You can often hear complaints from women that hair falls out during pregnancy. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common phenomenon associated with physiological changes that occur in the body during the period of gestation.
Bit of theory
In order to understand why hair falls out during pregnancy, it is worthwhile to figure out what happens in the female body during this period. Restructuring of internal processes begins with an increase in the level of estrogen in the blood. It ensures the normal functioning of the uterus and fetal development. Moreover, this hormone has a beneficial effect on the condition of curls. Thus, pregnancy is a great time to grow long and thick hair.
By the third trimester, the situation could change dramatically. As the fetus grows, the body begins to feel an acute shortage of trace elements, because all reserves are directed to the normal development of the baby. Naturally, this happens to the detriment of the mother's body, and hair, nails and teeth are the first to suffer. That is why in the second half of the period it is recommended to pay special attention to nutrition.
If hair falls out during pregnancy, it is much more noticeable than in the usual state. The fact is that during the period of gestation, all resources are directed specifically to the development of the baby, and their own regeneration processes stop. So, in place of each hair that has fallen, a new one does not begin to grow. These processes will only begin to work again some time after giving birth.
Causes of Hair Loss
The fact that hair falls out during pregnancy is quite natural, because all the resources of the body are aimed specifically at the development of the fetus. It is clear that women do not want to part with their luxurious hair. To deal with the problem, you need to deal with the main reasons:
- lack of nutrients in the body (calcium, zinc, iron and others);
- infectious diseases or inflammatory processes;
- improper care or poor hygiene;
- malnutrition or malnutrition;
- sleep disturbance;
- depressive and stressful conditions;
- skin problems;
- weak immunity.
Postpartum Hair Condition
Pregnancy is a joyful, but at the same time difficult period (both emotionally and physiologically). It would seem that after childbirth the situation should improve. However, after pregnancy , hair falls out severely. This is largely due to a change in hormonal levels (estrogen levels decrease), as well as blood composition. As for minerals, they are redirected to the enrichment of breast milk, but not to the strengthening of hair follicles.
Do not forget about the stress factor. Often there is such a thing as postpartum depression (especially if this was the first time for a woman). In addition, the baby "establishes" its "orders" in the house, and therefore there is sorely lack of time for sleep and rest.
Thus, hair loss after pregnancy is a completely normal process. It can last from 6 months to 2 years until the body is completely restored.
Why does hair fall out after pregnancy?
Having dealt with the theory, it is necessary to clearly identify the causes of hair loss after childbirth. These include:
- lack of nutrients (if during pregnancy they were directed to the development of the fetus, then after childbirth - to the formation of the optimal composition of breast milk);
- depressive state, nervous stress;
- insomnia and lack of rest;
- hormonal changes (a sharp decrease in estrogen levels);
- malnutrition.
General rules
Many women have very hair loss during pregnancy. In order to prevent this situation, you should be guided by the following basic rules:
- Adjust your diet. The goal of food intake should not only be to satisfy hunger, but also to saturate the body with nutrients. To make hair fall out less, include in the diet more foods containing B vitamins, as well as calcium. Develop a menu with your healthcare provider.
- Rebuild your lifestyle to suit your situation. Try to relax and walk outdoors as much as possible. Protect yourself from negative emotions, refrain from strong physical exertion.
- Pay attention to hair care. Make it a rule to use natural-based shampoos. Use folk remedies that will strengthen the hair follicles.
Folk recipes
If you have hair loss during pregnancy, you can try to solve the problem by folk methods. The following recipes will help strengthen the bulbs and stop the loss:
- Steam a few slices of rye bread, lightly pour boiling water over them. After shampooing, while the hair is still wet, rub the resulting slurry into the roots, intensively massaging the skin with your fingers. For 20 minutes, leave the mask for exposure, warming the head with a film and a towel.
- Heat the whey slightly and mix with egg yolk. While the composition is still warm, quickly spread it over the scalp, wrap it with a film and a towel. After half an hour, rinse your hair well with shampoo.
- Treat your hair with colorless henna regularly. It is enough to dilute the contents of the bag with water (to the state of thick sour cream) and apply to the roots (the residues can be distributed over the hair). After 15-30 minutes, rinse with water and shampoo. If henna particles remain in the hair, they can be combed out when the hair is already dry.
- Combine castor and burdock oils. Before applying, warm the mixture and rub into the scalp. Spread the rest over the entire length or grease the ends liberally. Wrap your head with foil, additionally insulate with a towel, and after 40-60 minutes, wash your hair.
Herbal Rinse
When hair falls out during pregnancy, there are many ways to strengthen it. The most effective of these is rinsing with herbal decoctions every time after washing your hair. The most popular recipes are:
- Two handfuls of dried honeysuckle should be poured with a liter of water. Put on fire, bring to a boil and simmer under a closed lid for another quarter of an hour. And after another half hour, the finished broth will need to be filtered.
- Take a tablespoon of coltsfoot and dried nettles. Boil and immediately remove from heat. The broth should be infused for about an hour, after which it needs to be filtered.
- Take 2 tablespoons of calamus, burdock and hop roots. Pour raw materials with a liter of boiling water and let stand for several minutes. Put the vessel on fire and boil for 5 minutes. When the broth cools down, it must be filtered.
Useful Tips
It often happens that during and after pregnancy, hair falls out severely. What to do to prevent this? Use the following helpful tips:
- reduce to a minimum the amount of sweets consumed, preservation, as well as smoked and spicy foods;
- Regularly “refresh” your hairstyle by trimming the cut ends;
- refuse extreme temperatures while washing your hair (water should be warm);
- choose products for hair care marked "Intensive care";
- pay attention to natural shampoos (they should contain ginseng, tea tree oil, panthenol, rosemary extract, etc.;
- during pregnancy and lactation, completely abandon the drying of hair with a hairdryer, as well as thermal styling;
- get a comb with wooden cloves or with natural bristles;
- and in the cold and in the hot season, hide the curls under the headgear.
Women's Tricks
If during or after pregnancy, hair falls out, what to do, women themselves will tell, who have already felt this condition on themselves. In women's forums, you can find the following tips to help keep your hair healthy:
- if the second half of pregnancy occurs in summer and autumn, the basis of the diet should be plant foods (we are talking about natural vegetables and fruits, which can be purchased from summer residents);
- in a small container with a sprayer, you need to pour purified water and add a few drops of oil solutions of vitamins A and E (in the summer heat or in winter, when the air in the rooms is overdried, you need to regularly spray the curls with the obtained composition);
- immediately before shampooing, add oil vitamins to the shampoo (you can alternate them or add the whole cocktail at once);
- if you are just planning a pregnancy, you should protect yourself from the problem in advance by organizing an intensive course of taking vitamins and minerals.
The severity of the problem.
If you have severe hair loss during pregnancy, this is not a reason for panic. Of course, it is unpleasant to see negative changes in appearance, but it is worthwhile to understand that this is a natural process. However, sometimes hair loss is so severe that it is simply not possible to not panic. In some cases, you really have to seek the help of a trichologist.
to assess the condition of the curls, remove one hair from the comb and carefully examine it. The bulb should be light. If it is dark, consult a doctor.
If you have not found any negative changes in the condition of the bulb, but the amount of hair loss still bothers you, you should make sure that this is really a problem, not a suspiciousness of a pregnant woman. To do this, you can conduct the following test:
- do not wash your hair for a couple of days;
- in the morning, without combing, collect the hair in the palm of your hand and gently pull it up, sliding your hand over it;
- put the hairs that remained in the hand to the side;
- repeat this manipulation 2 more times;
- count the hairs that have fallen out;
- if there are 15 or fewer, everything is within normal limits, and if their number significantly exceeds this figure, there is reason to contact a trichologist.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, for the happiness of becoming a mother sometimes you have to pay with attractive appearance. One of the most important problems is that hair falls out during pregnancy. What to do? Of course, it is worth forming the body’s resources even at the stage of conception planning, taking vitamin complexes. As for the period of pregnancy itself, it is important to reconsider the methods of hair care, as well as properly organize nutrition.