Postpartum Hair Loss – 10 Tips to Cope

The dreaded postpartum hair loss. It happens to every woman after giving birth and it can feel like you are losing all of your hair. Hair ends up everywhere and there seems to be no end to the strands of hair coming off on your hairbrush. So how do you deal with postpartum hair loss and is there anything you can do about it?

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Postpartum Hair Loss – Why it Happens

Remember when you were pregnant and your hair felt so thick and luxurious? That happens because you are shedding less hair. Shedding is a normal thing and is constantly happening to everyone. During pregnancy, this process is actually slowed down and you don’t lose as much hair as you normally would. This is why you end up with such thick, beautiful hair during pregnancy.

After you give birth, the hormones that were causing this hair retention dissipates. When that happens, it feels like your hair loss goes into overdrive as all the hair that should have shed during pregnancy all falls out at once. In reality, you are not losing any more hair than you normally would, it just all happens in a shorter amount of time.

So What Can I Do about Postpartum Hair Loss?

In my experience, this is a process that needs to work itself out. There are certain ways that you can deal with it and help it along though.

1. Brush your hair with a good boar bristle hairbrush.

Using a boar bristle hairbrush is the most effective way that I have found to remove the hair strands that are falling out. Brushing my hair daily with this hairbrush gathers the hair at once before it has a chance to fall out and cover my floor. These types of brushes are also gentler and that is important as rough brushing can cause your hair to fall out in larger clumps.

2. Stimulate the scalp to promote new hair growth.

Using the hairbrush is one great way to stimulate the scalp. You can also use your fingernails and scratch along your scalp, something that I do constantly throughout the day. This will help stimulate hair follicles to start growing new hair to replace what you are losing.

3. Get a haircut.

I haven’t done this one since my second was born, although I am in desperate need. Getting a hair cut will improve the health of your hair and help you to retain what you have. It also makes it more manageable if you have ridiculously long hair as I do. If you don’t have time to go to a salon, get yourself a good pair of sharp scissors and you can try to do it yourself (admittedly I am too scared to do this but know plenty of women who have been successful). If you can go to a salon, have them layer your hair to create a fuller look.

4. Skip the heat.

Heat will damage your hair, so avoiding styling will help. Also, let your hair air dry. All that heat makes hair look thinner so skip the extra effort until your hair loss evens out.

5. Eat healthy foods.

Getting proper nutrition will help your hair health. Eat a lot of leafy greens, sweet potatoes, carrots, eggs, and fish (omega-3s).

6. Don’t skip your vitamins.

For the same reason as a proper diet, vitamins are important to help maintain your overall health as well as your hair’s health. Many women swear by Biotin for hair loss. It is also recommended that you continue with your prenatal vitamin after birth for at least a few months or for as long as you are breastfeeding. If you like gummy vitamins, I was gifted these great tasting strawberry hair and nail vitamins from Nature’s Bounty. I highly recommend them as well.

7. Use a volumizing shampoo.

I have found that heavy conditioners and shampoos tend to weigh down my hair and make it look thinner. A good volumizing shampoo and a light conditioner (like this foam conditioner) can really make a difference.

8. Use a wide-toothed comb to avoid tangling.

Tangled hair will inevitably result in bigger clumps falling out. Using a wide-toothed comb with a detangler (or a lot of conditioner in the shower) will gently work out the tangles.

9. Break out the old scrunchies.

It’s all about being gentle to your hair. As a new mom, you will find the need to have your hair up, but you don’t want to have it in tight ponytails. A scrunchie is a perfect solution as it is gentle on your hair. Plus, if you are like me, it might remind you of your childhood when scrunchies were the cool thing to use!

10. Don’t freak out about postpartum hair loss!

Last, but not least, relax. Postpartum hair loss is a temporary thing and your hair loss will even out after a while. It is totally normal. If you feel like your hair loss is excessive, you can always contact your doctor just to be sure.

These tips will help you through your postpartum hair loss. Just remember that it happens to everyone and it will end! In the meantime, be gentle to your hair and be gentle on yourself. Practice some self-care. Enjoy your new baby and know that you will return to feeling like yourself before you know it.