The pregnancy hormones have a great impact on your hair. Pregnancy hair loss is a concern for most women. Many women face hair loss after delivery.
Normally the hair growth has three phases:
- Anagen
- Catagen
- Telogen
In the Anagen phase that is the growth phase of the hair, it grows half an inch per month. This phase lasts for about 3 to 4 years.
In the Catagen phase, there is no growth and this phase will last for a few weeks to maybe a few months. The hair is static.
This is followed by the Telogen phase where the hair falls, and the follicle remains dormant for a while before starting to get into the growth phase again.
Each strand goes through the cycle at different times.
Various factors can affect the Anagen phase and cause the Telogen phase i.e. Pregnancy Hair Loss.
Some of them are:
- Severe Malnutrition
- Vitamin Deficiency
- Severe Systemic Infections
- Various Drugs especially the Chemotherapy Agents
During pregnancy, the high estrogen levels move the hair into the catagen phase, therefore the growth is limited. This is further aggravated post delivery as the hair now moves into the telogen phase and there is noticeable hair loss.
The hormones soon settle and within a year the hair growth returns to normal.
Tips for healthy hair during pregnancy
- Healthy nutrition and good hydration.
- Consider shampoos and conditioners that contain ingredients that are healthy for the hair.
- Avoid too much of hair drying with hot hair.
- Massage with oil once or twice per week can be useful.
- Avoid all kinds of hair treatments especially if you have not done it ever before.
- Avoid using products that you have never used before.
