Postpartum symptoms are experienced by the majority of women after pregnancy. One of these symptoms is postpartum hair loss. Often called “postpartum shedding”, this is one of those things that all moms will experience after pregnancy.
What is postpartum hair loss?
It is a form of a condition known as telogen effluvium. According to the American Academy of Dermatology or AAD, it is surprisingly common to moms.
In technical terms, telogen effluvium refers to a form of hair shedding rather than hair loss. This means that hair is falling out much earlier in its cycle than the usual process. Eventually, it will be replaced by new hair.
The hair goes through three major phases. After the last part of the process, or what experts call the resting phase, hair falls out and new hair grows in, pushing out the old ones, thereby causing shedding.
What are the causes of postpartum hair loss?
To better understand this phenomenon, various causes of postpartum shedding is discussed below.
A. STRESS
According to experts in this field, added stress brought about by giving birth largely interferes with the usual hair cycle. In these cases, the hair enters the resting phase earlier than its regular course.
When hair shedding happens, moms usually notice that there’s a lot more hair than they would ordinarily see in normal circumstances. This is because the hair was in a resting phase for longer than the usual process.
B. HORMONES
Hormones in the body play a crucial role that affects hair shedding. Specifically, the decreasing level of estrogen in the body after giving birth could be one of the main culprits of postpartum hair loss.
This is because, after labor and birth, estrogen and other hormone levels rapidly decrease and return to their original levels before pregnancy. Also, the level of cortisol in the body remains high after giving birth. Some women can even experience their thyroid hormones getting out of balance.
When hormone imbalances occur, coupled with potential nutritional stress, lack of sleep, and general demands of caring for a newborn, this creates a perfect combination which oftentimes leads to hair shedding.
How long does postpartum shedding last?
Experts agree that this condition usually starts at around three months after birth. In most cases, most women will return to their respective hair growth cycle within six months. This corresponds exactly to between six and twelve months after birth.
How to reverse postpartum hair loss?
There are a few ways to help lessen or minimize the damage of postpartum hair loss, so read on to find out more about them.
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Do-It-Yourself hair masks are good to moisturize the scalp to keep it healthy.
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Eat foods rich in vitamins that boost hair growth
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Get regular hair trims and avoid heat styling in the process
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Take biotin, as it is the main supplement that fuels healthy hair
If all else fails, how can SMP help?
Scalp micro pigmentation commonly referred to as SMP is one option that moms may consider to address postpartum hair loss. StudioConceal provides one of the easiest available options to help alleviate hair loss issues suffered by moms after giving birth.
Considered an advanced cosmetic hair solution, SMP is a hair restoration method that does not require surgery. It is known by its other name, which is hair tattooing, and is different from other existing hair transplantation methods offered in the market nowadays.
SMP is different from a traditional tattoo. Although they are two different processes, the basic or core method is still the same. With SMP, the procedure mimics natural hair follicles that give it a very natural look.
What will happen after the SMP procedure?
For women, it appears as though there is more hair-to-skin ratio which gives an illusion of thicker-looking hair.
Head over to StudioConceal’s FAQs to read more about how it works, the necessary preparation, and the procedure for SMP.