Changes in Hair Texture and Growth During Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, you may have noticed that your hair is looking and feeling different than before, and it may not be something to complain about. It’s true – pregnant women can have thicker and silkier-looking tresses during pregnancy. For others, hair may become uncontrollably oily, frizzy, dry, and wild-looking.
Indeed, along with bodily changes and hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy are changes in hair quality. You could have the hair you have always dreamed of during this period… or not.
Why does pregnancy affect hair quality and hair growth? Let’s talk about changes in hair texture and growth during pregnancy, and where you can go to see a world-class hair doctor in Kansas City to keep those locks looking fabulous.
Why Does Hair Change During Pregnancy?
There is an increase in natural levels of estrogen and androgen during pregnancy, which for some women, results in shiny and volumized hair. Hair may also become more curly or less curly, depending on how the hormonal fluctuations affect the pregnant woman.
The main reason for thicker-looking hair is the prolonged phases of hair growth and resting, and a delay in the shedding phase. The three hair phases are growth (anagen), resting (telogen), and shedding (catagen), and many pregnant women tend to go into the resting phase until they deliver the baby. Instead of shedding 100 strands of hair a day, which is normal, very few are shed daily.
Postpartum Hair Loss
After the pregnancy, many women shed a lot of hair. The follicles have finally gone into the shedding phase after settling into the resting phase during the pregnancy.
What is not normal is if your hair has not returned to its relatively normal state a year after your pregnancy. The excessive hair shedding, or the telogen effluvium phase, is temporary and should stop about three to six months after the baby is born – when your hormones have leveled out.
New mothers are advised to continue taking their prenatal vitamins to help keep their hair healthy. Be gentle to your hair, and avoid harsh hairstyles (such as braids) to prevent excessive hair loss. Hair shedding that persists, or hair thinning and unusual hair loss after pregnancy, should be checked by a hair doctor.
Hair Doctor in Kansas City, MO, and Des Moines, IA
Giving birth to a new life is a gift, and hair thinning and hair loss should be one less thing to worry about. If you are looking for an expert in hair treatments and hair restoration, Dr. Scott Darling is here for you at Darling Hair Restoration.
Dr. Darling provides both nonsurgical and surgical treatments to his patients who are suffering from hair thinning and hair loss. Women tend to respond best to nonsurgical hair treatments, including PRP (platelet-rich plasma), ACell, and Allograft.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Darling, call our hair restoration clinic today at (816) 792-3400 or fill out our convenient appointment request form online now. We have locations in Kansas City and Des Moines, and we look forward to serving you!
