What They Don't Tell You Happens When You Have A Baby!

4 months after having The Beast, this was my hair loss after a shower.  Yes, just one shower.

Back then, I had a lob, it wasn't like I was sporting a flowing mane.  And yet my shower trap (and wall) and hair brush and Hoover were all full of hair. 

Why on earth was I losing so much hair every time I washed or brushed it?

Four months months prior to The Great Shed I had had a baby.  And that caused the drain-clogging matt of hair you see above.

You know when you read pregnancy sites and they tell you - 'your skin will glow and your hair will be thicker and more lush than ever?'  What they don't tell you is around 3-6 months after the tiny human has exited your body, so will a truckload of hormones.  And with them goes your hair.

Now it's not really as scary as it sounds, your pregnant hair doesn't miraculously change into thick hair - it just stops shedding.  So when you hit the postpartum hair loss phase you're just losing the hair that would have shed if you weren't knocked up.  By the handful.

Why does the happen?

When you're not pregnant, 5 - 15% of your hair is in a 'resting phase'.  This means it's reaching the end of its life and will be pushed out to be replaced by a new follicle.  These hairs make up the usual daily loss you see in your hair brush, on your clothes or in the shower trap. 

When you're pregnant, less hairs are in the resting phase and more are growing.  This continues until about 3-6 months postpartum, when your estrogen levels drop and a higher percentage of hair enters the resting phase, meaning more hair is being pushed out.

Will I go bald?

I'm not going to sugar coat it. There may be temporary bald patches.  I sported a receding spot on my left side hairline. But bald patches most likely won't be permanent.

Will my hair ever go back to normal?

YES!  By the time your little one reaches their first birthday your hair should be back to its usual growth pattern and thickness.

What can I do in the meantime?

• Don't pull your hair in to tight dos.  Use (the horror) scrunchies and no rubber bands.

• Use thickening products to maximise what you have.

• Minimise heat styling.

• Brush hair gently with a tangle teezer, don't yank a brush through it.

• Changing your parting might help hide any bald patches.

• Get your hair cut, if only to make it look like there's less in the shower!

Did you suffer from post-partum hair loss?  How did you get through it?  Get chatting below!