of all, congrats on your third baby. I didn't know you gave birth already. Congrats!

I think your idea of cutting back your growth every month is a good one. You might also, instead, cut a bigger chunk every three months or so. The key is patience. If you didn't cut your hair off the first few times with that much thinning going on, that is saying something. I hope it goes well with the microtrimming.