Baby Squeeze, Postpartum Displease: Postpartum Hair Regrowth Tips

Beauty of Pregnancy

 

Before we get into postpartum hair regrowth, first lets bask in the beauty of pregnancy. The day I found out I was pregnant; I honestly was in shock. We took the First response pregnancy test in the bathroom , and then we waited in the living room for the results. After a few minutes, I checked it and saw ‘PREGNANT’.

Pregnant?! No that can’t be right. So, here I am college graduate, very well have a handle on common sense and my reading comprehension is great, But I sure enough walked into the living room and said, “I don’t know what this mean” Yes Girl, all common sense went out the window.

With a big smile on his face, he said, “it means you’re pregnant” My response is “No, this can be wrong” and do you want to know what I was basing my “logic” on?! At the time I was rewatching ‘Girlfriends’ with Tracee Ellis Ross on Netflix and there is an episode where she thought she was pregnant and took a test which came back positive, but it turned out it was a false positive. Yes! I based my logic on a fictional show that took place over a decade ago.

So fast forward, I’m like no, this can be wrong. Look at me crushing this man’s excitement and smile right?! So, to make it even worse, I took another test which was broken, SO I had us get in the car at 9pm to go to the store and get another box and we took one more and I was PREGNANT. The realization set in, excitement and then awe and from there my pregnancy was easy breezy.

I had no sickness, discomfort, nor issues that changed my day to day life. I was so lucky! The only thing I experienced in the first trimester was excessive saliva, and change in taste buds that probably lasted until the third trimester. I still enjoyed going on outings, getting dressed up with heels, and doing my hair EVERY Week.

And when I say my hair was LUCIOUS it was nice and full and flowy, but that is expected with pregnancy. Nothing changed for me except the fact I was carrying this little human who I loved before I knew who she was. Who I couldn’t wait to meet, and Who was so long like her daddy that she was stretching and kicking me all up in my ribs. 

The day came to meet our princess, she was born, we went home and got into the rhythm of adjusting to having our little human. Navigating around the clock, feeding, pumping, changing diapers, baths, playing, while trying to find the time for me, here comes postpartum hair loss knocking on my door and leaving hair everywhere.

Hair loss After Pregnancy: How long Postpartum Hair loss lasts?

Being so wrapped up in motherhood and the day to day that came with caring for this precious little human, I did not notice how much hair was falling out daily. I did not notice the excessive shedding happening. I do remember when I would just run my fingers through my hair, strands would be intertwined through my fingers.

My hair ended up on the couch cushion when I turned around, but still didn’t put two and two together. Until one day in November I’m doing my hair and notice this bald spot. Very visible on one side in my hairline then I check the other side and there is another. Postpartum Hair loss made itself Known that day and it was time to figure out how to regrow my hair back after hair loss

Can I Prevent hair loss?

Why does Postpartum Hair Loss happen? It’s because when we are pregnant our hair stays in the growth and resting phase of the hair cycle, called Anagen and Catagen phase which explains why our hair is so thick and long and luscious. So, when the baby is born, our hormone levels start to drop back to pre pregnancy level and that is when our hair moves onto the last phase, the shedding phase. We normally shed 50-150 hair strands a day, but during this postpartum stage, we can shed up to 400 hair strands a day, which can be shocking. But don’t worry it is normal and it is only temporary. 

Postpartum hair loss usually starts 1-3 months after the baby is born and starts to slow down and stop 6 months- 1 year after. Even though I know it can be shocking and just another thing added to us getting used to our current body and life, this is something we can possibly get through in no time. So how do we help our hair grow?

Postpartum hair Regrowth

Is there postpartum hair treatment? Well, I haven’t come across any specific treatment, but there are things we can do to make sure our hair grows back healthy and long. The first thing to do is have patience, and yes, I know, you’re probably like Girl! I don’t want to hear that, But it’s true. My Postpartum series on my Love,Jasmine Youtube Channel gives insight on how I am working through overcoming everything. The actual actionable steps that I did, which I explain in my Postpartum hair loss regrowth tips video I will also explain below

I pre-poo every week and oil my scalp every other day or so to stimulate hair growth. The oils I use are grapeseed oil, peppermint, jojoba and almond oil. Pre-pooing helps get the moisture back into the hair strands, helps detangle and get that dead hair out before you start your cleansing, because the last thing you want is to start shampooing and getting hair tangled and causing more shedding than needed.

Next is shampoo to get the product buildup off the scalp and hair. My current shampoo choice is MBIB , which is the only shampoo I have found that hasn’t stripped my hair. I also use bentonite clay if I don’t want to use shampoo as an alternative. Deep condition with a steamer or hair dryer to open them cuticles to get the moisture back in and follow up with your styling products. 

The most important thing in my opinion is the prep before styling and scalp care. Making sure our scalp is clean and moisturized, as well as our hair strands which gets the moisture and nutrients it needs from deep conditioning and the right styling products. Mama, all we can do is make sure we are taking care of ourselves while going through this stage. Giving our hair the right TLC, eating the right foods, and trying to minimize as much stress as possible.

Love,Jasmine Youtube Channel is my Love letter to you, to the pre-mommy me, the mommy and the woman I am evolving into. I am on a life’s journey to inspire and motivate us to feel fully confident in our natural hair, discover who the best version of ourselves are and walk into the world with peace, faith and joy.

What are/were your go to staples to grow your hair back?