post pregnancy hair?

[mommy101405]

Did anyone else have a fairly drastic change in their hair after having a baby? I went from having a pretty good wave and a lot of volume to virtually no wave and much thinner. I think part of the problem I am having problems finding a wash routine that works for me is that I feel like I have someone else's hair. Even after over a year I am still not used to it.

[eadwine]

Much thinner is easily explained. I heard pregnant ladies don't shed like they should, but they sure catch up after giving birth.

[Eden Iris]

Postpartum shed was pretty drastic, but 16 months out I am back to a fairly healthy (for me) 3" circumference. I noticed that in addition to the massive volume of pregnancy hair I got curls, and those are still with me. The bottom six inches or so of my hair is in spirals. The hormones change everything (and they do it differently every time); give it time and try new things when you're able.

[willowcandra]

I lost tons with my last baby. I shedd longer and more than average. It will take a few more years till I have my thickness back all the way down.

It was hard to begin with but I am getting to grips with it.

I have heard of people going curly after pregnancy.

[mommy2one05]

maybe that is why i am shedding more all of a sudden...my baby is 4 months old

[lora410]

My hair the same after having DD. It was when I had it layered it seemed to thin out on me.

[Moezland]

Awesome thread - I'm due in a couple weeks, and I've been worried about how my hair will respond after I give birth.

Not to hijack the thread, but does any one think that continuing to take prenatals will prevent the major shedding?

[willowcandra]

Awesome thread - I'm due in a couple weeks, and I've been worried about how my hair will respond after I give birth.

Not to hijack the thread, but does any one think that continuing to take prenatals will prevent the major shedding?

No. Sorry to be blunt lol.
Most people though only lose the hair that they didn't lose while pregnant. Some don't even notice it but it can also seem scary.
When pregnant we tend not to lose hair then lose it all after the birth. It's very rare that people can lose up to 70% and that is more associated with big shock/prolonged sickness or surgery.

What you find is loads of women with two year olds and they have a layer of chin length baby hairs growing in.

It all grows back!!!

Do a google for Telegen effluvium for more details of pregnancy hairloss and other hairloss.:)

[artemisjade]

Ooh this is good information to have.

[mommy101405]

Awesome thread - I'm due in a couple weeks, and I've been worried about how my hair will respond after I give birth.

Not to hijack the thread, but does any one think that continuing to take prenatals will prevent the major shedding?

I had my girls 14 months apart. I've been taking prenatals since I was pg with my first and still am. Its prob not going to help hair loss but its a good idea to keep taking them anyway esp if you plan to nurse.

[Eden Iris]

Moezland, one thing that seems to affect the shed is how long you breastfeed. If you don't or if you wean in the first few months, you'll lose it all fairly quickly. If you breastfeed for a longer time, you'll lose the same amount of hair but it will be spread out over a longer period. Even still, you'll lose a bunch around four months post partum. I used to braid my hair at night so I wouldn't wake up with shed hairs all over the pillows and stuck to my back and arms.

[Moezland]

All really good information - thanks for responding everyone:flower:.These are good things to know - it makes me even more nervous, but at least i know what to expect. One more hijack question then I'm done;) - I was reading on another site a while back that some of the ladies who experienced heavy shedding actually cut their hair - I suppose in order to hide the thinning. This is obviously not something I want to do, so I'm just wondering for anyone with major shedding and thinning, what did you do instead of cutting - did you just tuck it away - how did you deal with the loss and then the regrowth of hair with such drastic length differences? Ok, I'm done OP - sorry about that:flowers:.

[groque]

I would just tuck my hair behind my ear because it thinned out a lot in the front. I couldn't believe how it went and then just like the OP said it was limp and thin. It grows back and no I haven't cut but I have trimmed the ends because they were thinning out a lot and wasn't help my wurls to clump up like they should.

[willowcandra]

All really good information - thanks for responding everyone:flower:.These are good things to know - it makes me even more nervous, but at least i know what to expect. One more hijack question then I'm done;) - I was reading on another site a while back that some of the ladies who experienced heavy shedding actually cut their hair - I suppose in order to hide the thinning. This is obviously not something I want to do, so I'm just wondering for anyone with major shedding and thinning, what did you do instead of cutting - did you just tuck it away - how did you deal with the loss and then the regrowth of hair with such drastic length differences? Ok, I'm done OP - sorry about that:flowers:.

I wrote a really long message then ds decided to chuck a paddy and smack my laptop.

Yes I wear my hair up. It's getting thicker again slowly and each trim gives me slightly thicker ends. I can't wear it loose though as it tangles bad it's so fine. It's still tempting to cut up to bra length but I am being strong! I want to stay classic so I am staying here and trimming often, it also means that as my hair thickens up I will be an expert at handling classic length hair.

[peachy.pudding]

I have only had one baby and during pregnancy my hair was ii and c now its back to normal ii m, however i dint notice that much shed if any??

[mommy2one05]

Moezland, one thing that seems to affect the shed is how long you breastfeed. If you don't or if you wean in the first few months, you'll lose it all fairly quickly. If you breastfeed for a longer time, you'll lose the same amount of hair but it will be spread out over a longer period. Even still, you'll lose a bunch around four months post partum. I used to braid my hair at night so I wouldn't wake up with shed hairs all over the pillows and stuck to my back and arms.

so my baby is a little over 4 mo. old....and I have recently started shedding ALOT, what if anything can I do to help reduce this and how long should I expect this to continue?

[mommy101405]

so my baby is a little over 4 mo. old....and I have recently started shedding ALOT, what if anything can I do to help reduce this and how long should I expect this to continue?

Just keep taking good care of it. Most moms I know have said the shedding slows by about 6 or 7 months post partum.

[Alaskanheart]

With both my sons my hair grew in stronger shinier and thicker during pregnancy.A few months after my first son was born I had lots of shedding, and a year after my second I had lots of shedding , I imagine it might be because I breastfed for a year with my second.

I cut my hair to APL after my first , from waist length (wish I had LHC back then), I cut into a short pixie after my second from APL.

Please do not do a drastic cut!I wish I would have waited it out instead of freaking out about the shedding, and I was already under pressure to cut because stylists told me that fine hair should be kept around shoulder length.

The shedding will slow down, and all the new fresh baby hairs will grow in, and you will be happy you didn't chop when all is back to normal.

Trim slowly 1/8 inch at a time if it makes you feel better, and go ahead and continue the prenatals if you want, but the shedding is a natural process, and I don't think it can be completely stopped.All that hair is hair you would have lost if it wasn't for the hormone changes with pregnancy.

It will get better just be patient.

[Florida Mom]

I have two children. After my first was born there was no discernible difference in my hair. After my second was born, same thing.... BUT 6 months later my hair became incredibly thick and wavy (I always had fine/thin stick straight hair)... and now 3 years later is still that way. :D I'm certainly not complaining - in fact, it's partly why I decided to grow my hair long - I've never had thicker lovelier hair!

[Moezland]

So, it seems like everyone's experience is different - hmmmm. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see. I figure obsessing about it now is not going to help anyway, so I might as well relax and see how things turn out. I'm glad to hear that cutting is not a necessity - I think I will just do my best to tuck it away and forget about it. Besides, I'm sure I'll be so wrapped up in taking care of my little pea pod anyway that I won't have time to really worry about it. Just in case though, I'll pick up a few cute head scarves:D .

[Village Mama]

My hair became significantly darker. It also grew in frizzy! Now after a few years my hair is growing in smoother again and my lighter hair is returning... as well as a pile of silvers!!

[mommy101405]

So, it seems like everyone's experience is different - hmmmm. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see. I figure obsessing about it now is not going to help anyway, so I might as well relax and see how things turn out. I'm glad to hear that cutting is not a necessity - I think I will just do my best to tuck it away and forget about it. Besides, I'm sure I'll be so wrapped up in taking care of my little pea pod anyway that I won't have time to really worry about it. Just in case though, I'll pick up a few cute head scarves:D .

I def varies. I have a friend who went completely bald on the sides. Some lost some large chunks. Most just have a lot of shedding. Some even improved.

[Eden Iris]

I think I will just do my best to tuck it away and forget about it. Besides, I'm sure I'll be so wrapped up in taking care of my little pea pod anyway that I won't have time to really worry about it. Just in case though, I'll pick up a few cute head scarves:D .

If you're already good with updos, then you're ahead of the curve. I had to start putting it up every day to keep the tiny hands out of it.

Congratulations, by the way, and good luck with the birth.

[naomimcc]

maybe that is why i am shedding more all of a sudden...my baby is 4 months old

Same here. It's crazy! I justwear it up all the time and forget about it. I know it's normal...but man...there's a lot!!!

[Moezland]

I def varies. I have a friend who went completely bald on the sides. Some lost some large chunks. Most just have a lot of shedding. Some even improved.

OMG!!!:shudder:. Now that's just scary!

[Moezland]

If you're already good with updos, then you're ahead of the curve. I had to start putting it up every day to keep the tiny hands out of it.

Congratulations, by the way, and good luck with the birth.

That's too cute:D!!! Thanks for the congrats and good luck wishes, Hun:flowers:.

[Moezland]

Same here. It's crazy! I justwear it up all the time and forget about it. I know it's normal...but man...there's a lot!!!

I just came from your profile and your hair still looks amazing - you said you've had a lot of shedding, but is it showing a lot? I mean would other people notice you've had a lot of shedding? I think I could live with it no problem if no one else could tell:shrug:.

[Shermie Girl]

All really good information - thanks for responding everyone:flower:.These are good things to know - it makes me even more nervous, but at least i know what to expect. One more hijack question then I'm done;) - I was reading on another site a while back that some of the ladies who experienced heavy shedding actually cut their hair - I suppose in order to hide the thinning. This is obviously not something I want to do, so I'm just wondering for anyone with major shedding and thinning, what did you do instead of cutting - did you just tuck it away - how did you deal with the loss and then the regrowth of hair with such drastic length differences? Ok, I'm done OP - sorry about that:flowers:.

I had face framing layers and bangs cut to hide the thinning at my hairline and temples due to postpartum shedding. If I remember correctly, (it's been nineteen years) I lost about a third of my hair's volume. Most of it grew back, but my hair isn't quite as thick as it was before I became pregnant. I only had one child, so I only had to do the postpartum shed once. :)

[mommy101405]

OMG!!!:shudder:. Now that's just scary!

Sorry, didnt mean to scare you. Its really not common.

[DolphinPrincess]

Well, maybe I'm just unusual, but after my first, I didn't notice any extra shedding, just about a dozen grays. After my second, I did notice that I would find my hair EVERYWHERE! I never seemed to lose any volume though, but even more grays. I actually had my hair thinned some because it was so thick. (My ponytail is still 4" circ) My oldest is now almost 3, and my youngest is 8 months. I stopped breastfeeding at 6 weeks with both.

[birdiefu]

I shed after both my kids, but nothing drastic. With this last baby, my shedding started at about 3 1/2 months till 5 1/2 months and it was *everywhere*. I even took some pics of what I lost in the shower- handfuls! However, my pony circ did not change and my hair feels about the same. The most annoying part is the halo of regrowth. I've been growing my hair through two babies, it's just another part of life and no reason to cut (well, unless you want to...but you don't need to!).

[naomimcc]

I just came from your profile and your hair still looks amazing - you said you've had a lot of shedding, but is it showing a lot? I mean would other people notice you've had a lot of shedding? I think I could live with it no problem if no one else could tell:shrug:.

The full length picture was taken just prior the shed. I'll have to do an update and circumference measure soon. My hair is definitely thinner...but nobody else has really noticed. I wear it up 24/7....

[Moezland]

I shed after both my kids, but nothing drastic. With this last baby, my shedding started at about 3 1/2 months till 5 1/2 months and it was *everywhere*. I even took some pics of what I lost in the shower- handfuls! However, my pony circ did not change and my hair feels about the same. The most annoying part is the halo of regrowth. I've been growing my hair through two babies, it's just another part of life and no reason to cut (well, unless you want to...but you don't need to!).

Excellent news:happydance:!!

[Moezland]

The full length picture was taken just prior the shed. I'll have to do an update and circumference measure soon. My hair is definitely thinner...but nobody else has really noticed. I wear it up 24/7....

I think if I need to - this is exactly what I will do:cool:.

[mommy101405]

I think if I need to - this is exactly what I will do:cool:.

Chances are your shedding is going to be noticeable to you and no one else, if you even have any. My dh actually noticed it more than I did. When I would lay my head on his lap and he'd put his hands through my hair he noticed more shedding that was about it.

[beatricedivina]

Chances are your shedding is going to be noticeable to you and no one else, if you even have any.


I totally agree with that - except that my husband did complain that I was clogging the shower drain more than usual. :)

My shedding didn't start until I was 3 months postpartum, and since my hair was really thick, no one could notice a difference other than me and my hairdresser. I breastfed exclusively for seven months, and am still breastfeeding 4 or 5 times a day at 12 months, and the hair loss has slowed considerably. What's driving me crazy now is the line of new growth at my nape - all this hair that's about an inch and a half long and impossible to get up into an updo!
I do a lot of babywearing with my daughter on my back, and she loooves to yank on any hair available. I've been doing a lot of updos just to keep her hands out of it. Those tiny hands are remarkably adept at pulling out hairpins, but she hasn't been able to work the Ficcare yet!

[birdiefu]

I wonder about the nursing part- I thought it was the pregnancy hormones (progesterone and all) that caused the hold-on of hair, then when those levels go down (progesterone goes down quickly after placenta is expelled) that those older hairs eventually decide to let go. I know with nursing, prolactin levels will be high for quite a while, but in extended nursing prolactin levels will go down to 'normal' (usually when menses regulate too) even while BFing. Did a lot of research on this while TTC while nursing my first (didn't get period until 14 months, no ovulation until 17 months after birth).

I am tandeming both my kids, so have never fully weaned yet. My shed for both lasted about 2 months, then went back to 'normal' for me after that time. Maybe if someone weaned earlier while prolactin levels were still higher and they then dropped suddenly rather than tapering off, that would cause a bit more of a shed? Speculation here...

[walkinglady]

With my first baby my hair grew like crazy and got really thick. With my second it grew normally during pregnancy but fell out like crazy afterwards. What a shock after my first pregnancy!

[Moezland]

Chances are your shedding is going to be noticeable to you and no one else, if you even have any. My dh actually noticed it more than I did. When I would lay my head on his lap and he'd put his hands through my hair he noticed more shedding that was about it.


I really hope so. I suppose I'm probably preparing for something that may not even happen, and whether that's a good or bad thing - I just don't know:shrug:.

It's just nice to hear from others who have had experience with it so I'm not completely shocked if it does come up. It's also nice to have a time frame. For example, it seems most people experience shedding about 3 months postpartum and it seems to last about 2 to 3 months. At least I'll have that time frame in my mind and will know not to freak out if I still happen to have any issues during that period. Now, if I'm going on my fourth or fifth month of shedding with no relief in sight:rolleyes:- Ha !That's a completely different story, LOL:thud:.

[busnutmedic]

I remember my mom having trouble with her hair after at least one pregnancy. I think part of the problem is that it thickens up so much before you can feel like you're losing all of your hair when it goes back to normal!

Bonnie

[mommy101405]

I really hope so. I suppose I'm probably preparing for something that may not even happen, and whether that's a good or bad thing - I just don't know:shrug:.

It's just nice to hear from others who have had experience with it so I'm not completely shocked if it does come up. It's also nice to have a time frame. For example, it seems most people experience shedding about 3 months postpartum and it seems to last about 2 to 3 months. At least I'll have that time frame in my mind and will know not to freak out if I still happen to have any issues during that period. Now, if I'm going on my fourth or fifth month of shedding with no relief in sight:rolleyes:- Ha !That's a completely different story, LOL:thud:.

Trust me, you're going to want it up all the time anyway. Check my pics:) You actually have to be careful long hairs dont get wrapped around their fingers or their little boy parts.
T

[birdiefu]

As far as post-partum regrowth is concerned, I have a few pics of mine. With DS' shed, most of seems to have happened around my hairline right behind the usual 'baby' hairs (you know, the ones that always stay short). I really don't know where the ones from my recent shed came from, but they seem to have been different hairs. Anyway, my regrowth seems to be pretty slow, but definite progress is being made. Can't quite put them back into a pony yet, but soon they will add to my pony circ.

1st pic taken when DS was about 2 years old, I don't think these started actually sprouting out until the year mark, so about 1 year of growth but they look like 3-4":

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v670/birdiefu/hair/halo1.jpg

Just a few days ago I teased some of these regrowing baby hair out of my braid. DS is now 3yr 8mo. I hadn't thought about them for so long but realized I don't have as much 'halo' as I used to. They are now brushing SL. This is just a sample of the hairs, they are all around my head:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v670/birdiefu/hair2/SLJordanHairs.jpg

[Moezland]

Wow! Birdiefu, thank you so much for posting these. Did you ever think it was breakage rather than postpartum shed?

I ask because I think that's what I would have initially thought, not having experience with it. I was assuming that the shed hairs normally start coming back by the 6th month or so, but it's good to know that it could be up to a year before it starts coming back in. If I hadn't known this I probably would start stressing about what I was doing to cause breakage - this helps me out a lot!

[birdiefu]

Nope, definitely not breakage, at least for me. All of those hairs have bitty tapered new hair points, and they are all about the same length (+/- 1/2" or so). They encircle my head around my forehead, sides, and nape and I never had them before the baby. Well, I had 'baby' hairs (short fuzzies that don't grow), but not that universal.

As far as when they grow back, it depends on when and how long your post-partum shed is, how long your catagen pase of hair growth is, and rate of new growth. Catagen (period between shedding and new hair) is usually only 2-3 weeks but I think these new hairs are very slow on me. So I stopped my PP shed around 6.5 months, a few weeks to maybe a month or more till the new root forms, then my slow growth, led to the new crop of hairs being noticed by me at around 1 year PP.

YMMV, though- I am just a single sample size. :blossom: