Update: I survived postpartum shedding and I know that you will too! Peep the video on my journey below, and you can read all the details of my experience in this blog post.
I started to notice how bad my hair fall was when my son turned 3 months.
That’s textbook according to when postpartum shedding usually begins, and it scared the hell out of me. I’m not talking about hair shedding during a detangling session. I mean hair is literally sitting on top of itself, waiting to be touched before it falls to the floor. I would run my fingers over (notice I said over, not through) my hair while washing, and I’d have hair covering them.
I remember having a breakdown one morning at 4am and making the decision to chop my hair off in an attempt to “heal” it. I had no idea what I was experiencing was normal; I figured I must have been doing something wrong. I must have been using the wrong products, or not deep conditioning enough (guilty). More importantly, I thought my hair shedding may have been a sign of a deeper internal problem or health crisis. My hair was thriving and blossoming during my pregnancy, why was it all of a sudden coming out in clumps?
I was scared. I was sad. I was embarrassed.
I researched and I found a lot of insightful, helpful information. I’ve taken away great advice about the do’s and don’t during this trying time (i.e., don’t over manipulate your hair, do deep condition, don’t stress, do continue to take your prenatal vitamins and eat healthy) and I’m waiting desperately for this stage to pass. I came across this article on Simone Digital and I swear I love this perspective. It lightened the mood for me, and it was at that moment that I put on my big girl pants and said “Ok, I’m ready to attack this.”
This is an unusual type of post being that I’m posting during an experience rather than after it, in hopes of giving advice. I’m still researching, hoping, praying, and freaking out every time I wash my hair. I find myself somewhere between happy that I’m taking better care of my hair and sad that I didn’t realize what was going on before hacking off my hair. Yes, it’s just hair. Yes, it grows back. But hell, I want it back NOW.
What I can say is that this twisted setback is teaching me to be patient with my hair and take better care of it. I’m on week 3 of weekly deep conditioning and focusing on moisture retention, and I’ve noticed that the amount of shedding has decreased a bit. I’ve learned that curl creams may be better alternatives to the thicker gels I’ve been using for my wash and go’s because they cause less friction. I’ve learned that deep conditioning with heat on a weekly basis is not optional. I’ve learned that I have to pay attention to what I do to my hair and what goes in it. And through it all, I’m learning to treat the hair on my hair ever so delicately because the goal is to keep it there!
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