The plain and simple fact is that somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of women will experience an increase in hair loss when they’re pregnant and in the months following pregnancy. While this hair loss is rarely significant enough to create a bald spot or to even be noticed by others, when you look down at your brush and see all of that hair it can be disturbing to say the least. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to keep your hair healthy during pregnancy and reduce that hair loss.
It’s important, first of all, to understand a little about hair loss during pregnancy. The changing hormones in your body have a number of effects on your body, and hair loss can be one. During a normal period of your life, about 90 percent of your hair is growing and about 10 percent is resting. Hormone changes during pregnancy cause more to rest. Resting hair falls out after a couple of months, making way for new hair growth.
Here, then, are some things you can do during pregnancy to maintain your hair:
- Talk with your doctor to make sure your hormones are at appropriate levels.
- Watch out for hair styles that will pull on your hair or cause your hair to be stressed, such as braids, pigtails, cornrows and others.
- Make sure you eat a hair-healthy diet. It should be high in fruits and veggies, and have plenty of antioxidants.
- Pick the right shampoos and conditioners. Your beauty products supplier can give you some advice here, just make sure that none of the ingredients are contraindicated for pregnancy.
- Be gentle on your hair, especially when it’s wet.
- Don’t get your hair too hot. If you have to use a dryer, use a cool setting.
- Consider nutritional supplements that contain important vitamins and nutrients like Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Zinc and others.
If your hair loss during pregnancy is severe, make sure to talk to your doctor. In some cases, there may be treatments you can use that will help with your hair loss and to keep your hair healthy during pregnancy.
