Pregnancy comes with some pretty unpleasant symptoms from gas to acne to hemorrhoids thanks to those intense hormones rushing through our bodies. But what we don’t talk about nearly enough is postpartum hair loss. Yup, soon after the birth of your little bundle of joy, those same hormones that kept you glowing will leave you wondering if you’re going bald. Because you probably are…kind of.
After the births of all three of my kids, I experienced postpartum hair loss. The phenomenon is called telogen effluvium and it happens when pregnancy hormones begin to slow down. The hair loss generally happens around the fourth month of postpartum and can last up to a year but is usually temporary.
Every woman is different and for my three experiences with telogen effluvium, I went essentially bald in a halo around my face. Not only was this hard to hide but it made my already frumpy postpartum body and face look even worse. Talk about a shock to my self-esteem. But with some help from friends who had been there, I was able to get through those few awkward months of hair loss and I was able to deal with the even more awkward stage of growing my hair back out.
Part It
The first trick I used was to part my hair in creative ways that hid the worst parts of hair loss. If my left side was thinner than my right then I’d part my hair on the right side. Bobby pins played a huge role for me, I was able to pin my hair into place in order to make sure that I covered up the areas that made me feel less than beautiful.
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Hats and Scarves
Lucky for me, my first child was born in the fall and so by the time my hair started falling out, it was hat season and I was able to hide my shedding locks pretty easily and without question for months without anyone ever noticing. In the warmer months, I would take decorative scarves and wrap my hair in stylish ways that also hid my hair from view.
Ask Your Stylist
After the birth of my third child, I had one big kid and one toddler running around so wearing scarves and hats just was not practical. Not only did I not have the time but my toddler kept trying to pull my scarves off my head. Definitely not convenient. So, I turned to my stylist and she gave me a sassy, shoulder-length choppy cut that I could easily part in a few different ways to minimize the effects of my halo baldness.
Get Your Nutrition Right
While you’re waiting for your hair to stop falling out and to start growing, there are a few important things you can do to boost the growth process. Make sure that your stress is low (I know, that might sound laughable when you’re a new mom but trust me here) because stress can worsen hair loss. Drink plenty of water, eat your colors, and rest and sleep as much as you can even though sleep and new motherhood don’t ever seem to jive well. By taking care of your body, mind, and spirit, you can help your body heal faster.
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When all else fails, just remember that this annoying phase of postpartum hair loss is temporary. You are still a rock star goddess who brought life in to this world and if that isn’t as beautiful as hell then I don’t know what is. You’ve got this, Mama.
