How To Cope With That Dreaded Postpartum Hair
*Collaborative Post
As all Mums know, hair can be a major problem both during and after pregnancy (also, science says that about half of all people experience some type of receding hair by the age of 50). We can end up gaining more, losing rather a lot and ending up with fluffy baby hair that cannot be tamed. But what can you do? What works for this postpartum hair and will it ever be the same again? Here are a few tips to help you to cope with it.
Minor Hair Loss
The majority of women will see their locks become thick and luscious during pregnancy but that isn’t long-lived. Those hormones change yet again once your baby is born and suddenly it’s time to wave bye-bye to your hair and invest in some plughole unblockers! So what is the best thing you can do to help this hair? Your best port of call is to gain advice from your hairdresser. If you have someone you visit regularly, they will know your hair type and will be able to recommend a suitable shampoo and conditioning treatment such as Pump Haircare’s Growth Shampoo. They will also be able to advise on how often you should have it cut and what style to opt for during this change. A good cut will keep it in far better condition and will also help to prevent breakages.
Avoid Heat
The one important area to consider when trying to cope with postpartum hair problems is trying your best to take good care of what hair you actually have left. Too much styling with heated products will only weaken and damage it further. It can be really tempting to try and spruce it up with a style but if you can leave those hair straighteners switched off for the next few months, your hair will be truly grateful and will recover far quicker.
Volumise
Instead of the hair straighteners why not try some semi-natural volumising techniques? Mousse and sprays may come to mind first but just blow-drying your hair upside down can instantly give your roots a good lift. You could also reduce the number of times you wash your hair and opt for dry shampoo instead. Applying this to the roots will give your hair a nice bounce and prevent further damage that over-washing can cause. And my final tip is to mix Epsom salts into your normal conditioner. The salt will add a natural thickness to your hair once it is dry.
Severe Hair Loss
Some women may experience more severe hair loss than others which can have a significant effect on both the way they look and also feel. Hair is such a big part of who we are. What colour, style, cut we go for is all an expression of our personalities and this shouldn’t be lost after having a baby. There’s enough to deal with when becoming a new Mum, the last thing you need is anxiety over your hair. The best move you could make would be to look into human hair products as these can produce a natural and beautiful look for you. Wigs have come a long way in recent years and they can be created to look exactly as your hair was before. However, you may want to opt for a brand new look for during this transition and why not? Have some fun and experiment a little, there is just so much to choose from and variations such as a lace front wig and full lace wig which are secure, natural-looking, comfortable to wear and versatile are a great choice to look into.
Baby Hair
Once your hair begins to grow back you will be the brand new owner of the fluffy baby hair look that is all too familiar amongst Mums. It has a life of its own, it can end up sticking out in all directions and pushes your current up and out. Oh, it’s just the best time, isn’t it?! The only good thing about this period is that it means your hair is finally starting to sort itself out and it will eventually look normal again. The best advice I can give here is to continue with a strengthening shampoo, don’t damage this new hair with too much heat, don’t over brush it, keep it well conditioned and try not to break it. Whilst you wait for it to grow out, think about new styling techniques for your hair. A loose messy bun will help to make your baby hair look as though it is apart of your new look. For another look, you could try adding waves to the longer hair to take the attention away from the tufty areas or you could go down the smoothing route and apply a little wax/hairspray/gel to flatten those stray hairs into a sleek updo.
Healthy Living
In all situations when trying to cope with postpartum hair, it is really important to take good care of your health. Taking postpartum vitamins, eating healthily, getting as much sleep as you can (baby dependent!) and reducing your stress levels as much as you can will all have a positive impact on the health and condition of your hair.
Do you have any further tips to add to cope with postpartum hair? Let me know in the comments.
*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.
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My second pregnancy I was determined not to have hair loss like my first. After basically crying and breaking down in my obgyn’s office I got recommended a postpartum hair vitamin from baby blues (www.babyblues.care) It has seemed to help my hair. The shedding slowed and it hasn’t felt so thin. Has biotin, collagen, b12, folate, vitamin a etc. Supposed to be all vitamins hair needs to grow. My first pregnancy all I got recommended was to cut my hair so I’m really happy with these results. Also like you mentioned I love a good volumizing product right now as well.