What To Expect When You’re Expecting

27th May 2014

Between dirty nappies and two-hourly feeds new mums have enough on their plate, without adding unexpected hair loss to the mix.

It’s well-known that new mothers can experience significant hair loss after giving birth, with most women losing clumps around three to six months after delivering their child. Known as postpartum hair loss, this can add a considerable amount of stress to what is already a very hectic time.

Last week, new mum Kerry Katona took to Twitter to express her concerns about the hair loss she’d been experiencing following her recent pregnancy. It’s undoubtedly a stressful time, but for any mums-to-be out there – there’s no need to panic.

Normally, we tend to lose around 100 hairs a day, but as these are lost individually most of us don’t tend to notice. Around 85 to 95 per cent of hair on our head is growing at one time – with the other 10 to 15 per cent at a resting stage, and ready to shed.

The increased levels of oestrogen during pregnancy prolong the hair’s growing stage, stopping it from falling out and leaving pregnant women to enjoy longer, fuller looking tresses. However, all good things must come to an end and, once these hormones leave the body, hair loss comes back with a vengeance in an attempt to make up for lost time.

Most mothers who’ve chosen to breastfeed won’t see this change for a little longer, usually kicking in when they start weaning their child.

For any mums-to-be, follow the simple tips below to help minimise the impact of postpartum hair loss:

• Be sure to keep your hair healthy – eat well, and take pre and post-natal vitamin supplements, to ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it requires.

• Be gentle with your hair – only wash it when necessary and try to limit the amount of heat you use on it.

• Use quality products – treat yourself to a good quality shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair from turning brittle.

• Scalp massages – when you get five minutes, a rare occurrence with a new-born I know, get your partner to give you a head massage. This will increase the blood flow to your scalp, maintaining a healthier soil for your hair follicles!