If you’ve gone through motherhood without experiencing some change in your hair, be it temporary or permanent, consider yourself extremely lucky. During pregnancy, there seems to be two experiences concerning hair. The first group has lank, limp, greasy, flat, dull, less than fabulous hair in the beginning and then it thickens up a little towards the end of the third trimester, only to fall out again after delivery. The second group has thick, shiny, gorgeous hair all the way through. As you might imagine, I was in the first group, and I kind of hated the girls in the second group. Honestly, I don’t know that many girls in the second group, but they are out there.
Most women I know, myself included, say that their hair has changed in some permanent way since pregnancy. I know people who came out with curly hair, when they had straight. Most of us get a bit darker at the root, except for a few new grays, yuck! And most people say that their hair is a bit thinner since childbirth. Our skin and bodies change with age, so its only natural that our hair does too.
Postpartum, I commonly see what I call “baby hair”. The hair loss at the hairline and temples, generally 4 to 6 months after delivery or right after you quit breastfeeding. It can vary, and I’ve seen it much sooner and much later in some mommas. It can give the look of horns, when the short pieces stick up. That hair loss is due to…wait for it…hormones! No surprise there! Unfortunately, patience and biotin are the only real cures for this dilemma.
Seriously thin prego hair
thank God for hair extensions…
kristin vining photography
The good news is that there aren’t that many limitations on hair services. Being that I’m knee deep in hair 8-10 hours a day, 4 days a week, I was very concerned about what was safe for me to work with. I asked my Ob a billion questions with baby #1.
Common sense Disclaimer: I am still, unfortunately, in no way a medical professional, so consult your own doctor before listening to me!
Color: There’s nothing like some roots to make you feel like crap about yourself, especially when you’re pregnant. Gone are the days when women skipped the highlights during pregnancy or the first trimester. Products are much safer now than they were even ten years ago. When I asked my Ob if hair color was safe, she answered me with “As long as you don’t drink it.” I thought this was a good answer, she of course told me to wear gloves when applying all over color, which I do anyway to avoid looking like a mechanic. Foils are completely safe, as the color never touches your scalp, it remains in the foil packet. The only all over color I would avoid, personally, is on-the-scalp bleach. That’s a whole lot of strong smelling chemical to paint on your head. So go on and get those roots addressed, and help yourself to some highlights!!!
Doing my favorite thing…FOILS!
Smoothing treatments: I would also avoid keratin straightening and smoothing treatments. Many of them still have formaldehyde derivitives and there is no way to know how that would affect an unborn baby. Same goes for perms and relaxers, and who gets perms these days anyways???
Haircuts are obviously safe and can do wonders for an “I feel frumpy” pregnant day! I got a haircut makeover this time around, and it did wonders for my mental state!!!
If there’s anything I have forgotten to address, hair wise, please comment below and let me know your questions. Pregnant or not, there’s always some maintenance required!!!
In the works, prenatal fitness, dental issues during pregnancy, yep, its a thing, and melasma… stay tuned!!!!
XX,
Amanda