How to Deal with Postpartum Hair Loss

I have to say one of the most devastating parts of the postpartum experience for me was definitely hair loss! You grow these long, luscious locks during pregnancy only to have them literally stripped away from you a few months later! Talk about self esteem crusher (while it’s already low from trying to cope with your extra flab).

Postpartum hair loss is normal. The reason it occurs is because all of the extra hormones you have during pregnancy prevents you from losing hair. When your hormones start to return to normal levels (about 3 months postpartum), your hair returns to it’s normal cycle, and essentially sheds the hair that never fell out during pregnancy.

Unfortunately, postpartum hair loss is not something you can prevent from happening (thank you mother nature). But it is something you can deal with.

I did extensive research and tried out many different tricks from my hairdresser as well as the internet. While every woman is different and has different hair types, I wanted to share what worked for me.

To preface, I have thin, wavy hair that gets greasy easily. If you have the same hair type, these tips will definitely help you. But, there are also tips to help women with all hair types.

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Keep taking prenatal vitamins

I actually doubled up and took my prenatal vitamins and hair, skin and nail vitamins. Yes, I was desperate.

You should be continuing to take your prenatal vitamins while you breastfeed to ensure you and baby are getting all the nutrients you need! The biotin in these vitamins is super helpful because it helps produce protein cells which promote hair, skin and nail growth.

Use tea tree oil

Tea tree oil has been my life saver. It has so many benefits because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Tea tree oil helps unclog hair follicles and promotes healthy roots, which in turn stimulates hair growth.

I also love that this essential oil helps get rid of excess oil on my scalp. Having an oily scalp weighs your hair down and can cause more hair to shed. Tea tree oil also helps with flaky, irritated scalps.

Use volumizing shampoo

To use this I would make a tea tree oil hair mask once a week and then add a drop to my shampoo twice a week. There are also really good tea tree oil shampoos out there like Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Shampoo or Organix Tea Tree Shampoo.

My hair felt so thin after about a month of donating it to my shower drain. I was always drawn to shampoos that would “mend my split ends” or keep my hair moist.

But with a thinning problem and also an oil problem, I decided to switch to volumizing shampoo. I would go back and forth between using tea tree shampoo and volumizing. Nioxin shampoo was another big hit for me.

Rock the mom cut

I know, I know. I was so happy that my hair had finally grown past my armpits. But, after talking with my stylist, I decided starting fresh and going shorter was the best choice.

Mama, I am SO glad I did! I immediately felt and saw a difference. My hair wasn’t as heavy so it stopped falling out as much and my strands were shorter so if it did fall out I didn’t notice.

It WILL grow back, I promise. Plus, you deserve to get pampered so take yourself to the salon and get a cute new do!

Use a comb

Especially when you hair is wet. Using a wide tooth comb helps prevent extra tugging on your strands. Work from the ends of your hair up to your scalp for the best results!

Avoid excess products

I used to be a die hard “leave in” conditioner fan. But once I started losing by hair this quickly stopped.

Not only can it make your hair (especially if it is thin) more oily, but it weighs it down and in turn can promote the strands to fall out more easily.

Avoid using heat

We all know heat can damage your hair. Try to let it air dry as much as you can and avoid using hot tools. I would only use heat once a week to ensure I was doing the least amount of damage I could.

Try a different hair style

I absolutely could not wear my hair completely pulled back in a pony tail. I would have to rock the low pony with my part still in place.

And speaking of my part…that is another thing I had to switch up. I lost a lot of hair on the front sides of my hairline, so I started parting my hair more towards the middle of my scalp instead of the side. This helped hide my “receding” hairline that was forming!

Just play around with different styles until you find one you are comfortable with!

The postpartum period (aka, the fourth trimester), is a real struggle sometimes! Postpartum hair loss is no less of a hardship. Just know that you are not alone and I totally feel your pain.

I hope these tips were helpful. Thanks for reading mamas!