Post Partum Shedding-When to start acting on it?

lonei · Feb 10, 2010

Hey ladies

Im 8 months preganant and have read that Garlic shampoo is often used to combat it. Can you please tell me:

1. When do I start using it, before or after the shedding starts?

2. Do you need a garlic conditioner also?

3. Please recommend any good brands?

4. Do any supplements help?

5. Does relaxing the hair make it worse?

6. Any other tips to minimise it?

7. Should it affect you badly even if you have a low manipluation regimen? (e.g. Wash once every 3 weeks, combing with product in once a week only. Relaxing and colouring semi perm every 12 weeks, pin curling the hair and finger styling only)

8. Anybody NOT experience it at all? Why do you think that was?

9. Does breastfeeding make a difference to how long it lasts or when it starts?

mEmYSELFaNDj · Feb 10, 2010

I want this answer too, thanks for posting. Im a couple weeks behind you 31wks

Looking to keep the shedding to a minimum.

slimbyapril2005 · Feb 10, 2010

I want to know as well because I am 30 weeks myself.

MahoganyJazz · Feb 10, 2010

I experienced breakage and shedding around 3 months after I had my babies. Best advice is to keep taking your prenatals, and start using products that will combat the shedding before you give birth.

Breastfeeding didn't make a difference.

Low manipulation didn't make a difference.

Not relaxing didn't make a difference. Matter of fact, it broke the most around my new growth.

Keep your hair as moisturized as possible if it does occur. Deep condition, and make sure there is a moisture/protein balance.

I honestly think the shedding has more to do with the fluctuation of hormones and how your body handles the changes. It doesn't happen to everyone, but the best defense is to be prepared if it does. I can honestly say that keeping my scalp in better condition helped my hair grow faster after it broke off.

mariofmagdal · Feb 10, 2010

So true, nursing does not matter. In fact my experience was as long as I continued to breastfeed, I had the problems with my hair.......

~Hair~Fetish~ · Feb 10, 2010

bumping/subscribing.....

Lola Laughs · Feb 10, 2010

My 2 DDs are 16 months apart in age so I was pretty much pregnant and breastfeeding for 2+ years. For me the shedding didn't start until I stopped breastfeeding. I continued taking prenatals but that didn't help either.
I've never tried garlic shampoo so I can't speak on it. However, after my first application of henna, shedding darn near stopped.

hair4romheaven · Feb 10, 2010

I say continue to take pre-natal vits for at least 2-3 months after having the baby. Don't relax the hair and keep moisture protein balance and you should be fine. Also remember it starts from the inside drink a lot of water and eat clean.

Globeleza · Feb 10, 2010

hi Lonei,

Congratulations on your pregnancy! My son is currently 8 months old and my shedding has finally slowed down. It started around 2/3 months after he was born and it really affected my sides/edges, they were very thin. Also my shedding was about double it usually is. They were shed hairs, not broken but wash days were very tramautic as alot of hair would be in the comb when I detangled but onto your questions:

1. When do I start using it, before or after the shedding starts? I'd say start before, maybe around the last few weeks. The shedding starts when the pregnancy hormones start decreasing, for me this was between the second and third month after my son was born.

2. Do you need a garlic conditioner also? I didnt use garlic shampoo but I did get Alter ego conditioner when my shedding got bad. (I wasn't proactive like you lonei)
3. Please recommend any good brands? Alter ego garlic conditioner is wonderful

4. Do any supplements help? I've heard that the odorless garlic pills help but I myself didn't take them. I continued taking my prenatal vitamins.

5. Does relaxing the hair make it worse? I dont think relaxing the hair affects how much shedding you have because the shedding occurs because of the high level of hormones during pregnancy are going back to their normal levels.

I still relaxed my hair but I did not relax my edges because they were just so thin

6. Any other tips to minimise it? Keep taking prenatal vitamins and hair vitamins but If it gets real bad, see a dermatologist

7. Should it affect you badly even if you have a low manipluation regimen? (e.g. Wash once every 3 weeks, combing with product in once a week only. Relaxing and colouring semi perm every 12 weeks, pin curling the hair and finger styling only) I think lo mani would help tremendously!! I probably did too much co-washing

8. Anybody NOT experience it at all? Why do you think that was? everyone i know experienced it to varying degrees

9. Does breastfeeding make a difference to how long it lasts or when it starts?[/QUOTE] Im not sure! I breastfeed still and the shedding has definitely slowed down to normal and my edges have started filling back in however I dont know if breastfeeding is affecting this.

DigitalRain · Feb 10, 2010

My hair shed a lot after the birth of my son but it was never out of control. It subsided after a few months and my hair never lost its thickness. I drank Ensure as a supplement to meals ( I breastfed for 8 months.)

beans4reezy · Feb 10, 2010

I did not experience post partum shedding with my son.

nappytherapy · Feb 10, 2010

I started shedding around 3 months after the birth of my son. He is now 7 months, and the shedding has slowed down.

My Regimen:

Cowash once a week ( when I initially started shedding, I realize frequent cowashing and manipulation cause more tangling and shedding etc.)

JBCO - I used this on my scalp mainly my edges.

Vitamins - I continued taking my prenatal and I noticed that I did not shed as much and my hair did not feel as fragile.

HTH

crr0121 · Feb 11, 2010

Bumping for more! I'm 33 weeks and have had amazing growth and don't wanna lose too much of it.

LifeCoach · Feb 11, 2010

I have a 17 months old and I am almost 33 weeks pregnant but I experienced no shedding...My 17 month old only stopped breastfeeding a month ago (by choice).

I relaxed every 12-14 weeks after I gave birth and did not change my regimen. I did continue to take my prenatals and took breast feeding vitamins for the whole time I was breastfeeding... so that might have helped.

phatnat12841 · Feb 11, 2010

I experienced postpartum shedding with my son and now with my daughter who is 6mths old. It started around 3mths postpartum. I don't really know that there is anyway to stop it from happening seeing that it is all hormonal.

Do you need a garlic conditioner also?
Its worth a try.
Please recommend any good brands?
I used the Alter Ego garlic conditoner after I had my son but it didn't really make a difference
Do any supplements help?
Continue to take your prenatal vitamins
Does relaxing the hair make it worse?
I don't know seeing as how I am natural but anyone that I know who was relaxed I didn't make a difference
Any other tips to minimise it?
I don't know if it can be minimizes but continue to take your prenatal vitamins and deep condition,deep condition,deep condition.
Should it affect you badly even if you have a low manipluation regimen? (e.g. Wash once every 3 weeks, combing with product in once a week only. Relaxing and colouring semi perm every 12 weeks, pin curling the hair and finger styling only) I follow a low manipulation regime and it doesn't make a difference
Anybody NOT experience it at all? Why do you think that was
Maybe just lucky I guess. Most people I know have experienced it somehow
Does breastfeeding make a difference to how long it lasts or when it starts? No because It stopped around 9mths and I was still breastfeeding

The most important thing to remember is that is will not last forever It will come back in no time and you will have a beautiful baby

lonei · Jun 15, 2010

Anyon else?

Uber · Jun 15, 2010

I don't really remember with my last son. But I have a sort of question.

I read somewhere that the post-partum shedding is just the hair that you would have shedded anyway if it hadn't been for the pregnancy hormones preventing your hair from shedding. So in reality, you don't really lose anymore hair than you would have done.

Anyone know anything more on this?????

Uber · Jun 15, 2010

I got the following from this site http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/hairloss.html.
It might help.

Recommendations for Your Hair During Pregnancy and After Delivery:
There are a number of things that you might do to have healthier hair and/or reduce hair loss during pregnancy and after delivery:

Consult with your health care provider to ensure a proper balance of hormones
Avoid pigtails, cornrows, hair weaves, braids and tight hair rollers which can pull and stress your hair
Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, which contain flavonoids and antioxidants that may provide protection for the hair follicles and encourage hair growth
Use shampoos and conditioners that contain biotin and silica
Hair is fragile when it is wet, so be gentle; avoid fine tooth combs
If you need to use blow dryers and other heated hair instruments, try to use the cool setting
Supplement your diet with the following nutrients:
■Vitamin B complex (Catergory A)
■Biotin (Possibly safe; orally and appropriately)
■Vitamin C (Catergory A)
■Vitamin E ( Likely safe if amount does not exceed the RDA; possibly safe if it does)
■Zinc (Likely safe when used orally and appropriately; likely unsafe when used orally in high doses)

OriginalMe · Jun 15, 2010

I'm not sure when my hair started shedding because I kept it pulled back in a ponytail for the first few months after I had DD. I didn't even notice that it was shedding until I started getting it done again and noticed how thin it had become to the point that my scalp was really visible through my hair, very scary. I lost tons it it when I combed it. Then literly, the day DD turned 6 months I combed my hair and nothing came out. By then my edges were already ravaged. I didn't really do anthing to stop the shedding. I kept taking my prematals and nursed for 12 months.

sjones · Jun 15, 2010

I recently went through the same thing; I started shedding big time when my son was about 3 months, and the shedding continued for at least a month. He's currently a year old, and my edges have definitely grown back. I do think it is hormonal, and affects some women more than others. What helped me most was adding protein treatments to my regimen--Joico k-pak reconstructor being my favorite. Here's a link to my original post: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=421146&highlight=

Here are some pics I just snapped:View attachment attachments_2010_06_15.zip

I would agree with what everyone else has said--definitely keep up the prenatal vitamins; I also took 5mg Biotin (but not consistently).

HTH!

Post Partum Shedding-When to start acting on it?

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