Advice sheet: Pregnancy and breastfeeding

• Why does our hair look good during pregnancy and fall out after giving birth and during breastfeeding?
• What can we do about it?
• Do’s and don’ts
• The Yoroshe tip

Causes

Pregnant women have beautiful hair because the anagen phase (growth phase) of the hair is boosted by estrogen and progesterone and adds to the mass already present, before moving on to the catagen phase (resting phase), which usually lasts one month. Hence the effect of dense and fitter hair.

However, after childbirth, the hormones cease to have an effect due to the significant decrease in their quantity. As it takes about 4 months for a dead hair to fall out, it is only 2 to 4 months after giving birth that a third of women lose their hair in an abnormal or even impressive way.

This phenomenon has a name, albeit a difficult one, “postpartum telogen effluvium”.
During breastfeeding, effluvium can occur because hormones similar to those produced during pregnancy are still being produced.

If in some cases, hair continues to fall out after 6 to 12 months after giving birth, it is important in this case to consult your doctor and have a blood test: it may be androgenic alopecia or a hormonal disorder responsible for abnormal hair loss.

What can be done about it?

• Homeopathy as a basic treatment

To avoid excessive hair loss after childbirth, some homeopathic doctors propose a homeopathic treatment. 

•  Essential oils for scalp massage after childbirth

Prepare your own blend of aromatic hydrosols by mixing equal parts of rosemary verbenone, Atlas cedar and true lavender to rub into your scalp before each shampoo. Massaging will also activate the microcirculation of your scalp to activate hair growth.
To stimulate the scalp, you can also add four drops of lemon essential oil to your usual shampoo.

• A course of brewer’s yeast or hair supplements

In powder or tablet form, brewer’s yeast is excellent for stimulating hair growth and strengthening the hair fiber. Rich in B vitamins (B1, B2 and B9), vitamin E, zinc and selenium, it makes hair shinier and stronger. 

• A cure of vitamin B and iron

Deficiencies in iron and B vitamins are the main cause of significant hair loss, because the hair needs these elements to be healthy.

To activate hair growth, it is important to have a healthy and varied diet, rich in protein and vitamin B:
Consume proteins and sources of sulfur-rich amino acids (methionine and cystine) that make up the main protein of the hair fiber: keratin.

Take vitamins from the B group, especially vitamin B6, which helps transform methionine into cysteine, which is beneficial to hair growth.

Take iron, which allows the synthesis of hemoglobin and plays an important role in the oxygenation of the hair bulb.

Do’s and don’ts

DO

• Style your hair gently so as not to damage your scalp Do not overuse protective hairstyles
• Use satin or silk scrunchies
• Massage your scalp
• Take food supplements
• Continue taking prenatal vitamins while breastfeeding
• Drink plenty of water and eat sufficient nutrients
• Consult your doctor if necessary who will do a blood test

DO NOT

• Do not use a hair dryer at too hot a temperature
• Do not brush your hair roughly
• Do not use protective hairstyles that are too tight
• Do not use straighteners, curling irons or other hair straighteners
• Do not color or bleach your hair, as this passes into the bloodstream
• Do not use essential oils because they enter the bloodstream

The Yoroshe tip

The absorption of iron is facilitated by vitamin C: an orange juice taken during a meal triples the absorption of iron contained in food taken during the same meal, and conversely, tea limits its absorption.