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Hair Loss during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an amazing experience and something you will remember forever. However, it can also bring stress and worry due to unexpected side effects and symptoms that you don’t know the severity of. For example, frequent nosebleeds during pregnancy are common but will be quite unnerving if you weren’t prepared for them.

This brings us to the issue of hair loss during pregnancy, or Telogen Effluvian as it is also known. Seeing your hair begin to fall out can be very distressing but you shouldn’t panic; around 40-50% of women are affected by this and it is a temporary issue.

Normally, about 90% of your hair is growing while the other 10% is in a resting phase. The hair in the resting phase falls out every few months allowing new hair to grow in its place. Due to boosted amounts of the estrogen hormone during pregnancy, your hair will remain in the growing phase leaving you with a full, thick head of hair.

After delivery when your hormone levels have returned to normal, your hair’s cycle will go back to normal too. This means that a lot of the extra hair that was growing previously will enter the resting phase and start to fall out. You shouldn’t worry too much however, since this condition isn’t enough to cause bald patches and normal hair growth should resume in around 3-5 months.

There are some steps you can take to reduce the effect of hair loss during pregnancy, such as eating lots of fruit and vegetables as the anti-oxidants and flavonoids can encourage hair growth. You can also use shampoos containing silica and biotin.

You should also try to be more careful when physically handling your hair. Try not to have your hair in a style that can pull it (braids, cornrows, tight ponytails etc). It’s also a good idea to avoid fine tooth combs or hot settings on hair dryers. There are also supplements that can help such as Vitamin B and E.

Contact us to Talk about Your Hair Loss Issues

If you have issues with hair loss or thinning hair, then don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation. It is quick, easy and completely confidential.