Hair fall is one of the common problems experienced by pregnant women. It is caused mainly due to the hormonal imbalance. Read on to learn more about the hair fall during pregnancy.
Hair grows in a cycle. If you are pregnant, you will face more hair loss due to telogen effluvium, a condition of excessive hair loss, which occurs 1-5 months following pregnancy. 40-50% of women are affected by pregnancy hair loss, but you do not have to worry, as it is temporary like any other pregnancy body changes.
Poor Nutrition Can Be a Reason
During pregnancy, you need to meet nutritional requirements for both you and your baby. If you do not get enough iron to boost your blood supply, you may experience anaemia, which is also linked to hair loss. Also, if you do not eat enough protein, you will face hair loss. An insufficient intake of minerals and vitamins also triggers hair loss.
Be careful for taking in too much of certain vitamins, e.g. the retinol form of vitamin A, not only it is bad for your baby, but also it can result in hair loss. So have a check at the nutritional labels of the foods you are eating during these days to combat your hair loss.
Illness or Even Medication Causes Hair Loss
Certain illnesses, such as ringworm, a fungal infection that can appear anywhere on the skin, or diabetes, including gestational diabetes, during pregnancy induces hair loss. If you are having anxiety, depression or high blood pressure, you must be taking some medications, which can again cause hair loss. It is better to talk to your doctor if you suspect that an illness or a medication is causing your hair loss, because the illness or medicine also may not be good for your baby.
Hormonal Changes Trigger Hair Loss
During pregnancy, you experience many hormonal changes in your body. Every time there is a change in hormones, normal hair growth cycle can become disorganized or halt, resulting in excessive shedding of hair called telogen effluvium, which is mentioned earlier. This is a temporary condition, which usually fixes itself within 2-3 months without interference. It is due to hormonal changes that in one pregnancy, you have beautiful hair, and in the other, you may have the worst one – the sensitivity of hair follicles also changes due to changes in hormone, and it is difficult to understand the specific reason behind it.
Emotional Stress Causes Hair Loss
The stress due to so many changes happening in your body and your restless effort to adapt to them, mood swings common during pregnancy, pre-birth anxiety of how your child will be, anticipation of a new member coming in your family, etc. – all these dramatic emotional changes associated with your pregnancy also trigger telogen effluvium.
What Can You Do?
Consult with your health care provider to deal with your hormonal imbalance.
Avoid combing wet hair and avoid cornrows, pigtails, braids, hair weaves, and tight hair rollers, which pull and stress your hair.
Eat lots of fruits and veggies that contain flavonoids and antioxidants, which protect hair follicles boosting hair growth.
Supplement your diet with Vitamin B complex, vitamins C and E, biotin, zinc, etc as prescribed by your doctor. Consult your doctor before making changes in your diet.
Use shampoos and conditioners which are natural and free from harmful chemicals.
Avoid hair straightening, blow-drying, over-brushing or over-drying your hair.
As mentioned earlier, hair loss during pregnancy is temporary; you have no reason to worry about it. The condition does not stay throughout 9 months. In most cases, your hair will be much thicker and fuller as close you get to your delivery date, because of raised estrogen levels. You may face hair loss for a few months post-delivery when estrogen levels will drop back to normal. Your hair will be fine again in 6-12 months after delivery.
Is hair fall one of the common problems during pregnancy? What are the causes of hair fall during pregnancy? How to prevent hair fall during pregnancy? Discuss here.
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- The Indiaparenting Team
