Correcting Postpartum Hair Loss

You just gave birth, and your days are full up. You grab a few minutes to brush your hair like always. Then you watch with shock as the brush quickly fills up with hundreds of strands. More of your hair falls to the floor with each brushstroke.

Distraught, you examine your head in the magnifying mirror.

Sure enough, in places your hair loss is so pronounced that there are thinning patches where your scalp glares through.

“I just had a baby! I’ve got so much to do, I don’t want one more thing to worry about!”

And you feel confused. How can it be that you’re experiencing major hair loss at your age? Isn’t that supposed to happen in a few decades when you’re a senior?

Yet you're shedding your hair faster than a Golden Retriever in springtime.

But there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for hair loss when you're postpartum. And, fortunately, a simple remedy to rejuvenate your hair growth.

Let’s take a look.

In this article: -

1. Why You Lose Your Hair After Pregnancy
2. How To Treat Postpartum Hair Loss
3. What If You’re Losing Your Hair While You’re Pregnant
4. Let’s Get Your Hair Full And Healthy Again

Why You Lose Your Hair After Pregnancy

As a woman, your hair is one of your glories. I get that. Shedding it can shake your confidence, and seems especially overwhelming when you’ve recently given birth and are in the throes of fluctuating hormone levels.

Here’s why postpartum hair loss happens:

The placenta produces a substantial amount of estrogen, one of the sex hormones that plays a central role in maintaining pregnancy and preventing miscarriage by regulating another hormone, progesterone. Estrogen is also crucial to stimulate the hormonal processes necessary for fetal maturation. Without it, your baby’s lungs, liver, and other organs and tissues can’t fully develop.

So far, so good.

Then, after you give birth, your estrogen levels plummet to about 10% of normal - similar levels to a woman going through menopause. And any time estrogen drops, its opposing hormone testosterone increases in ratio to it. Next, an enzyme converts this testosterone to a more powerful form called DHT. This is normal; it’s how your body tries to maintain a healthy hormonal equilibrium called homeostasis.

Yet when DHT reaches a high enough level, it basically burns burns out your hair. DHT links to receptors on the hair follicles in your scalp, causing them to shrink and be unable to support a healthy head of hair.

I know what you’re thinking…

“What do you mean, this is normal? It’s more like my body’s betrayed me!”

Fortunately, the treatment is simple. Keep reading - you don’t want to miss this.

How To Treat Postpartum Hair Loss

Although most women reach for a new shampoo and conditioner that promise to give you back your beautiful hair, there's a much better treatment that works from your inside out. Postpartum hair loss can easily be treated with a natural product called stinging nettle root, which helps deactivate the DHT.

Stinging nettle root has been used as herbal medicine since ancient times. Although, as its name implies, the leaves can cause a temporary burning sensation upon contact, you can safely consume it once it is processed into a supplement, dried, freeze-dried, or cooked.

Best of all, stinging nettle is incredibly easy to add to your daily routine; yes, even when you’re juggling the demands of a newborn baby.

You can buy it in many health food stores, online, or in the health food aisle of many major grocery stores.

Its leaves are available either in pre-packaged tea bags or as loose-leaf tea. You can also easily obtain stinging nettle root in capsule form. Take the capsules as recommended on the label.

Consuming stinging nettle root regularly will help get your hair back.

I told you it was simple!

But What If You’re Losing Your Hair While You’re Pregnant?

I wanted to add a note for you in case you’re still pregnant, and experiencing hair loss.

That’s a completely different problem. Fortunately, the remedy is equally simple. During pregnancy, as I’ve mentioned, your estrogen spikes to high levels. This in turn inhibits the function of your thyroid gland.

In fact, women who are already hypothyroid when they get pregnant need to increase their dosage of thyroid hormone. Please consult with your medical provider to determine the correct increase; as always, your thyroid medication dosage should be monitored for best results.

In tandem with an increase in thyroid hormone, I recommend consuming cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. Cruciferous vegetables contain what are called phytochemicals, which are known to be anti-estrogenic.

In other words, these phytochemicals can keep cells from making or using estrogen, thus supporting healthy hair and reducing the chances of hair loss during pregnancy.

Let’s Get Your Hair Full And Healthy Again

You don’t have to dread brushing your hair after your baby’s born. There’s no reason to watch helplessly as clumps of your hair drift across the floor, or find creative ways to cover the thinning spots where your scalp gleams through.

Now that you know how easy it is to add stinging nettle root to your everyday routine, it’s time to partake its tea, capsules, or even both.

Imagine enjoying your hair again. Feeling confident that it’s enhancing your appearance instead of being a source of embarrassment. This is what I want for you.

There’s no reason to delay. Let’s start right now on the road to healthy hair.

Up Next: -

• Hormonal Hair Loss
• Is Your Hair Loss Coming from your Gut
• The Causes of Hair Loss
   

Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for quality and relevancy.