Preventing Postpartum Hair Loss
This blog post is long overdue because this is something I hear about ALL THE TIME.
Let me paint the picture.
A desperate woman goes to a trusted group of women and she is distraught! Her hair is falling out in clumps and she’s thinking that she will be bald any day now.
“Please, help me! What do I do!?”
And you know what they say to her?
“Hang in there mama!” “That’s totally normal!” “You’ll get through it!”
“OMG me too girl! It sucks.”
Let me be clear. Your hair falling out in clumps is NEVER NORMAL. I cannot stand when I see the above comments on a post about a woman struggling with something that is totally preventable. I get that these women are just trying to be supportive but those comments drive me crazy because postpartum hair loss is not normal and it is absolutely preventable!
I also stumbled on a post about a woman struggling with severe tooth decay after having multiple children. I was shocked at how many other women were also struggling with this. I have heard of tooth decay and even teeth falling out postpartum, which is why I have always emphasized the importance of nutrition with the women I work with. I was still shocked to find out that this was much more common than I previously thought. Again, there were some of those same comments on this post, kind and supportive but not helpful.
I am here to tell you that this does not have to be your reality! You can have strong teeth, healthy hair, and as many kids as you want, but it will take some dedication and discipline. Our skin, hair, and teeth are a reflection of our overall health. Hair (or teeth) falling out is our bodies’ way of saying that there is something missing. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can take a lot out of women, which is why taking care of ourselves is so important during these times!
In this post, I will outline some basic tips to help you keep yourself healthy and nourished in postpartum (or after years of having kids). Many women are surprised by the amount of protein, calories, and fat that is required to stay healthy and nourished. It can be confusing, especially when low-fat diets were pushed on us so hard for many years. It turns out that diets free from healthy animal fats and proteins are extremely detrimental to our hormones. You might be eating healthy but if you’re not eating enough of specific nutrients you could be in for some major hair loss postpartum.
So, let’s talk about it.
What causes postpartum hair loss?
Hair loss postpartum is typically caused by two things – hormonal imbalance or malnutrition. Usually, it is a combination of both because malnutrition is common and will cause hormonal imbalances eventually. Nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices are extremely important in pregnancy, postpartum, and while breastfeeding. If you’re pregnant and breastfeeding at the same time it is twice as important!
Below I listed some basic things that will almost guarantee malnutrition and hormonal imbalance.
Trying to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight
Trying to lose weight in any way during these periods is a recipe for disaster. Doing things like counting calories, skipping meals, limiting fat intake, or ignoring hunger cues can lead to women not getting enough nutrients. When women are pregnant or breastfeeding the woman’s body takes the nutrients that it needs to nourish the baby. The mother will need enough nutrients to sustain herself and her baby. The body will give to the baby first which can leave the mother depleted.
Usually, malnourishment starts in pregnancy(or before) and continues into postpartum. Women with specific diets can be more susceptible to malnutriton. Nutrition is not one size fits all but very restrictive diets, especially diets that don’t include animal foods, often lead to women not getting enough nourishment.
Malnourishment doesn’t discriminate - women of all sizes can be malnourished! Many women that are overweight are actually malnourished. It sounds like a contradiction, but if a woman is eating a diet high in sugary, carb heavy, processed foods she is unlikely to be eating nutrient dense foods. Processed foods are high in calories which will cause weight gain but they don’t contain the vital nutrients that we need to thrive.
Women usually recognize that they need to eat more and healthier during pregnancy. Where many women go wrong is dieting postpartum and trying to “lose the baby weight”. It is normal and beneficial for women to keep and extra 5-15 pounds while they are breastfeeding. This is a protective mechanism to keep extra nutrient stores while breastfeeding. Limiting nutrient intake(dieting) during this period will lead to excessive hair loss, tooth decay, impaired immune function, impaired brain function, and other common but not normal postpartum symptoms.
Endocrine disrupters
This is a topic I talk about all the time. I have other blog posts on this topic, a free fertility guide that goes into detail about different endocrine disrupting products, and I do coaching sessions to help women remove these products from their lives and restore hormonal balance. Here, I will make a basic list of common things that can cause hormonal imbalances.
Plastic (yes, ALL plastic, even BPA free)
Polyester clothing and other synthetic fibers
Non stick teflon cookware (Use stainless steel, glass, copper, or cast iron instead)
Artificial fragrances commonly found in perfumes, lotions, shampoos, soaps, candles, cleaning products, ect
Lack of sleep
Stress
Why does this always seem to happen at 5 months postpartum?
You have probably heard that your hormone levels drop at 5 months postpartum, but what does that actually mean?
There are many hormones at play in our bodies but the star of the show today is estrogen. Estrogen gradually rises during pregnancy to support the growth of the placenta and the baby. Estrogen also helps to regulate other hormones, aids in the birth process, and breastfeeding.
Many women notice that their hair is thicker and shinier during pregnancy. You can thank estrogen for that! Don’t forget about the pregnancy glow! Increased estrogen is responsible for so many of the wonderful (and some of the not so wonderful) side effects of pregnancy.
Typically, around 5 months postpartum estrogen levels decrease. Since the increase in estrogen helps hair growth you can probably understand why the drop in estrogen causes hair loss. It is normal to have a slight increase in hair shedding around this time. Woman often notice more hair in their hairbrush or in the shower drain. As the woman’s regular hormonal cycle balances out the increase in hair loss will stop.
Since women typically experience an increase in hair growth during pregnancy this shedding process shouldn’t effect the regular density of her hair. Hair falling out in clumps or bald spots forming is not normal, but due to malnutrition or hormonal imbalances this is unfortunately common.
How to prevent postpartum hair loss
Nourishment is the most important thing to keep women’s hormones balanced, their bodies healthy, and hair shiny and strong! It is always important to get enough nourishment but especially during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Remember that we use a lot of our nutrient reserves to grow our babies during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. It is not enough to simply eat more food. Pregnancy isn’t a pass to eat sweets and processed foods - this is the most important time to be eating as healthy and nutrient dense as possible! It also isn’t good enough to take a prenatal vitamin and eat whatever. Learn about why vitamins are a scam in my birth prep course.
Diet and nutrition is not one size fits all, but there are some basic requirements everyone’s body needs. Below is a list of foods to eat daily and helpful tips.
100+ grams of protein (more if doing heavy exercise or pregnant and breastfeeding simultaneously)
Emphasis on animal proteins especially fatty and bone-in cuts
Cooking with animal fats (lard, tallow, grass fed butter, ghee)
Collagen rich foods like bone broth/stock or collagen powder
Organ meats (liver pills are great if you can’t stand the taste)
Whole foods based supplements instead of artificial vitamins
Whole foods based diet free from processed foods
Some of the women I have coached found it very difficult to reach 100 grams of protein daily. When they cut out bread, pasta, sugar, and other processed foods they were shocked at how easy it is to get that much protein! Plus their energy levels were up, brain fog was cleared, and moods improved. Check out my basic prenatal nutrition guide for more info.
I really want to emphasize the importance of collagen rich foods. Collagen is an essential nutrient for the health of our hair, skin, and teeth. This needs to be part of the daily diet to prevent hair loss and tooth decay. I love to add two scoops of collagen powder to my coffee, tea, or smoothie to make sure I am getting some collagen every day. I also recommend having plenty of homemade bone broth on hand to cook with or drink on it’s own. Store bought broth has very low amounts of collagen so it must be homemade. I will make broth in bulk and can it or freeze it so I always have it in my house.
I also want to emphasize the organ meats. Organ meats super foods! They are packed with nutrients that are highly bioavailable so to it easy for our bodies to process and store them. This is what I would recommend instead of prenatal vitamins. It is very inexpensive to buy liver and other organ meats from local farms or the grocery store. I cut up liver into 1 inch pieces and keep bags of it in the freezer. It is easy to throw a piece into a smoothie that way. There are also many recipes that call for liver, kidneys, heart, and other organs. I try to incorporate these superfoods into my cooking as much as possible. I also take beef liver in capsules daily while pregnant or breastfeeding to fill in the gaps from my diet. I talk in depth about nutrition and supplements in my birth prep course.
What to do if your hair is already falling out
For women who are already experiencing excessive hair loss postpartum, it’s not too late. While it is best to start prioritizing these healthy lifestyle changes before pregnancy, this guide can be implemented at any time!
Helpful tips to promote hair growth
Castor oil hair masks
Limiting hair washing
Ditch the toxic shampoos (I recommend Viori shampoo bars or this DIY recipe)
Hair oiling (I recommend this DIY recipe)
Don’t use heat (hairdryer, flat iron, curling iron)
Supplements (biotin, collagen, colostrum, liver)
Increase animal protein and fats
It can be intense to drastically change your diet and lifestyle all at once. It can be helpful to start with a few things that seem realistic for you. It is also helpful to pinpoint the root cause of the issue. Is it hormonal, nutrient deficiencies, or perhaps something else? That will help you know what to focus on.
I understand that motherhood can be stressful. Life is busy and it can be difficult to prioritize your health and wellness. I work with women to create sustainable lifestyle shifts to help them be the healthiest versions of themselves for their families! If you are interested in 1:1 coaching Schedule a free connection call with me to see how I can help you.