Page 82 - April Issue

in focus: birth | your body

Your Hair During
Pregnancy and
After the Baby

Fuller, thicker hair is one benefit of pregnancy for some
women and a myth for others. Pregnancy hormones
can affect every woman’s hair differently; for some, the
increased oestrogen causes their hair to grow thick
and fast, while others find that their hair goes limp and
even falls out.To encourage healthy hair, make sure you

eat well and get all the essential nutrients.

mother, baby & child April 2011 Why It Happens is the excessive shedding of hair phase, which is part of the normal
that occurs one to five months hair loss cycle. This condition, she
During pregnancy, Mona following pregnancy. “This stresses, is not serious enough to
Mirza explains that there is is not uncommon, affecting cause bald spots or permanent
an increase in the level of somewhere between 40 to 50 hair loss, and should begin to
oestrogen hormones and this percent of women; but like diminish within three to four
increased oestrogen will keep most changes during pregnancy, months after delivery.
your hair in a growth phase and it is temporary,” she says.
stimulates hair growth, which is Post Pregnancy
why so many women have much Hair Loss During
stronger full bodied hair while Pregnancy Is It According to Mirza, the most
pregnant. “Hair grows in three Normal? common period of hair loss
stages: the anagen or growing occurs approximately three
stage, the catagen or transition If you do feel that the hair loss months after delivery. “The rise
stage, and the telogen or you are experiencing while in hormones during pregnancy
resting stage,” she says and you are pregnant is a cause for keeps you from losing your hair
pregnancy hormones lock all the concern, then Mirza suggests and after delivery, the hormones
roots of the hair into the anagen that there is a good chance that return to normal levels which
stage. As a result, Mirza says you are lacking some vitamins allow the hair to fall out and
that the hair grows faster during or other minerals in your diet.
pregnancy and may appear “If you are experiencing an
thicker, particularly on women excessive loss of hair during
with short hair. “Approximately pregnancy then the good news
90 percent of your hair is is that this should return to
growing at any one time, while normal three to four months
the other 10 percent enter a post childbirth,” she says,
resting phase,” she says and adding, “Hair loss that is
every two to three months the connected to pregnancy usually
resting hair falls out and allows occurs after delivery.” During
new hair to grow in its place. pregnancy, an increased number
Telogen effluvium, she defines, of hairs go into the resting

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