Pregnancy Hair (What You Should Know)

During pregnancy there are so many changes our bodies go through to grow a new life. This includes changes in hair color, density, texture, and even the way your hair reacts to product. The hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are the main ingredients that contribute to the difference you will notice in your hair when pregnant.

During Pregnancy:

Our hair has a natural life cycle. Each strand of hair goes through phases of growing (the anagen phase). Then begins a resting phase of 2 to 3 months (the catagen phase). After this, the hair is pushed out of the follicle in order for a new hair to start its cycle (the telogen phase). This is referred to as "new-growth". Pregnancy changes this process. Many women feel their hair start to become thicker around 15 weeks. This is a result of the increase in their estrogen levels. This does not mean your strands of hair are becoming thicker. This simply means that your hair will stay in the growth phase longer than usual, causing less hair to be shed. During week 20 of pregnancy is usually when women notice the most growth in their hair length. Week 32 is when estrogen levels hit their peak. Now your body is producing six times more estrogen than before pregnancy. Meaning your hair is receiving six times its regular amount of nutrients. This doesn't exclude your skin and nails as well. Referring to that "natural pregnant glow" women get.

Natural Hair Color & Pregnancy:

Due to the changes in chemicals and hormones the pregnancy will bring. Women often experience a shift in melanin levels as well. In some cases, this can also be a permanent change. For instance, I have a family member who has had dirty blonde hair her whole life. She now has 4 of her own children. Every time she gets pregnant, there is one strip of hair on her hairline that turns bright yellow blonde. Every pregnancy this strip becomes less and less pigmented in contrast with the rest of her hair. This I would say is an extreme case of change. Some studies have shown women who go from blonde to red or brunette to blonde and visa versa. More information on this can be found here. Although, many women only see a very slight change in darkness or lightness of their color, it is definitely more common than you might think.

Artificial hair color & Pregnancy:

So, is it okay to get your hair colored while pregnant? The short answer is yes, it is okay. Now, is it completely safe? That’s a little deeper of a question. Many brands use harsh chemicals like ammonia and parabens which aren’t good for us to absorb into our skin and blood streams. As a hairstylist myself, I can say that there are safer products that have recently been made available to our industry for this purpose. Now, hair brands have started to steer away from these chemicals after the world has come to realize how damaging they can be to us and our bodies. Especially because these things are going onto our scalps directly over our brain. So, you can ask your stylist if she/he is able to provide a color service with less harsh chemicals and more nourishing products. You are allowed to ask any questions you may have according to what is going onto your scalp. My advice would be, stay cautious about what you use on your head as we are cautious about what eat. Same thing applies. The things we put on our skin and in our hair will sink into our skin, thus it is also going into our bodies as part of our diet. As well as the little human you're growing too.

Postpartum Hair Loss:

After giving birth many moms experience some pretty extreme hair loss. This is natural and due to the scaling back of your estrogen levels. Remember, the hormone that promoted all the new hair growth when you were 20-32 weeks pregnant? Yeah, now that you're no longer carrying a baby, your body is returning to its regular amount of estrogen. This occurs for up to six months, and isn't considered true hair loss. If it has passed six months, you're still seeing extreme hair fall-out, it's worth seeing your doctor for further tests on what could be the cause. This type of shedding is temporary and your hair should return to its normal state by the child's first birthday. In some cases earlier.

If you need some quick tips for temporary help with volume, fullness or texture, I've got you covered. Using a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. This can definitely make a difference. Especially if it's light-weight, with clean ingredients. Texture spray always helps, my favorite is Morrocan Oil , it never gets sticky or too built up. A great hair growth promoter is Rosemary oil, I've only seen amazing results from it. And, be sure to not sleep with your hair wet! this is when your hair is at its most fragile state. We never know how much we move and shift in the middle of the night. If you do sleep with wet hair, at least put it in a braid before heading to bed. This will lessen the amount of pulling/breakage that is bound to happen. Lastly, if your hair seems extremely heavy during pregnancy and gets oily quicker than usual, dry shampoo will be your bestie. Apply the dry shampoo to CLEAN hair. This will prevent oils from hitting your strands for a longer period of time. Only making your clean hair last longer!