My hair is different post-pregnancy
March 2003
Dear moms, Did your hair change after pregnancy too? I'm almost ready to give up on mine. Ever since having children I can't seem to get the same look as before. My hair seems different now, not as silky, unpredictable, doesn't seem to lay right or grow out well. I've gone to 4 or 5 different stylists, one of which is a master sylist at Yosh for Hair in SF. I've finally just gone back to her, resigning that it is not a sylist issue but just my 'new hair' that I do not quite understand yet. I figured that if she can't make me look 'right' again then no one can (sniff). Any suggestions? Thanks al
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My hair had lots of curly new growth sprouting straight up, when my son was 15 months old. It may have continued for a few months beyond that, I can't remember now. I was breastfeeding him at the time. Now, a year after weaning, my hair is back to usual. jennifer
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I have the same problem with my hair. It seemed like it all wanted to fall out after my son was born, and now my previously very straight hair has gone all wiry and wavy in one spot in the back of my head. I have no advice, since I haven't been able to fix it, just sympathy. Now I pretty much have to wear my hair long and tie it back. I'm pregnant again and kind of hoping that it will go wavy all over, might be a nice change. Another with crazy hair
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You didn't mention how old your baby was? It took a full year for everything to return to normal after both my babies were born. Including hair, skin, and body. If it's just been a few months don't give up hope! When friends told me it would take a full year to recover I didn't believe them, but yes they were right. Almost exactly 1 year later my skin and hair were back to normal. D
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You probably don't want to hear this, but 9 years later my prepregnant straight bangs are still curly. Adapt and perform! good luck
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Tremendous hairloss and constant dandruff since baby
May 2003
I have had tremendous hairloss and constant dandruff since my baby was 4 months old, over 4 years ago. I have seen a couple of dermatologists, had my thyroid test, everything seems normal. When I use the prescription strength dandruff shampoos, my dandruff goes away, as soon as I try to switch to something less drastic, it comes back. The hairloss has never stopped. The docs say they don't see any bald patches so they don't really have an answer. But the sheer volume of hair I lose every time I wash/comb/brush my hair scares me. I always have hair on my back, even when I haven't combed my hair all day. Could I be balding already? I recently turned 30. I am looking for any recommendations for herbal remedies/alternative medicines (and where I can obtain them) that may help my condition. Thank you, RJ
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Chinese Medicine is often very good for hair loss. You don't say whether you are a man or a woman, but in either case, their are numerous syndromes in Chinese medicine where hair loss is a sign or symptom. Especially for women, it is common after pregnancy and birth, often due to Blood deficiency. Stress can also be a big factor, and the stress of having a baby is a big one. Herbal supplementation can help correct the problem over time. There is not one remedy I can tell you to go and buy. Chinese Medicine takes the whole person into consideration, and an herbal formula is prescribed of anywhere from 2- 20 herbs in a combination that is just right for you. If you don't already have/know a Licensed Acupuncturist/herbalist, I would be happy to help you. You can see more about me in the database at Acupuncture.com. Rhoda Climenhaga, L.Ac. , network mom of a 9 year old rhoda
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Extreme hair loss - I have a 4-month-old
April 2001
I have a four-month-old baby. About a month ago I started experiencing extreme hair loss. Everyone tells me this is normal, and will eventually stop. My guess is that it's related to hormones. I'm wondering if there's anything i can do; anything i can take such as vitamins, etc....; and whether there's some sort of pill that helps, maybe even birth control pill. I'm getting pretty freaked out about losing all my hair (or lots of it anyway). Does anyone have any advice???
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I too experienced massive hair loss after the birth of my child. I read in The Pregnancy Book by Sears that it was caused by hormones which during pregnancy hold onto hair that would normally shed every day in a non-pregnant person. Now your hair is playing catch up by shedding what isn't really yours to keep anymore.
However, there is a shampoo/conditioner line that is supposed to help stop hair loss. It used to be sold at the beauty store on Lakeshore (next to Peet's). I don't remember the name, but it was on the same shelf as the other specialty shampoos. Don't worry about your hair loss too much. Your hair should grow back to normal before you know it! angela
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You may have pregnancy-induced hypothyroidism. Go see your doctor and request a blood test for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). This will show how your thyroid is functioning. A low-functioning thyroid can be responsible for a cluster of vague discomforts, including hair loss, dry skin, constipation, feeling low energy/depressed, feeling cold all the time, etc. I have it too. It's easy to treat, once diagnosed, and is very common in women, and especially post-partum. Ann
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You will get a lot of advice on this topic that is much more informed than mine - all I know is that it is hormone related. Mine occurred at exactly the same time yours did or maybe a little later on, three to four months after I gave birth. It coincided with our annual visit to my husband's mother. She is a very sweet person, but an excellent housekeeper, and I know she wondered why she was finding large tumbleweeds of my hair EVERYWHERE. (She had six children herself but claims this never happened to her - I think because by the time she reached the 3-month mark, she was pregnant again...) I spent more time trying to collect my hair from her furniture and bathroom (even the walls!) than doing anything else. I was so happy to get home and be able to shed in peace. But what you really want to know is this - it did grow back, without me doing anything special. I would say the shedding process lasted quite a while - 6 to 8 weeks? and my hair actually became thinner than it was pre-pregnancy (in other words, the hair I lost wasn't restricted to my new great pregnant hair - it was old hair too) but then it rebounded to normal. If you want really great hair again you'll probably have to get pregnant again but for normal hair, just wait it out. Fran
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I have read in Parenting magazines, books etc. that while pregnant, your hair gets much thicker and fuller and you actually have more hair than you did before you were pregnant. I think I've read that the reason is, your body stores up and saves ALL of it's resources (hair, calcium and nutrients, fat stores, etc.) and doesn't discard anything in case the baby might need extra of something that you have. In any case, as far as I understand, all the hair that you lose after birth (and I can vouch for the fact that it is a LOT -- I lost a whole row at my hairline with my first baby and I looked like a 7 yr-old for about six months while it was growing back because they looked like short bangs) is just the extra amount of hair that you gained while pregnant. So they say not to worry, your body's just getting itself back to normal. Congratulations on your new baby! April
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That hair loss 4 months after childbirth is very normal. I'm sure it's hormone related. I was freaking out when I saw my hair thin so severely, but eventually it grew back within a few months. And this happened in all three of my births. So don't despair; wear it as a badge of motherhood.
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I too had a large amount of hair loss. It was quite scary! My best advice is to get a haircatcher for shower drain so you don't have to call in a plumber (we did!). I lost a noticible patch right at my hairline above my left eye. It was worse while it grew out because it stuck out so much. I also had "alfalfas" all over my part line and my hair sylist noticed patches above my ears and at my neck line. My sister had a baby three weeks before me, and she had hair loss in almost the exact same places. The good news is that my daughter is now almost 14 months old and my hair is completely back to normal. If you are very worried, talk to your doctor. If you are breastfeeding, you do have to be very careful with any remedies. Lisa