Pregnancy is the most natural thing for women. But however, people get so worried about the conditions associated with pregnancy like pigmentation and hair loss. Apart from various pre-existing medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) & thyroid problems, pregnancy also comes with a lot of hormonal changes. During pregnancy, problems like polycystic ovary and thyroid become worse or exaggerated. As a result women may experience massive hair loss immediately or just after pregnancy. During pregnancy period, usually there is no hair loss because of the protective effect of the progesterone hormone. i.e Unless there was a previous ongoing hair loss condition even before the pregnancy.

The acute telogen effluvium (hair shedding) with pregnancy usually from starts 6 to 8 weeks post-delivery. This is because the loss of progesterone effect, which had helped in promoting long hair growth. Even though we cannot completely prevent this hair loss, we can reduce it using some natural methods. Following are a few simple methods shared by our hair specialist to address post-delivery hair fall:

1. Add more protein and nutrients to your dietMake sure you continue taking good amount of protein supplements into the lactation period. As most of the mothers wish to quickly get back to their shape after delivery, they start cutting down on their protein to lose weight. Various other reasons which prompt new mothers to neglect their nutrition are restarting their work, or less time to take care of themselves or even peer pressure to lose weight. Make sure that you eat food rich in protein, calcium and iron. Talk to your gynaecologist to check if you should continue iron and calcium supplements post-delivery.Make sure you maintain this good nutritious diet during and after the lactation period because during lactation a lot of nutrients are passed from the mother to the child. This is a reason why the mother’s hair nutrition is compromised at that time. Speak to a hair specialist who can guide you through this post pregnancy period. You need to balance the protein level to ensure that your hair grows back to its original volume.
2. Use chemical free/organic shampoosIt is better to say no to chemical based shampoos, instead go for sulphate free shampoos or organic shampoos.
3. Avoid using Hair ColoursAvoid colouring the hair during this period because colouring the hair adds the chemical burden to the hair and that could also cause this hair to fall out.
4. Adjust your hair wash cycleDo not neglect to wash your hair. Many people believe that they should not wash their hair very frequently when they are feeding the child. Hence, they start washing their hair only once in a week or once in 10 days. This can cause building up of dandruff which again triggers off more hair loss. Experts suggest that you wash your hair every alternate day or every 3rd or 4th day especially if you have very long hair.

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The information provided in Dr. Dixit's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice. The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs.