post partum hair loss: a personal story

Expecting a baby can be one of the most exciting (and scary) things you can experience in life. Along with the life changes, come the changes your body encounters. Some changes are good like that pregnancy glow and thicker hair. Some changes can be difficult like struggling with morning sickness and an ever-changing body image.

As a medical professional, when it comes to myself it’s like all medical knowledge goes out the window. I found myself researching about what changes I could expect from pregnancy even though I counseled pregnant women all the time about expectations. The problem is that no two pregnancies are the same. Because of that, I thought certain things didn’t apply to me, like the post-partum hair fallout.

As my pregnancy months grew I started to notice how thick my hair had gotten. I’ve had fine hair most of my life, so I loved my new found thickness. My sisters and friends had told me enjoy it while it lasts because after baby arrives the hair will fall out. I thought I was ready for what was to come. Boy, was I wrong.

I remember standing in the shower one morning thinking to myself my hair must not going to be fall out like it had for others. It’d been three months and I still had my thick hair. It was that next week when I was combing my hair and I couldn’t believe how much hair was in my comb. And it was only getting worse. When I was asked how much I was loosing, I couldn’t even say. It was handfuls and handfuls. It was shocking to see that much hair fall out. I wondered how much would I lose and when it would stop. If it would stop. And now, it all makes sense. Because of the hair cycle, shedding often does not occur until around 90 days post partum.

My shedding did slow down, but I was also proactive about the process. That’s the key: to be proactive. The minute my hair started shedding I started professional laser treatments 2-3 times per week. If you are experiencing post partum hair loss you are not alone. Here at HPIHair, we understand how hair loss can affect you and we have several tools to help slow your shedding and reverse your hair loss.

If you are experiencing post partum hair loss contact us today at 615.662.8722.

Photo credit: Laura Janicek Photography