Postpartum hair loss often peaks at around four months postpartum. I know that this can be shocking for some women, so I want to share some natural remedies for postpartum hair loss below.
Truthfully, this has not been something I have dealt with in all three of my postpartum periods so far. My fourth baby is just shy of three months old, so you never know, this postpartum could be my chance to experience what real postpartum hair loss feels like.
It is ridiculously common though. I was just speaking to some women about it yesterday, who were complaining about their hair loss and could not believe that it came out in chunks in the shower.
One thing that I can relate to though, is that my hair has completely changed since before I was pregnant with my first baby. I used to have beautiful curly hair until pregnancy and postpartum changed that. Now, my hair is purely waves and no curl, no matter what I have done to try and revive the curls (you can see the pictures below: picture one is me on my wedding day with my curls in full swing and picture two is me after having my first baby and my hair having lost its curls).
High estrogen levels during pregnancy prevent hair from falling out. It is the drop in estrogen levels during postpartum that makes hair fall out. Some women will experience their hair growing back to the way it was, but others, like myself, will experience a change in their hair texture and even colour after having a baby.
Your hair usually grows in cycles: growth phase, rest phase, shed phase, repeat). However, during pregnancy your hair will stay in the one phase: growth phase. This is why many women will talk about how luscious and full their hair felt during pregnancy.
This is why it is such a shock when big clumps of hair start to fall out during postpartum. However, there are some things you can do to encourage hair strength and growth, which is why I will share some natural remedies for postpartum hair loss below.
What I will cover in this post
- Natural remedies for postpartum hair loss
- Links to reputable hair products
- Other considerations
Natural remedies for postpartum hair loss
These natural remedies support hair in different ways. Don’t expect results straight away, however, with consistency and quite possibly a combination of these minerals and nutrients, it will support your hair re-growth in exponential ways.
Silica: this mineral is known to encourage hair re-growth by strengthening the hair strands. The silica supplement is derived from horsetail.
Wheatgrass: contains silica and helps the liver to process excess postpartum hormones. Wheatgrass can be bought frozen, fresh or in supplement form.
Biotin: when women are deficient in this nutrient, it causes hair loss. Supplementing with biotin has been shown to produce significant hair growth in women with a deficiency.
Collagen: known as a beauty staple and helps to encourage hair growth and strength, as well as strengthening your nails and supporting your skin health.
Nutrient-rich diet: including healthy fats like avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, butter, ghee, coconut in all forms, and omega 3s in fish, salmon, sardines, chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts and pecans.
Links to natural remedies for hair growth and strength
I would not recommend products that are not natural and derived from pure ingredients. So I have done some research and made sure to only link high quality products that supports hair growth and strength.
I have listed a variation of products that include silica, wheatgrass, biotin and collagen.
I personally have not tried wheatgrass for hair growth, but I am currently trying some products that include silica and biotin and I have collagen consistently.
NOW Silica Complex (180 tablets)
Henry Blooms Super Colloidal Silica (120 capsules)
Qsilica Skin, Hair and Nails One a Day tablet
Forest Superfoods Australian Wheatgrass
Bulk Supplements Organic Wheatgrass powder
NutraOrganics Collagen powder (unflavoured)
Other considerations
Although postpartum hair loss is commonly experienced by many new mamas, if you are experiencing significant postpartum hair loss, there may be other things at play, like:
- Anemia
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Adrenal fatigue
If hair loss is associated with anemia, you should also be experiencing symptoms such as: cold hands and feet, shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, pale skin and dizziness.
If hair loss is associated with thyroid dysfunction, then other symptoms like fatigue, weakness, dry skin, difficulty in gaining or losing weight, impaired memory, decreased breast milk production, constipation and intolerance to cold.
Finally, if hair loss is associated with adrenal fatigue, then other symptoms like difficulty falling asleep, sugar and salty cravings, chronic fatigue and needing stimulants to function will persist.
As you can tell, some of these symptoms are common two or more conditions, so if you think you may have any of these conditions, then I would suggest seeing a Functional Medicine Doctor or Naturopath.
More on the blog
Gluten free lemon yoghurt cake
Leave a Reply