Postpartum Hair Regrowth
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Have you heard of postpartum hair loss? People warned me about it during my first pregnancy. But, it was one of those subjects that I naively put on the back burner. Who has time to worry about hair loss that hasn’t happened yet when you’re preparing for your first baby? I just didn’t really think it would happen to me. And if it did happen to me, it probably wouldn’t be that bad. Unfortunately, I was so very wrong. Postpartum hair loss snuck up on me like a thief in the night. It somehow feels gradual and sudden at the same time. After my first baby was born, I thought I had dodged the hair loss bullet. But about 5 months out, inconveniently around the time we took our first set of family photos, my hairline thinned dramatically.
The first time postpartum hair loss happened to me, I was a bit alarmed. I had so many questions. Would my hair ever grow back? What can I do to make it grow back faster? I tried to look for answers and most of what I found was that the hormone shift after childbirth causes your hair to fall out and that it will eventually grow back in time, when your hormones are balanced again. My first response to this was, “What? I have to wait it out?! NOOO!” I know, dramatic, right? For the most part, this is the most honest answer out there on the internet, and my hair eventually started to grow back in time. However, with my second baby, I was fully aware of postpartum hair loss and I was ready with ways to help me cope with it. Before trying any new products or supplements, it’s never a bad idea to go to your doctor and ask for their recommendations on hair regrowth based on your individual skin and hair needs. But, this is what I did to help treat and cope with postpartum hair loss.
The first thing that I did was switch to a shampoo that is sulfate free to help keep my hair moisturized and healthy. I used the VERB Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner set. It was easy to wash out and left my hair feeling soft and detangled, without looking greasy. I also took my time brushing out my hair gently with a Tangle Teezer. If I was losing hair because of my hormones, I just wanted to be extra gentle with the hair that was left on my head so as to not cause anymore breakage or additional fall out.
The second thing that I added to my hair care regimen was using a scalp oil prior to washing my hair. I started using the JVN Complete Prewash Scalp & Hair Strengthening Treatment Oil. I partially bought this oil because I’m a big fan of Jonathan Van Ness, but I mostly started using it because of its claims. The pretreatment oil cleans and nourishes the scalp, which, in turn, helps to prevent breakage and fall out. This definitely made my scalp feel less itchy and dry. I don’t have any doubts that in combination with my new shampoo and conditioner, the hairs on my head were staying healthy and strong.
One of the more impactful things that helped with coping with postpartum hair loss is trying more flattering hairstyles. With my first round of postpartum hair loss, I brought it to my hairstylist’s attention and she had the best suggestion. She never usually suggests bangs for me, but in this case, she did. I was at the point where hair was growing back in my hairline at different rates. I had a lot of flyaway baby hairs sticking straight up and a set of very short micro bangs right around the hairline. She worked her magic and gave me a set of side bangs that hung right over my baby hairs and covered them completely. I loved it! And as the bangs grew out, so did my little baby hairs. I loved my new bangs because I was so self conscious about my postpartum hair loss over the past year and my new haircut made me forget about it for a while. With my second baby, I could not be bothered with styling bangs and I was way too sweaty chasing 2 babies to do so. This time around, I bought soft Scunci headbands which helped keep my hair out of my face while nursing and covered up my uneven hairline. This does not fix postpartum hair loss, but it makes it easier to cope.
Once I was finished breastfeeding my second baby, I decided to bring out the big guns. I started taking Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails Vitamins, drinking Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides in my coffee, and applied Vegamour Growth Serum on my hairline. Since I started this supplement regimen at about a year postpartum, and all at the same time, it’s hard to know which of these interventions helped the most. All I know, is the combination of these supplements and giving it time, is where I saw the most difference in the thickness and quickness of the growth of my little baby hairs. I felt like I was watching my little patches of hair grow thicker and start to fall more nicely on my hairline. They have not grown all the way out yet, but I am confident that postpartum hair loss is behind me. The postpartum regrowth process is painfully slow, but know that there is an end and there are things that you can do to help along the way. Whether you’re in the thick of it, or you are looking to prepare for postpartum hair loss in the future, I hope you found this blog helpful and know that postpartum hair regrowth is possible.
