A New Mom’s Viral Instagram Photo Shows the Struggle of Postpartum Hair Loss
The postpartum period is difficult for women on so many levels, but one new mom just opened up on Instagram about a common change that’s rarely discussed: hair loss.
Social media influencer and new mom Jeannette Ogden recently shared a close-up of her bald spots on Instagram, and revealed that it has been challenging experience for her. “Reality is, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share this photo,” she wrote in the caption.
Ogden said a fellow mom tagged her in an Instagram story about postpartum hair loss and it inspired her to speak out. “I replied with, ‘you’re not alone ma, I’m with you’ and sent her this photo,” she said, even though she “got kinda bummed” after.
“Just look at all the hair that’s fallen out,” she said. “I’m not looking for sympathy, just sharing what I’m currently going through and I’m NOT ashamed.” Ogden said she’s “sometimes embarrassed” by her thinning hair, but she’s trying to change her way of thinking about it.
A post shared by jeannette ogden (@shutthekaleup) on Nov 20, 2019 at 11:04am PST
“This world (especially being on social media) has us thinking beauty is specific when it’s truly not,” she said. “This is a variation of beautiful, says the girl who’s losing her hair but incredibly filled with happiness. Perspective is everything and I think of those losing all their hair or have major health issues.”
Wait, why do some women experience hair loss after having a baby?
Postpartum hair loss is really common, according to Gary Goldenberg, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. It’s actually a form of a condition called telogen effluvium, which typically occurs after pregnancy, major surgery, drastic weight loss, or even extreme stress.
A quick primer on hair: Your hair goes through three phases. The first is a growth phase, followed by a transition phase (where your hair stops growing), and then there’s a resting phase (where your hair does nothing). After the resting phase, your hair sheds and new hair grows. Most people lose up to 100 hairs a day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and this is totally normal.
But when you’re dealing with postpartum hair loss, you shed much more hair than usual, Dr. Goldenberg explains. “Women may notice a high number of hairs on their brush, in the tub, or simply by running one’s hands through the hair,” he says. “It can be very distressing.”
The reason: During your pregnancy, high hormone levels keep your hairs from shedding the way they normally would. And at the same time, your hair likely grew faster. Once you give birth, things return to normal and you can end up shedding a lot of hair at once.
So, will your hair eventually grow back?
Keep in mind that this won’t last forever, and your hair should return to its normal state by the time your baby is a year old, according to the AAD (which has an entire section on its website about postpartum hair loss—that’s how common it is).
If your postpartum hair loss bothers you, the AAD recommends using volumizing shampoo and conditioner, using conditioner just on the ends of your hair (as it can weigh your strands down otherwise), and avoiding conditioners that are “intensive” since these are also too heavy.
You can also consider taking a hair growth vitamin or supplement, Dr. Goldenberg says. He recommends looking for a vitamin with biotin and vitamin B, both of which can help increase the speed of re-growth. (And while you wait for your hair to return to its normal state, you can also consider changing your part or hairstyle to fake a little fullness.)
If your postpartum hair loss is severe, be sure to bring it up with your dermatologist. They may recommend a treatment like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, which uses injections of a concentration of platelets from your own blood to try to help stimulate hair growth.
Again, it’s incredibly normal to notice thinning after having a baby. And, while it’s not exactly fun to live through, sometimes it’s just good to know you’re not alone. Ogden ended her candid post on this note: “Beauty is in us, it just takes a certain person to see it. This is motherhood and it’s pretty frickin cool.”
Like what you just read? You’ll love our magazine! Go here to subscribe. Don’t miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and following Prevention. Oh, and we’re on Instagram too.
You Might Also Like
