Postpartum Hair Fall: Causes and steps to overcome it

Postpartum hair fall is the excessive shedding of hair, few months post childbirth. Almost all the new moms experience noticeable hair loss few months post-delivery. Yes, you read that right. Hair fall and postpartum go hand in hand. It is not actual hair loss so to say. Once our hormones settle down to normal, the drop in estrogen triggers hair shedding. It's just the regular lifecycle of our hair but the only difference postpartum is the amount of hair. One fine day you wash/comb your hair only to find that the number of hairs on the floor is more than that on your head! (that's what I thought :))

I was always in awe of my hair the shine, the length. I just loved everything about it. And I had achieved all that without any salon treatment, yup! 

 

So, suddenly when they lost all the luster and density I started to panic. For me it happened quite a few months after my baby was born. I retorted to all the quick fixes I can get my hands on. Changed my shampoo twice, tried some well-known hair masks. I even switched to organic bar shampoo. But the situation worsened. 

 

Everybody I talked to told me the same thing, "This happens to everyone postpartum". So, I too accepted the fact that this is something normal. But things escalated from bad to worse rather quickly. The few (multiples of) hundred strands turned into massive chunks. I started losing my calm and cried over and over it (I was going through postpartum depression too). It was then that I took thing in my hands, circling back to when and how it started and made changes in my routine accordingly. 

So here I am sharing with you my little hair care secrets for managing postpartum hair fall.

1. Do NOT use heating tools:  My baby was born during the onset of winter season. When the winter was in peak, I left for my parents’ place. The maximum temperature for three months only went up to 17 degrees Celsius. Which meant washing hair only once a week or in 15 days and that too with warm water. And to add on to it I always used dryer to dry my hair out. As if the warm water was not damaging enough. 

Artificial (heat) drying methods however convincing they may sound or appear, are always damaging. I learned the lesson the hard way. Stay away from heating hair tools as much as possible. Even if you are washing your hair with warm water, let it air dry. Your hair is at the weakest when it is wet and added heat only causes more bad than good.

     2.  Check for the Quality of water: The most crucial thing in your hair care is the quality of water. The PH levels of water play an important role in our lives. If you are from the coastal regions or live in area which has hard water, you are bound to experience more postpartum hair fall compared to other new moms.

Invest in a good water softener for your shower/tap. I switched my regular water with filtered water to test this out. It really worked wonders from the very first time.

    3.  Do NOT change your shampoo: When you google about postpartum hair fall or hair care, the first thing that comes up are Ads. You will see n number of products ranging from shampoos, serums, oils, pills. As compelling as they may sound, I would urge you not to change your shampoo and conditioner. It is not your regular product that is causing the postpartum hair fall, it’s the hormones. And now is not the time to venture on trying new products because even if the product is worth, you might not get the desired results.

   4.  Do NOT be stressed: I know it’s better said than done but try to keep stress at bay. You are already dealing with a lot mentally and physically, postpartum. Stress only fuels up the negatives making postpartum hair fall even worse. Indulge in something that relaxes your body and mind. This will really help you in the long run. 

  5.  Switch to silk scrunchies and pillowcase: Your regular hair ties can also be damaging your hair. The normal hair ties tend to tangle the strands making them weaker in every use. Switch to silk scrunchies instead and see the change yourself. I have also swapped my cotton pillowcase with silk one and got visible results. Silk is gentle on your hair compared to cotton and minimizes the damage due to constant rubbing of your hair against the pillow.

Here’s a link to the ones I am using right now:

https://amzn.eu/d/b9YFhK5

  6. My DIY hair oil: I have fallen victim to a lot of DIYs. I was so desperate that I would try any and everything the internet had to offer. But I am glad that I ended up with a concoction oil that really helped in controlling my postpartum hair fall. This is the first time that I ditched my regular coconut oil to try on something new.

To prepare the concoction you would need:

·         Olive Oil – 200 ml

·         Castor Oil – 50ml

·         Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp.

·         Nigella seeds (Kalonji) – 1 tbsp

 Crush the fenugreek and Nigella seeds using pastel and mortar. Now add them on to a glass jar. To this jar add 4 parts of olive oil and 2 parts of castor oil. Keep the glass jar in sunlight for 2 weeks, before using it. Make sure to bring the jar indoor during night. And Tada, the oil is ready to use. I also add a few drops of rosemary essential oil but that is totally optional. 

 

 

Every journey has it’s ups and downs and so does postpartum. But just like every individual is different so is their journey. Never compare yourself with others as they might be going through something entirely different altogether. Focus on yourself and follow the suggestions and you will amazing results. And remember you are not alone in this!

I am no medical expert, but I have shared what worked for me. As I have shared before, I circled back my hair fall journey and found out where I fell short. If you are experiencing severe postpartum hair fall please consult with your doctor or care provider.