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.

Pregnancy Hair and Drugstore Thrills

Like many women, in my life I have spent exorbitant amounts of money on hair products. On Consume or Consumed, I've written about my hair and how it has taken time to accept its natural waves and texture when the current gold standard for hair seems to be as straight as a pencil. But at this point I have grown to love its curl potential. Being pregnant has made my hair thicker and grow faster, but until recently my roots were a mess. I finally got a cut and color which helped immensely. But the processing left my hair dry, which was already an issue thanks to other drying summertime activities. When I was offered the opportunity to review Dove Intensive Repair Daily Treatment Conditioner, I was happy to give it a try.

The instructions were simple: To lather it into hair after shampooing, and leave it on for 60 seconds. I combed it through and put it up with a clip while I finished grooming. The smell was refreshing and feminine, without being cloying or overly floral. And the conditioner itself was thick and substantial. My hair felt soft and looked shiny afterwards.

I have to be honest. I am not a "wash your hair every night" kind of person. It is too drying. And my problem with some deep conditioners is that they weigh down the volume at my roots making it so I have to wash my hair sooner than usual. This conditioner did not weigh me down, despite its richness. It rinsed well and afterwards the curl pattern was not disrupted. I was even so bold as to let it air dry, rather than hair drying the roots for volume. My hair feels softer and because of the cut and color, looks better than it has in months. I am happy to put this drugstore thrill into my rotation of hair products.

Promotion prompt: Do you condition your hair every day?

Below the cut is info on how to get $1.50 off coupon as well as a giveaway opportunity that readers can enter by answering the above question via BlogHer.