Our bodies go through many changes throughout pregnancy and can even continue to alter after we have given birth. Of course, nothing will ever outweigh the pure joy that comes from bringing a new little life into the world, however, it can be difficult to get used to the new you. For many women one of the most noticeable differences happens with our hair. This can vary from a change in thickness, curl pattern, texture and speed of growth. Here at Cliphair, We’ve taken the 3 most common changes that happen to our hair during pregnancy and given some in depth advice on how to overcome them along with product and treatment recommendations.
3 common changes:
- Hair loss
- Hair texture changes (becomes brittle and weak or Resistant and course)
- Hair Growth (thicker and longer)
1. HAIR LOSS
What does it mean?
Although a lot of women experience faster and thicker hair growth during pregnancy, sadly some of us are left with the opposite. Hair loss during this time can be extremely upsetting and stressful and is caused by a few different reasons relating to the pregnancy. Some causes of pregnancy hair loss are:
- Stress and shock. This cause of hair loss and thinning has a scientific name which is Telogen Effluvium and is not usually a permanent lasting condition, which is good news! As the body must adjust to dramatic shifts in hormone levels this puts strain on the hair, it can double or triple the amount of hair you would normally lose in a day. This type of hair loss can also happen towards the end of your pregnancy or after childbirth as your body readjusts back to its normal hormone level.
- Health issues. This can be a range of things mainly including vitamin and iron deficiencies. Growing a beautiful, healthy baby is no walk in the park! Us mums must share all of the vital nutrients that we need for our hair, nails and skin to thrive, meaning we can develop deficiencies in certain vitamins. Therefore you will be advised to take particular supplements throughout your pregnancy to balance this out and restore essential ingredients to your body. However, the lack of iron or vitamins can cause extra shedding in your hair and can also lead to breakage.
What can I do?
Unfortunately, again there is no actual way of preventing this from happening to your hair or of knowing if it will or when it will happen. However, its important to remember that hair loss that is caused by pregnancy related issues is not a permanent problem and usually corrects itself once the body has recovered from birth and should not continue. Although we can not stop it from happening, there are some things you can do to help restore your hair afterwards and keep your hair looking its tip top self while you are going through this! To restore your hair once it has fallen from the head can be a long and tricky process, but it is NOT impossible. With the right treatments and products, it is possible to stimulate your hair follicles and create new hair growth.
Medical Treatments to revive the hair follicle and promote hair growth
You should wait until 6 months after you have given birth and until you are no longer breast feeding to have any medical treatments or procedures for hair loss done. Some options available are below, all of these treatments are listed on the NHS website. We would suggest doing solid research into each option before having it done and choosing a reputable, recognised hair loss specialist company. Well recognised hair loss specialists include The Belgravia Centre. - Steroid Injections and creams. - Immunotherapy - Light treatment - Nioxin hair growth treatment
What you can do in the meantime to thicken up your hair after hairloss
Hair extensions and Wigs can be used as a quick term solution to thicken up your hair while you are in the restoration process. Take care to only use very lightweight hair pieces when you have suffered with hair loss as your hair may not be suitable to take the weight of heavier hair extensions. Using the incorrect type could cause further damage to your hair. At Cliphair we have a range of hair extensions especially suited to customers with fine/thin hair that are perfect for this kind of use. We also have a blog listing these methods and in depth advice for this hair type here. It Is not advised to have permanent hair extensions applied whilst you are pregnant and for a year after child birth, this is because your hair is still changing and can become weaker at any time. Adding hair extensions during this period can cause extra stress to your hair and cause more hair loss. Temporary/Clip-In hair extensions are the best option for this time 😊 - Wigs - Hair Toppers - Lightweight Hair Extensions - Hair Pieces.
2. Hair texture changes (becomes brittle and weak or Resistant and course)
What does it mean?
Because our hormones increase and change so much throughout pregnancy this effects our hair texture and skin sensitivity too. Products or Dyes that we used pre-pregnancy that were absolutely fine and never showed issues may not have the same effect.
Have you ever heard the “rule” of not dying your hair when you are pregnant? Surprisingly, this is not for the reasons you might think. Using the NHS guidelines as a reference, most research shows it is safe for you and your baby to dye your hair whilst pregnant. Studies show only a very high dose of the chemicals used in dye can cause harm. The level of these chemicals that you are exposed to when dying your hair is extremely low compared to the amount needed to cause harm, so it is not considered dangerous.
The main reason hair stylists may advise you not to dye your hair is due to the following changes to your skin and hair texture.
- Your hair texture can become coarse and very strong causing it to be more resistant to hair dye. This can mean your normal dye takes a lot longer to penetrate the hair shaft, if your covering greys you may find they will not always take to the colour. If you are not covering grey but your hair is resistant this could also cause your colour to be less even and even give a root glow effect where the colour has not reached its full darkness in the normal time and gets taken off too quickly.
- Your hair texture can become brittle and weak due to the lack of nutrients caused by pregnancy. Meaning your hair may not be able to take the colour as well as before and can break faster. Bleaches and Lighteners should be used very carefully during pregnancy to prevent any damage or breakage.
- Your skin can become more sensitive. This means a scalp tint could be a lot more irritable when pregnant, it can feel more itchy and uncomfortable than usual.
What can I do?
Sadly, there is not a way of stopping your hair texture from changing or of knowing how your hair will change until it happens. This will not always be a negative though as you may well find your fine hair has become stronger than ever, which can be a pain when it comes to dying but overall a great improvement for your hair!
Although there is not anything you can do to stop it there are some things you can do to protect your hair and work with this new change. Please see below for the solutions
Hair becomes Coarse/Resistant
You can use half a shade darker than you normally would and leave the dye on for the same time. You can also try leaving the dye on for 10 minutes longer than usual to penetrate fully into the hair, some people find using a very low heat (professional heat machine like a clomazone) on the final 15 minutes with their hair dye helps the dye to stick.
Hair becomes Brittle/Weak
Avoid using high levels of peroxide and harsh lightening products on your hair altogether until the hair has strengthened. Only using semi-permanent dyes or darker shades on the hair. If you do choose to continue highlighting your hair or using bleach, ask your stylist to check your colour 10 minutes before you would normally remove it as you may find it is ready to come off, this will prevent unnecessary damage to your hair. Regularly use strong conditioning treatments to strengthen hair and always use heat protection before straightening/curling.
Skin becomes more sensitive
Switch your hair dye to an ammonia and paraben free formula which is less harsh on the skin. Avoid direct contact dying, you can instead have your colour applied in highlights (foils) so the dye does not directly touch your scalp. Always wear gloves and protective equipment if applying the dye yourself.
3. FASTER AND MORE HAIR GROWTH
What does it mean?
Thankfully, It’s not all doom and gloom for our hair during pregnancy. Funnily enough a lot of women find their hair and skin is the best its ever been! If you’ve ever heard of the “Pregnancy Glow” you will know what we mean. You might find your hair and nails growing at lightning speed, feeling stronger and healthier than ever.
The high levels of estrogen produced whilst you are pregnant are to thank for this wonderful plus side of pregnancy!
Some research shows it can also be down to a healthier lifestyle and diet. Most women eat a lot more fruits and vegetables and foods rich in vitamins during this time, we also tend to have a healthier lifestyle as we cut out vices like alcohol and smoking. All of these things contribute to better hair, nails and skin!
What can I do?
This is a different sort of “what can I do” section as most of us will embrace this new change to our hair and not want to stop it at all! For those lucky ladies that already have very thick hair it could become a chore styling, washing and managing all of this extra hair. In this case you may need to have more regular visits to the salon for a trim if you hair is becoming hard to manage! Other than that, enjoy it and make the most of your gorgeous thick new locks :D
To conclude…
Its great to know that most symptoms and changes we go through during pregnancy are not permanent. Its even better to know that while were waiting for our bodies to readjust there are solutions out there to help! For all the ladies reading this whether your trying for a baby, expecting, your a new mum or already have children, we hope we’ve been able to help ease any worries related to changes to your hair!
We’ve included one of our amazing customers stories below on how she dealt with her own change and how she used hair extensions to boost her confidence. At Cliphair these reviews fill us with pride as this is our true aim to empower women and restore confidence! Our Expert Advice team are always on hand to help with any hair related queries you might have, pop an email over to Advice@Cliphair.co.uk to chat with one of our stylists.
We would LOVE to hear your experiences past and present! Get in touch with us via Social Media stories to get involved. Good luck for the wonderful journey ahead of you Mumma’s! X
