Pregnancy and Hair - Hormonal Hair

Pregnancy changes peoples' lives in so many ways. It brings people together, it turns couples
into families, and in some cases it saves lives. Pregnancy also changes a woman's body in many
ways. Don't forget to look past the obvious belly bulge and bulges in other areas. Pregnancy also
changes one's skin and joints and may make or break her crowning glory ... her hair.

       The hormones associated with pregnancy may cause strange things to happen to
  your once normal body. Beginning even before that second line or positive sign
  appears on the pregnancy test, your body is changing. It takes a huge influx of
  hormones from the moment the sperm enters the egg for that fertilized egg to survive
  its journey to the uterus. Once there it implants itself into the thick cushiony lining.
  If the proper hormones are not present, the once protective lining will be excreted
  from the body, along with the fertilized egg.

Anyone who has been pregnant and had morning sickness knows that there is a definite and
unmistakable feeling of early pregnancy. The extreme fatigue, the nausea and vomiting, the
sensitivity to temperatures and smells and the zits are all due to the increase in certain hormones.
People familiar with pregnancy also know about those wonderful prenatal vitamins. Before prenatals
became so common, there was an increase in birth defects due to dietary deficiencies. Little did the
doctors know that these vitamins would not only increase the health of newborns but also increase
the health of the mom's hair and nails.

       Many women experience increased hair and nail growth as well as thicker and shinier hair.
However, some women experience the flip side of that coin. Dryness, breakage and loss of hair are
common complaints from pregnant women. The good news though, you don't have to wait for the birth
of that bundle of joy to get your "normal" hair back. To combat dryness be sure to use a good
conditioner and deep condition more often. To prevent breakage, there is not a lot that you can do,
but you can use styling products to hide the evidence. Hair generally breaks off about an inch or two
from the root and can be very conspicuous at the part.

       The last major complaint is hair loss. This doesn't exactly happen when you are pregnant but
after. With my first child, my already thick hair got even thicker and grew incredibly fast. About three
months after I gave birth I noticed that my baby's hair was starting to fall out all over her head, not
just in the cradle cap area. Then I noticed that not only was her hair falling out, so was mine, at a rate
that would make a grown man cry. All of that extra hair that grew during pregnancy was now
abandoning ship, it felt as though my hair was thinner than before only because I remembered the
extra thick version. About the time that my daughter's hair was growing in nicely my hair had also
decided to behave. So if this happens to you, have no fear, it will eventually straighten itself out.
And just because this happens once does not mean that all bundles will bring baldness. Each
pregnancy is different.

       Just as all pregnancies are different, so are all opinions surrounding perming and coloring hair
during pregnancy. There is no direct evidence that these treatments cause any harm to a developing
fetus, however many physicians suggest not doing these during the first trimester. After those initial
3 months, be sure to follow your physician's orders. Remember that it is only 9 months if doc says no.
It is vanity to you but life to your fetus.

       Don't let those pregnancy hormones make your hair crazy while they are making your life crazy.
There may not be much you can do about the tears that spring up at facial tissue commercials or
country songs, but there is a lot you can do about changes in your hair. Don't freak out if it changes.
Stop and think about what needs to be done to live with the situation until your hormones are back to
normal. Your hair will come back, but don't count on those tears changing any time soon!

Gretchen LeAnne          ©Hairfinder.com

More Hair Care Advice
Postpartum Alopecia or Hair Loss After Pregnancy

Hair and Pregnancy

Cope with Hormonal Hair