March 25, 2013

My "Mane" Postpartum Complaint

In January... a fuller time

I know it is spring time so I'd expect this from Speck the dog, but I too am shedding. My hair is everywhere! On my sleeves, in my car, on Emilia's clothes, in otherwise neglected corners of rooms, pooling in my shower drain. Everywhere. It's alarming how much of it I seem to be losing though I am told this is normal. I knew to expect it and also knew that women with longer hair tend to notice the loss more so. That doesn't make it any easier to touch parts of it that I thought were still attached to my head, only to find them instead filling my hands. :(

 As mine falls out, E's comes in!

The first time I read about postpartum hair loss from a personal perspective was actually on a style blog. Fellow Pittsburgher, Terra of Stylish White Female wrote candidly about her own postpartum hair and how it effected her sense of self. I guess this is a common experience for women who have had children.

Heightened estrogen levels during pregnancy cause you to retain hair you would typically lose on a day-to-day basis. But the process of regaining equilibrium in the maternal body means that in the months following birth you lose that hair. And practically en masse. I usually really appreciate my hair for its waves and general health but right now I find myself pulling it back into a bun so that I don't have to confront the losses constantly. I am also concerned about the potential for my hair to create a baby tourniquet (i.e. thank you Babycenter, for giving me something else about which to worry!).

Now the dilemma is: to cut or not to cut? I love my long hair in theory but if it is shedding like this and decreasing in volume maybe it is time for something short and sweet? 
  
P.S. Apologies for the title pun but I am trying my best to make light of a frustrating situation.

6 comments:

  1. I am going through the same thing right now. I hope it is similar to my first postpartum experience and ends around the time my daughter reaches five months. The worst for me is the area around my face, there will be lots of wispy pieces when it starts to grow in again.

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    1. I'm sorry that you're having the same issue! I didn't even think about how the regrowth will produce a bunch of wispy parts. E turned 4 months this week so hopefully it will slow down soon.

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  2. Ugh, this was SO hard. And the regrowth period is painful, all these little short hairs sticking up all over. I cut my hair, not dramatically, but a few inches. And I had to start using different hair product to weigh down the whispies.

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    1. Ugh not looking forward to the little hairs. I ended up not going dramatic but I did get the layers cleaned up and feel less self conscious. I'm still shedding though. :( I hope it slows down soon!

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  3. I was told this would happen so I preventatively got it cut shorter, sort of chunky bob shaped and now I'm 4+ months postpartum and it hasn't happened (yet?) and my mom said it didn't happen to her. In hindsight, I wish i would have left it an inch or two longer. It's mostly the shape that's driving me crazy and that I stopped liking about 4 weeks after I got it cut.

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    1. You are lucky it isn't happening! Even if you have haircut regrets, at least you aren't clogging every drain in the house. haha How are you doing? How is the little one? I hope you are well!

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