I'd heard about it, I'd seen it and I thought I was all over the cycle of pre and post baby hair changes but it wasn't until I had Freddie that I really understood it.
I was certain my pregnancy hair was here to stay. I've always had pretty fine, blah hair but with a little convincing (the right products, a killer blowave and some iron curls) I could always make it look full and beautiful.
Pregnant, different story.
It was lush, full, had so much body, it was unreal!
I just thought after years of thin hair the universe sent me a little bit of karma and gave me thick hair. I was especially convinced when Freddie was about 3 months old and I still had the gorgeous hair. Ha, I thought.
I'm one of the lucky ones!
4 months, no change. 5 months, no change. 6 months….. Freddie's diet had started to change as we introduced solids.
At first my hair was super oily. I would wash and by wash I mean shampoo 4 times, condition ever so slightly and once I dried my hair it would still feel oily, flat and lifeless.
Then the tangles started. You know those headphone cord kind of tangles. Where you put them away perfectly but when you get them out they're in a ball. That was my hair. I would brush it, pop it in a plait and when I would take it out, bam, dreadlock!
Oh but wait, then comes the shedding. The dreaded hair loss! I was brushing and looking at the completely full hairbrush in complete shock. Surely no more hair could come out but sure enough the next day the exact same thing. I'm not going to lie. It's horrifying.
And last but not least just as all these lovely changes slowed down I was blessed with a new fringe. A beautiful line of baby hairs on my forehead. Alfalfa had nothing on me. And yes I did even resort to trying to stick them down mum style with some saliva ( I'll give you the hot tip, it doesn't work but keep reading because I have some solutions)
So after all that I needed to know the why? WHAT IS THE REASON!
I've done a little research and this is what I found.
WHY ME?
Normally we lose roughly 100 strands of hair a day!
Ever keep your hair in the same bun for 3 days, take it out and feel like all your hair has come out with it? That's because the stands that usually fall out without you noticing have been trapped in the bun making it feel like a lot more has fallen out.
Your hair has a natural life cycle. Each individual hair grows, then rests for 2 or 3 months before being pushed out by a new hair growing in that follicle. In pregnancy, this cycle changes.
Many women experience their hair feeling thicker at around 15 weeks of pregnancy.
This is not because each hair strand itself becomes thicker, but because the hair stays longer in the growing phase of its cycle, which means that less hair falls out than usual. This is due to an increase in the hormone Oestrogen.
When we say bye bye bye to the increased Oestrogen we also say farewell to that luscious hair. Never fear, it is temporary and in most cases before you know it your hair will be back to normal.
Along with the hair loss, the drop in our hormones also contribute to the flat, oily and limp side effects. This imbalance, plus the mix of new hair growth means a lot of our hair strands are fragile and immature (thanks guys) so they cannot handle our usual oil production and so our hair is overloaded with grease! Yay for us!
At the end of the day we’re all regulation hotties with or without hair and our babies love us nonetheless!
Alright so what can we do to help with the spare 8.7 seconds we get a day to look after ourselves?
Try these tips
1- Give your strands that Rapunzel treatment
Brush your hair every day. Not only will this stop any massive knots from building up but it will feel less confronting only seeing a day's worth of loss. Brushing also helps distribute that extra oil you got going on! Side note - be gentle with ya tresses. They've been through some shit so brush her softly from ends to roots :)
Tangle Brush's are the best! Get your hands on one of those.
2- Dry Shampoo is life
You can use dry shampoo 8 days in a row yeah?
Asking for a friend right?!
You can absolutely keep your dry shampoo very handy to make you feel as fresh as a daisy.
Hot tip - apply before you go to bed to stop those oils coming through while you sleep and brush in the morning!
3- Teach your partner how to blowdry
This is the dream but honestly washing and drying your hair off makes a big difference. When our hair is wet it is super fragile and easily tangled. We don't want to make more issues for ourselves so get that blowdry happening where possible.
Got 45 mins spare? Treat yourself to a Wash, Blowave & Style with one of our Junior Stylists for $41- Book here
4- Braids are your bestie
Okay so the blow wave didn't happen. We get it. Braids are the next best thing. They're gentle. Will stop the knots and aren't going to put any more strain on the hair!
BONUS - They look bloody cuteeeeeee!
5- A vitamin a day keeps the hair loss at bay
Most days you're running on coffee and the cutest baby smiles ever so taking vitamins to help everything tick along is always a great idea. Most pregnancy multis are for post pregnancy use if breastfeeding but it's always best to consult with your doctor to find what's best for you!
We like JS health vitamins
6- Don't disturb a sleeping baby hair
We've all done it. Tried to straighten, pin and spray them down only for them to stand up even worse! The trick is to get them while they're wet. Even if that just means combining them into place and putting some product on them. Once they're dry it's near impossible to manipulate them without causing damage.
We recommend ORI LAB Gloss Serum
7. Shower side kicks
You don't need us to tell you. You know the drill. Your at home regime will make all the difference to the feel of those locks. Remember to shampoo twice as a minimum and if you're using a product like Scalp to Hair the bonus is you can apply that conditioner straight to the roots giving your scalp some love too. A good nourishing treatment is a must and lets be honest, your alone shower time is sacred and special. Treat yourself. You absolutely deserve it.
Check out ORI LAB Restore Treatment
Okay all that aside. This is just a phase, I REPEAT THIS IS JUST A PHASE.
Ride the waves my friends and reach out for support because you're not in it alone!
Until next time,
Loz xx
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