Caring for your hair after birth

This can seem like a daunting task with a new little person to take care of. As a Mum myself it was extremely important for me to feel put together by being able to blow dry my hair. It’s always been my thing and the thought of not being able to do my hair made me quite anxious especially as I wasn’t feeling or looking like myself.  Firstly don’t worry, you will find you again, I promise! Secondly, we are women after all, we can do anything we put our mind too, right?!

Back to my point, caring for your hair after birth. It’s a whole new ballgame, you’re either dealing with a new unwanted fringe, side burns or the ever so stylish mullet AKA mumllet. Whatever you are left with its not fun and its usually unruly and just downright annoying.

Most new mums are not prepared for the amount of hair you loose after giving birth. This can start anywhere from a few days after birth to months after. My hair loss didn’t happen until my Son was 11 months old so here I was laughing it up thinking Ha, it wont happen to me. Then BAM one day I’m washing my hair and felt the shedding of my beautiful pregnancy hair and then a week or so later the mumllet arrived.

Hormones are the biggest reason for your pregnancy hair changes and postpartum hair loss. So after your baby arrives and your hormone levels drop, your hair makes up for lost time by falling out in much bigger clumps than it normally does. The total volume of your hair loss probably isn’t more than you would have lost over the last nine months, it just seems like it because it’s happening all at once.

Most women will return to their usual hair growth cycle between 6 and 12 months after birth but the hair loss can go on for up to 12 months for some women.

To help you care for your hair during this extra challenging time I recommend upping your antioxidant intake. This can help protect against postpartum hair loss by nourishing your scalp and hair follicles.

Antioxidants like Vitamin C and E will help provide extra nourishment and Biotin and Zinc will help fortify your hair and help it grow.

As a busy mum you may be thinking, this is in the too hard basket. But I have an easy solution for you. Get your extra antioxidant intake when you wash your hair!

Oway are a biodynamic organic haircare range providing shampoo and conditioners that are rich in antioxidants. Specifically the Moisturising Bath and Mask which contains Vitamin C and the Rebuilding Hair Bath and Mask which contains trace minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, & copper. Both are perfect ranges to use postpartum depending on your specific haircare needs. You can even mix the two ranges up using the Bath of one and the Mask of the other. (the Bath is your shampoo and the mask is your conditioner)

You can also work these antioxidants into your diet if you don’t already and take vitamins to add an extra dose of nourishment.

When you do eventually deal with the hair loss, the first step is to get a scalp treatment. Ensuring your scalp is healthy will let your hair grow through the scalp healthy, strong and as thick as possible for your normal hair thickness. If you have build up on your scalp it puts pressure on the growing follicle and the hair has to squeeze through to get out your scalp but when your scalp is free of build up the hair is able to grow through without strain! I would also recommend getting a trim to help the rest of your hair thicken up a little and make you feel like you have a bit more hair.

Depending on what texture your hair is you may benefit from a smoothing treatment to help those fluffy short bits lay flat and allow you to control them a bit better while they grow out or possibly working them into your haircut might be a good option for you.

For more personalised advice you can book a hair care consultation with one of our experienced stylist. We will run through your concerns and give you easy solutions to help set you on your path to your best hair yet! And remember Mama, be kind to yourself.