What is it?
During pregnancy, hair is strong and dense as a result of high levels of progesterone in the blood. After childbirth, sometimes, hair begins to fall in an exaggerated and generalized way throughout the surface of the scalp.
Who does it affect?
It’s a very common disorder after childbirth and especially when breastfeeding is discontinued. It affects a very high percentage, almost 75% of women who have been mothers and can vary widely between them.
Symptomatology
Many women, from the second and third month after having the baby, notice an accelerated hair fall, as well as a decrease in the hair growth. It usually lasts between 6 and 9 months.
Causes
During pregnancy, women usually enjoy a splendid time for their hair as a result of a high concentration of progesterone in the blood. These high hormone levels keep the hair in the anagen phase (growth phase) and cause it to grow more than normal. At two, three months after childbirth, the hair goes into the telogen phase (fall phase) and is due to the hormone level returning to normal, causing alopecia. It’s as if hair that has not fallen during pregnancy, falls suddenly.
The stress of giving birth, the decreasing iron, the poor diet and the lifestyle also influence.
Treatment
Postpartum alopecia is inevitable, since the origin of the alopecia is hormonal. The advantage of this type of hair loss is that if the person follows the advice of a specialist in a few months he will have a hair equal to or better than the one he had before gestation. If no treatment is followed, the hair recovers but always leaving a capillary mass much lower than it had before getting pregnant.
It’s advised to follow the following tips to minimize the symptoms:
- Carry out a balanced diet, especially with high protein content.
- Minimize the use of dryers, dyes and irons.
- Take vitamin supplements, especially to correct iron levels in case of being low.