Reason for hair loss after childbirth. Changes at the hormonal level. Why do young mothers lose their hair?

The birth is over, the baby was born healthy, it would seem that nothing will overshadow the joy new mommy. But suddenly the young mother begins to notice that after giving birth her hair began to fall out rapidly. Should we panic, despair, is this problem so serious and what should we do?

Causes of hair loss after childbirth

1. A pregnant woman's hormonal levels change dramatically and the female hormone estrogen begins to be actively produced. It just improves the condition of the hair because it stimulates cell division in the hair follicle.
2. Chronic fatigue and stress can seriously harm a woman, including negative impact and on her appearance.
3. In addition, nursing mothers often lack iron and calcium, and this leads to poor hair nutrition, resulting in greater hair loss. Moms who were operated on general anesthesia, in particular, had an emergency caesarean section, very often fall into the ranks of those who suffer from severe hair loss.
4. Medicine claims that even if a woman has low blood pressure or very low hemoglobin, this also worsens the condition of the hair.

Traditional remedies

It is worth noting that hair loss after pregnancy due to hormonal changes is a completely natural process that is completely controlled by the woman’s body (it starts and stops). But if in the first year after giving birth your hair has not stopped falling out in “clumps”, you should undergo an examination by a trichologist, who will prescribe an examination.

1. Taking a blood test to check hormone levels.
2. Comprehensive examination thyroid gland.

If the results of the study reveal that hormonal levels are disturbed, the doctor will prescribe special treatment medicines, the action of which is aimed at restoring hormonal levels.

If hair falls out after childbirth due to a lack of nutrients in the body, then a trichologist may prescribe the young mother to take synthetic vitamin preparations and complexes. Among the most popularvitamin preparations are worth noting:

1. Proper nutrition. Make sure you have a balanced proper nutrition. Firstly, this is important for you, as a nursing mother, and, secondly, your hair also needs additional vitamins and microelements. Season the vegetable salad lemon juice and butter, so you will get an additional portion of calcium (this will be healthier than consuming fermented milk products). Be sure to include animal proteins in your diet, because they are the key material for the active growth of new cells. Drink more often green tea, it contains flavonoids. They, being natural antioxidants, stimulate hair growth.
2. Massage of the scalp. Don't be lazy and massage your head more often. This way you activate blood circulation, and, as a result, improve nutrition of the hair follicles. Massage can be performed with or without special devices. Simply massage your scalp with your fingertips.
3. Proper washing.

Never wash your hair with tap water. Tap water has long become a real periodic table and it is unlikely to have a positive effect on hair. It is best to soften tap water before washing your hair in one of the following ways:

For greater effectiveness of the mask, after applying the product, you must wrap your head cling film and a terry towel

• Allow the water to sit for at least 6 hours, then add ammonia and juice of half a lemon;
• don't pour in large number dry wine;

Washing water should not be hot.

Rinse off both shampoo and conditioner thoroughly. Do not dry your hair, but blot it best with a soft towel. Forget about the hair dryer, at least for the period while you restore your hair.

Interestingly, in the 19th century, washing your hair was considered very harmful (no more than once a month). Some doctors even considered shampooing one of the reasons for intense hair loss. And to prevent baldness, women were advised to comb their hair more often.

Many myths must be discarded: hair loss is not caused by slow blood flow, clogged follicles, frequent shampooing, hats or helmets. It's also important to remember that most adults lose between 75 and 100 hairs per day through a natural process through which some hairs fall while others grow; As long as this “turnover” remains balanced, the amount of hair on the scalp remains constant.

Another cause of hair loss is stress, which can cause genetically programmed hair loss to accelerate. The tendency to lose hair is inherited by members of both families and begins to develop after puberty. Hairs predisposed to androgenetic alopecia begin to decrease in diameter and their life cycle is not shortened until they finally die; on the contrary, the hair present on the posterior and lateral scalp areas is genetically “permanent” and is destined to remain stable throughout life.

Folk recipes

There are many different folk remedies, using which you can improve the condition of your hair, make it strong, healthy and shiny.

Shampoo and masks made from egg yolks

Egg yolk masks are considered one of the most effective in combating hair loss after childbirth.

Take raw chicken eggs, break, separate the yolk from the white. Beat the yolk well and use it instead

shampoo. On short hair Just one yolk is enough.

You will be pleased with the appearance of your hair immediately after washing. Eggs contain lecithin, which very effectively improves hair structure, preventing breakage. A complex of vitamins makes them soft, manageable, eliminates dandruff and significantly strengthens them.

The most popular mask based on homemade egg yolk is its mixture with olive or castor oil. One yolk is ground to a homogeneous consistency with 1 tbsp. oils To achieve a greater effect, you can add a few drops of an oil solution of vitamins A and E to this mixture (these solutions are sold in pharmacies). The hair is wrapped in a film, over which a cap is put on (you can wrap your head in a terry towel). You need to keep the mask on for 1 hour. Then rinse with warm water using shampoo.

The effect of such a mask is amazing. Hair becomes stronger and falls out less after the first use. It is worth remembering that an excess of vitamins is just as harmful to hair as a lack of them, so you can use a mask based on yolk and olive (castor) oil no more than once a week. The oil that is part of the mask is very difficult to wash out of your hair, so you should wash your hair with shampoo at least 2 times.

Onion peels and masks

Pour boiling water over the husk and leave for an hour, then wash or rinse your hair with the resulting decoction. Keep in mind that this infusion will color your hair and may emit a specific odor if you get caught in the rain.

Onion peel contains a large amount of tocopherol, which slows down the aging process and, accordingly, prevents hair loss, making it stronger. Besides, onion peel increases immunity and normalizes carbohydrate metabolism, which, without a doubt, affects the condition of the hair.

Unfortunately, this infusion cannot be used if you suffer from allergies.

There are enough interesting recipes hair masks based on onion juice, which are rightfully considered effective. The simplest and most accessible recipe is to rub onion juice into the hair roots. To obtain onion juice, you need to pass the onion through a meat grinder (grind in a blender), and squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth. After 20 minutes (no more), wash your hair with regular shampoo.

Onion juice and masks containing this component should not be used by women who have dandruff or other damage to the scalp.

Burdock root

3 – 4 tbsp. Pour a glass of boiling water over crushed burdock leaves and bring to a boil. Cool the resulting broth and rub it into the hair roots every second day. The hair should dry without using a hair dryer.

Burdock root contains huge amount tannins that promote healthy hair.

Burdock oil

Burdock oil is the most popular product used in the fight against hair loss after childbirth. It is used both in its “pure form” and as one of the components for preparing hair masks. To burdock oil had the most effective effect, you should follow some simple rules:

The problem of hair loss is familiar to many young mothers. They are concerned that after childbirth their hair is thinning before their eyes: individual hairs and entire strands remain on the comb, pillow and clothes. To cope with the problem and restore the former beauty of their hair, women need to know what causes hair loss and how to prevent it.

Why does hair fall out a lot after childbirth, what can I do to avoid it?

About half of women who give birth notice 1-2 months after the baby is born that their hair is falling out too much, literally coming out in clumps. Why is this happening? The fact is that pregnancy and childbirth are stressful for a woman, a period of enormous changes both within her body, and in her lifestyle, and in her appearance. The following reasons contribute to hair loss in young mothers:

1. Changes in hormonal levels. The pregnancy hormone progesterone has a miraculous effect on the hair of many pregnant women: during the nine months of waiting for the baby, their hair becomes thicker and thicker, it grows literally before our eyes. This hormone inhibits hair loss. Progesterone also blocks the production breast milk, therefore, after childbirth, its concentration in the blood drops sharply. And the hormone reaches its minimum level just a month and a half after giving birth (this is the time when hair begins to fall out after childbirth), when a woman’s lactation is fully established. At this moment, literally all the hair that did not fall out during pregnancy can fall out, and this is sometimes 25-30%! But there is no need to despair, because there is no talk of baldness, and the problem is temporary. Over time, the hormonal background of the young mother will stabilize, and the hair renewal process will proceed normally.

2. Changes in diet. They are primarily associated with lactation. In the first months of a baby’s life, a nursing mother has to go on a strict diet, in which many foods are prohibited, including homemade cottage cheese, some types of vegetables and fruits, sea ​​fish and so on. A woman may experience a temporary and forced deficiency in vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids necessary for the beauty of her skin and hair. This is the reason for hair loss after childbirth. As the baby grows, her diet begins to expand, and it gradually approaches the usual. Hair condition improves.

3. Lactation. Being on dietary nutrition When a woman gives birth, she breastfeeds the baby, giving the baby the supply of nutrients she has accumulated during pregnancy. This cause of hair loss after childbirth is directly related to the previous one.


4. Changes in daily routine. For a young mother it is far from correct. Constant lack of sleep, workload with child care and household chores, constant worry about the baby cannot but affect her appearance.

When will hair stop falling out after childbirth?

Now it should become clear to young mothers that postpartum hair loss is physiological. Naturally, they are wondering when they will stop falling out. Usually, the problem resolves itself within a year and a half. During this period, it is worth taking measures to strengthen and restore your hair.

How to strengthen hair after childbirth

If a woman who has just given birth begins to lose hair, this is by no means a reason to refuse breastfeeding. You can ask your gynecologist about what care and treatment your hair needs, if your hair is coming out after childbirth, and how to stop this process. Or use our advice, selected for you based on the experience of many women.

The famous doctor Komarovsky advises, first of all, to calm down, and then start taking vitamins and choosing a suitable hair care product.

So, to strengthen hair after childbirth, when it falls out very much, you should:

1. Consider changing your hairstyle. Of course new image won't solve the problem, but hairstyles medium length look more voluminous, the aesthetic component of hair loss will not be so obvious.

2. Review your diet. Perhaps the young mother eats too little or monotonously. You can discuss with the pediatrician who is monitoring the baby the possibility of expanding the nursing mother’s menu by adding hair-healthy products (cottage cheese, butter, dried fruits, etc.).

3. Choose the right shampoo. It can be restorative or volumizing. But you should avoid using conditioner completely or apply it only to the ends of your hair. The fact is that it weighs down the hair, depriving it of volume.

4. Rinse strands with herbal decoctions. Severe hair loss and baldness are often stopped with a mixture of oak bark, thyme and willow. Take 30 g of dry leaves, pour a liter of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. You can perform a therapeutic rinse after each hair wash.

5. Make restorative masks. They can be bought ready-made or made from cheap available products. For example, a very good mask according to the following recipe:

• dilute a packet of baker's yeast in a third of a glass of warm milk and let it “come to life” for a quarter of an hour;
• beat the egg yolk into the mixture;
• add 2 teaspoons castor oil;
• enrich the mask with two drops of the vitamin preparation Aevit.

7. Do a manual head massage or using a special massager. This procedure will improve blood flow in the vessels under the scalp, thereby providing increased nutrition to the hair follicles, which will help strengthen hair loss after pregnancy.

8. Provide hair proper care. Use a hair dryer, straightener and styling products only as a last resort. Dry wet strands with a towel and then let them dry naturally. Do not comb them while they are wet. You should not braid your hair while sleeping.

9. Visit a beauty salon. Mesotherapy, wraps, and other salon procedures have a beneficial effect on the condition of the hair.

Remedy for hair loss after childbirth

To strengthen and nourish hair follicles, you should start taking a vitamin-mineral complex. There are plenty of drugs in pharmacies designed to take care of the beauty of hair and nails. You can choose any of them. But experts advise a woman during lactation to take the same vitamins that she took while pregnant. Or switch to complexes designed specifically for a nursing mother, taking into account the needs of her and her baby.

A woman is also advised to take long walks outside, enjoy motherhood and not forget about self-care. After all good mood– This is another important factor in overcoming the problem of postpartum hair loss. You need to understand that it is temporary and not take it to heart.