How do you know if you will have postpartum hair loss?

postpartum hair loss

What we do know is that while not everyone will go on to lose a disproportionate amount of hair after having a baby, some patients might be at higher risk for hair loss than others. According to Dr Kung, a family history of postpartum hair loss is an important risk factor. A challenging pregnancy, having twins (or any multiple births) or other medical issues, such as hypothyroidism, anaemia, polycystic ovarian syndrome or autoimmune disease can all increase a patient’s risk of postpartum hair loss.

Your ob-gyn will probably give you tons of appointments and tests during your pregnancy, but she’s unlikely to have any system in place to track your hair loss and determine when it’s going to get problematic. ‘We don’t order labs to predict if a patient is going to lose her hair – it’s probably best to just see a board-certified dermatologist for an evaluation,’ Chen says.

How do you treat postpartum hair loss?

postpartum hair loss

Unfortunately, nobody has yet found a product to treat the postpartum hair loss condition, but there are several things doctors advise their patients to do in the meantime. Here’s what they suggest.

Pay attention to your scalp

Lucky Sekhon, MD, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist and ob-gyn at the fertility centre RMA of New York, also believes it is crucial to keep the scalp clean. ‘Not cleaning your scalp properly can make dead skin cells accumulate, which can lead to seborrhoeic dermatitis that can result in redness and inflammation,’ notes Dr Garshick.

Devin Toth, a hairstylist at Salon SCK in New York City, adds that you should leave time for a scalp massage in your routine. As Dr Garshick notes, it can do a body good: ‘Scalp massages can increase blood circulation, remove excess sebum and dead skin cells, and can also help penetration of products such as scalp serums, oils, foams and shampoos.

‘Scalp massage improves circulation to the scalp, which is needed so that the hair follicles are able to get the nutrients they must have from the blood to keep them in the growing stage,’ she says. And as far as how you should scale your spa day treatment, experts are united on one front: you have to be light on the pressure: ‘Whether you choose to use your fingertips, a hand-held scalp massager, or a scalp exfoliator such as Dr Frank Lipman’s Revitalising Scalp Therapy, gentle pressure is key – you don’t want to pull out any hair you already have,’ says Toth.

If you select a hand-held instrument, Dr Garshink recommends the Hairstory Scalp Massager: ‘It is really easy to use and the silicon bristles are really gentle to the scalp.’

HAIRSTORY

postpartum hair loss

Style with care

Toth advises new mothers to be especially gentle with their hair, which means avoiding thermal styling tools and harsh brushing, as well as swapping curling hair irons for looser braids and perhaps a low ponytail. ‘Both are great because they will keep your long hair away from an infant’s clenching fingertips (that is, inadvertently tug at your baby as he nurses), which is the most damaging force for your hair,’ he says.

Toth suggests tying them down with scrunchies. ‘Scrunchies are kinder to your hair than an elastic, or a hair bungee, if you’re looking for something low-impact,’ he says. The Slip Hair Scrunchies are made of silk.

Eat a balanced diet

postpartum hair loss

And the prospect of being able to prepare nutritious meals for yourself might seem overwhelming in the days following birth, but try your best to select foods that will not only restore your energy levels but also supply a wide spectrum of nutrients to your still-healing body. The key thing is to eat balanced meals and make sure that you are getting enough protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, biotin and vitamin C, Dr Kung recommends. ‘Other nutrients that may be helpful include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and vitamin E, although more research is needed to clarify their role in hair growth,’ she says.

Skip chemical hair treatments

It might be tempting to have yourself photoshopped by a cashmere blowdry and a colourist in your front room, but most experts advise against it. ‘Over-processing your hair can increase your chance of breakage by a thousandfold,’ the board-certified dermatologist Geeta Yadav, MD, told Allure.

postpartum hair loss

Preferring patients to steer clear of chemical hair treatments such as perms, relaxers and excessive hair colouring during the postpartum period, Sekhon says: ‘This is typically a time when women want to enhance their looks and flush their hair, but these treatments can compromise the integrity of your hair, making it more prone to breakage and damage.

Consider getting a new haircut

We’re not about to tell you to chop off all your locks when you’re sleep-deprived and raging with hormones (no matter how badly you need a change), but consider yourself encouraged to try a new style, Toth says. If you have curls and/or coils, layer your locks to lift them up and wreak havoc on them. ‘Single-length curls can look very thin,’ he says. ‘Layering [the curls] will give bounce and density. They will look full of life.’

How do you know if you will have postpartum hair loss? Part II

postpartum hair loss
postpartum hair loss postpartum hair loss postpartum hair loss
How do you know if you will have postpartum hair loss? Part II