We’ve all seen the memes...
I die laughing every time. The accuracy!!!
And as hilariously (and painfully) accurate as the memes are, I’ll be the first to say it — Postpartum hair loss is a bitch.
And not the bubbly, fun bitch you can’t wait to do brunch with...
She’s the cold, sneaky bitch you don’t trust.
Good news is, postpartum hair loss doesn’t effect everyone! And the even better news? It doesn’t last forever! According to the American Pregnancy Association, 40 - 50 % of women struggle with excessive hair shedding after childbirth.
This excerpt from Allure breaks it down well:
‘“When a woman is pregnant, she has a lot of extra hormones in the body, including estrogen,” says Christine Carlan Greves, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist in Orlando, Florida. “The estrogen helps protect us from losing our hair. Then when she has the baby, there’s a sudden change in the hormone levels, including a drop in the estrogen. And this shift can cause a response in the body that may affect the hair cycle.”’
I get a lot of compliments on my hair. And while I’m appreciative, and some days need those kind words like nobody’s business — the truth is, I’ve been searching for my edges since Savvy was born!
Girl, postpartum hair loss quietly crept in and tried to take me for all I’ve got!
And the crazy thing is, I was so focused on healing, and caring for our babygirl, I almost didn’t notice!
Almost.
It started when my showers, became baths.
You know when you’re showering, and you don’t have a stopper in the tub, but somehow, the water starts pooling around your feet, and next thing you know, the water is half way up you calf?! Yep.
Ew. I know…But I know I’m not alone. Somebody gets me!
And my poor hubs! At one point, he was stopping at the store every other day on his way home, picking up Draino and all sorts of things to unclog the shower drain, which was full of…you guessed it! MY HAIR. :-(
And he never once complained. Never once even told me he was pulling my hair our of the drain.
Husband of the year.
Here are a few essentials that have helped me through this part of the postpartum journey:
A Sense of humor — Sounds crazy but you have to laugh about it! Otherwise you’ll be crying and miserable, and we all know happy girls are the prettiest.
Invest in a 6 month supply of Draino
Stock up on headbands + edge control
Go to really humid places (whether its right outside your front door — Heeeeey DMV + RVA friends! — you’re grandma’s garage, or your bathroom after a hot shower) and let your hair puff up! I know, it sounds like every thing we’ve always worked against right? Like, in normal situations the humidity is prob your hair’s worst nightmare. But not anymore! Humidity is now your hair’s BFF! The puffier and bigger the hair, the less you or anyone else can tell its falling out or breaking off. #Amiright?!
The flip and fluff! Flip your hair (think female version of a comb over, without a comb) and fluff it with one hand before a pic or video shoot.
Try to minimize heat/color
Weekly or bi-weekly all natural hair mask — I make one with avocado, egg whites, olive oil and honey! Put this mask on your hair after your regular wash routine, and leave it on for at least 30 mins before rinsing. It hydrates and strengthens your hair, and smells yummy!
Keep taking your prenatals, especially if you’re breastfeeding!!
Pick up some biotin supplements and take them daily, in addition to your prenatals
Just keep swooning over your sweet little babe, they make everything worth it!
When all else fails, make another baby! We all know that pregnancy hair is EVERYTHING.
If you too are searching high and low for your edges, I hope that some of these things help. If nothing else, I hope you got a little laugh out of it, and you no longer feel alone on this journey. I am with you! Despite what my mane looks like on TV, or on Youtube, or on Instagram or how full it looks when you see me at an event for two hours, the reality is, that at the end of the day, sometimes my feet are taking a bath while I’m taking a shower.
If you’ve had anything that's worked super well for you, please share! I'll include the tips in a follow up post.
Cheers to the flip + fluff and this beautiful insane roller coaster that is motherhood!
Love Always.
Jas