Pregnancy Hair Full of Tricky Hormones
Mom’s Hair Can Become a Mixed Bag Right Before Baby
Jun 30, 2009
While your body will go through a number of changes during and after your pregnancy, which may vary from new mother to new mother, the one change all women tend to experience is with their hair.
Hair Highs and Lows
Hormones affect every part of the pregnant body, including hair follicles. According to the web site Pregnancy Weekly, your hair “may behave differently than your pre-pregnancy hair.” Oily hair, dry hair, curly hair – if it was one way before pregnancy, it may have a completely different feel during the 40-week process. Some may welcome the change while others would prefer a return to their original hairy conditions.
Here are a few things you may expect:
Luscious Locks for the Lucky
Many women with limp, lifeless locks pre-baby find their hair getting an unexpected boost from the increase in hormones produced during pregnancy. Hair normally goes through an active growing phase, which can cause the hair to fall out, and a resting phase. During pregnancy, hormones cause the hair to enter into the resting phase, so hair is less likely to fall out.
Dry Hair Leads to Breaks
Some women may find their hair drying out during pregnancy, resulting in strand breakage. While not actually losing hair per se, this loss can be disconcerting. To combat hair breakage due to dryness, invest in a good conditioner, and try a deep conditioning treatment, such as hot oil. This will help lock in natural oils, strengthening the hair.
Dying and Perms During Pregnancy
Women who often dye or perm their hair before baby may be tempted to continue the tradition. However, it may be advisable to put the dye bottle down. Since dyes and permanent solution is applied directly to your scalp, it will be absorbed into your skin and can enter your body.
Alternatives to using permanent dyes can include highlights that don’t start at the roots. This way, the chemicals never come into contact with your skin. Hair mascara is also another alternative that could be useful. These products come in wands like eye mascara, and are applied in much the same way but instead of coating your eyelashes, the mascara coats the hair strands. With these, the product never comes into contact with your scalp, is temporary allowing you to change the colour often, and you add as many highlights as you like whenever you want.
Hair Loss After Baby
It’s common for women to shed hair after the baby is born and don’t be alarmed. It can seem like a lot. Nature is just doing its work and restoring your hair to its natural order, meaning the way it was before pregnancy. The decrease in hormones restores the active growing phase of your hair, so the luxurious tresses you gained while carrying your baby will usually return to their pre-pregnancy state.
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