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Breastfeeding and Hair Loss

By July 23, 20202 Comments
Postpartum hair loss

Where do I even start? Child bearing is one of the best things to happen to anyone but no one tells you about other things that come with it. It is all fun and games until you start getting prolonged baby blues or your hair starts falling out and you cannot remember when last you saw your defined hairline. So what is the relationship between breastfeeding and hair loss?

As you already know, I do not often rock my natural hair because it is not as voluminous as I would like. Now imagine how thin it got when I was breastfeeding my son. In my interaction with others mothers that were also breastfeeding, I realized that it is common issue and felt the need to talk about it today in today’s blog post.

Many new mothers experience hair loss from as early as three months postpartum. It is safe to say that this is normal and temporary that that the hair grows back on even though it may take longer in other people.

Postpartum hair loss is a normal – and temporary – postpartum change that is unrelated to breastfeeding. Most women will return to their usual hair growth cycle between 6 and 12 months after birth.

Normally, during pregnancy, the hormonal changes stimulate an increase in the percentage of hair in the growth phase and this results to most women enjoying thicker hair during pregnancy. After childbirth, the subsequent hormonal changes, a larger number of the hairs enter the resting phase causing the hair loss postpartum.

Postpartum hair loss may start three months after child birth and may last between 9 and 12 months depending on the length of the resting stage.

Most women will return to their normal hair growth rate in between 6 and 12 months. If your hair does not grow back normally after 12 months, you should see a doctor as this may be caused by hypothyroidism or anemia as a result of iron deficiency.

How to remedy hair loss during breastfeeding

Protect your hair when breastfeeding

As already mentioned, the hair will return to its normal growth rate of between 85-95%. As you wait for it to grow back, here is what you can do:

  • Get a good haircut
  • Get a protective hair style
  • Use a good quality shampoo and conditioner
  • Try different styles and styling products that will make your hair look bulkier
  • Avoid brushes and hair styles that pull or stress your hair

It is important to note that hair loss after childbirth in not as a result of breastfeeding but rather because of the changes in hormones and the difference in hair growth rates and resting stages.

How did you deal with hair loss after childbirth?

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