How to help with postnatal hair loss

No one ever tells you about postnatal hair loss. It’s one of those things that is ever so common, but just doesn’t get spoken about. During pregnancy, hair stays in the growing or resting phase of the cycle – which is why you often have amazing hair during pregnancy! After the baby is born, your oestrogen levels decline, and this extra hair starts to fall out. It often looks like a LOT – but it’s not usually anything to worry about, and your hair will return to it’s pre-pregnancy state within a few months. 

So what can you do to make postnatal hair loss less stressful?

• Try a hair mask. Some people swear by blending one egg white with two tablespoons of olive oil and massaging into the hair. After leaving for 30 minutes, rinse well with lukewarm water.
• Massage. Massaging the scalp helps with blood circulation and may encourage hair growth. Go for 5-10 minutes a day – this is fairly easy to work into your daily shower routine. 
• Eat well. This is important in the postnatal period anyway, and it may help your hair too. Make sure you get lots of fruit and vegetables and consider a multivitamin containing zinc. If you are breastfeeding always check with your doctor or midwife before taking any medication. 
• Stay away from the hair dye. As tempting as it is to get your hair coloured after having a baby, chemical treatments may make postnatal hair loss worse. Going to the hairdesser for a trim and style is recommended though, and can help to hide any thinner patches. 
• Give it time. Although at first it seems like you are losing heaps of hair, this will slow down and stop eventually, and most people end up with similar hair to that which they had before pregnancy. Once the hair loss has stopped, you could treat yourself to a new hair cut or a head of highlights!
• If all else fails, you could consider a hair transplant. For some people, this is the perfect option for getting back to normal, and making them feel more confident again.