What are the causes and treatments of postpartum hair loss?

Women will experience many physiological changes after giving birth, and hair loss is one of them. When a mother finds that her hair is falling out in clumps, she may become worried because she does not understand the reason, which affects her mental health and mental state and is not conducive to her recovery. Therefore, we must have some understanding of the causes and treatments of maternal hair loss.

Causes of postpartum hair loss

1. Hormone changes

The speed at which women's hair changes is closely related to the level of estrogen in the body. When estrogen increases, the rate of hair loss slows down; when estrogen decreases, the rate of hair loss accelerates. Within 6 months after delivery, the function of sexual organs is in the recovery stage, and the secretion of estrogen is significantly reduced, causing hair loss.

2. Mental factors

For example, some women are emotionally unstable or mentally stressed before and after childbirth for various reasons, which leads to metabolic disorders and insufficient nutrition, inducing hair loss. After a woman becomes pregnant, especially for the first time, she will experience great mental stress. After giving birth, she will go from an excited state to tiredness, and her mood will go from high to low. Some women will become emotionally fragile and anxious, which will cause dysfunction of the cerebral cortex, autonomic nervous system, and nerves that control hair blood vessels to malnutrition and cause hair loss.

3. Dietary factors

During the postpartum breastfeeding period, if the mother has poor digestion and absorption functions, or her diet is too monotonous or picky, or some mothers even go on a diet to maintain a slim figure after childbirth, it is easy to suffer from nutritional deficiencies or unbalanced nutrition, resulting in insufficient supply of protein, vitamins, or minerals in the body, thereby affecting the growth and metabolism of hair, making the hair dry and brittle.

4. Nursing factors

Influenced by traditional concepts, some mothers dare not wash or comb their hair during the confinement period, which causes the sebum secretions and dust on the scalp to mix and accumulate, which not only affects the blood supply to the head, but also easily causes folliculitis or scalp infection, thereby increasing the probability of hair loss.

How to prevent postpartum hair loss

To prevent postpartum hair loss, the most important thing is to maintain correct daily hair care habits. The correct daily hair care habits include the correct shampooing method, the correct combing method, and the correct blow-drying method.

1. Correct way to wash your hair:

(1) Before washing your hair, use a wide-tooth comb to straighten it, starting with the ends and then gradually moving upwards, finally from the roots to the ends.

(2) Wash your hair with warm water and adjust the water temperature to a suitable level (37-38 degrees Celsius is optimal). It is not good to use too hot hair as it will damage the hair quality, and it is not good to use too cold hair as it will make it difficult to remove dirt.

(3) Pour an appropriate amount of shampoo and massage until foam forms before applying evenly to your head. Do not pour it directly onto your hair.

(4) First use shampoo to wash away all the dirt. Remember not to scratch your scalp with your fingertips. Use your fingertips to gently massage your scalp. If necessary, use shampoo again.

(5) Wash thoroughly twice, making sure no sticky residue is left, as this will damage your hair.

2. Correct combing method:

Comb your hair frequently to make it smooth and tidy, remove dust and dirt attached to the hair, promote blood circulation in the scalp, and also bring scalp oil to the hair ends, so that the hair gets adequate nutrition. However, incorrect combing methods can cause mechanical damage to the hair.

The correct way to comb your hair is:

(1) First use a comb with large teeth to straighten your hair, starting with the ends and then gradually moving upwards, finally from the roots to the ends; then use a comb with fine teeth to comb your hair, which will make it smoother.

(2) When combing your hair, apply a little force from the roots of the hair and make sure the teeth of the comb touch the skin of the head. This will help promote blood circulation and allow the oil on the scalp to reach the hair.

(3) Choosing a suitable comb is also important for hair. Combs made of natural materials, such as horn combs and wooden combs, have less friction with hair and can prevent static electricity from being generated. A brush made of natural bristles can bring oil from the roots of the hair to the ends of the hair, moisturizing the hair and increasing its luster.

3. Correct drying method:

The best way after shampooing is to let your hair air dry naturally. Before using a hair dryer, remember to use a towel to absorb excess moisture. Using hot air to blow hair that is still dripping water is time-consuming and may damage your hair. The hair dryer should be kept 20 cm away from the hair, and it is best to alternate between hot and cold air to avoid heat damage to the hair.

4. Others

To prevent and treat hair loss, mothers should pay attention to mental conditioning, that is, they should keep a happy mood and a cheerful spirit after delivery, so that their qi and blood will naturally be vigorous, which can promote hair growth as soon as possible. Secondly, they should ensure a reasonable intake of nutrition and prevent picky eating. While it is recommended that postpartum women eat more chicken, fish and eggs, they should also eat more vegetables and fruits to supplement vitamins and trace elements.