My hair is falling out and my pet's heads are falling off!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

This picture really has nothing to do with this post...other than than the fact that I have curled my hair to hide the "balding."

Okay so my pet's heads are not really falling off. I don't actually have any pets. I might be the worst (little) dog owner ever since we have given away every single little dog that we have ever owned. I know horrible. I actually can not stand little dogs...go ahead and hate me and send me hate e-mail's. BUT my hair really is falling out. Bummer. At least it's not falling out as fast as Ronin's hair (hello mini Dr. Phil) because then we would really be in trouble.

I am blaming those asshole post pregnancy hormones for the hair loss. Same thing happened with my first born, although I do not remember it being as drastic as it is this time around. I literally had to do a double take the other morning because I could have sworn as I was passing the mirror that I had a mini hole in my head that was hairless...turns out I was not hallucinating. Double bummer.

I have learned little "tricks" like curling my hair makes it less noticeable...and not washing it every day but it still sucks.

Has anyone else experienced this? I know a LOT about the skin but I know nothing about hair so if you know any tricks or tips to make hair appear fuller or help with growth PLEASE help a balding girl out.

55 comments:

Unknown said...

This happened to me after I had my middle child and I remember fearing the worse. As a hairstylist I wanted my hair to look good so I took nioxin vitamins and it helped it grow back a little faster. I think all Nioxin products are AWESOME for thinning hair. I have seen first hand how it has helped women's thinning hair. Just one idea..... I am sure there are MANY other ideas too. You still look beautiful and I would have never guessed your hair was thinning. You must hide it well :)

Anonymous said...

My third child was born in April and I am going through severe hair loss right now also. I was just diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid and that makes it a lot worse. You might get your thryoid levels checked. I read that it's more common for people with diabetes to get postpartum thyroiditis.

Penny said...

The front of my hair turned into such a "flat-top" that I actually cut in bangs to hide it. And I feel the same about little dogs... so no judgment over here!

Unknown said...

Oh man. It is unbelievable just HOW MUCH hair I lost after being pregnant. Like handfuls every time I ran my fingers thru my hair! So sad. If you find any tips, please pass them along!

And, I'll admit it... I despise little dogs! And, to their owners, they are NOT people and don't need to come to the store or for coffee or into the dressing room with you!

Alice was right there with Ronin on the baldness but, this past month, she finally has hair coming in! At the rate it's going she might have enough for a hair bow by her first birthday!

Lindsay said...

One of my girlfriends used the Batiste for brunettes to sort of hide the patchiness until it grew back in. It worked surprisingly well!

Allison said...

I've had the exact same problem since I had my 2nd which was 2 1/2 years ago (eek!). I finally went to my doctor and found out I was had low Vitamin D so now I take a supplement. Still trying to figure out the magic solution!

Sara Jahan said...

I went through a phase where my hair started to fall out. And now that I'm pregnant, I am dreading it happening again! But here are some tricks I used to use.
Lots of dry shampoo, even if you just washed your hair! It makes it feel so full and thick. I like the one by Tresemme.
Another trick (which is kind of embarrassing) is Joan Rivers "Great Hair Day". I think you can get it at Bed Bath and Beyond, but it really works! I only used it for special occasions, but it always made my hair look thicker and hid my bald spots ;)
Hope this helped! You look beautiful regardless!
Xoxo,
Sara

Ruthie Hart said...

hahahah LOVE that quote. I use it all the time. I dyed my hair last week and hair is just falling out left and right! I am 24 and already finding a lot of grays too UGH

Becca said...

I'm due the end of next month and I am DREADING the hair loss and hoping my skin doesn't go crazy too!

Haley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Haley said...

I second the idea to have your thyroid checked. Under active thyroid is VERY common to diabetics and can be triggered by pregnancy. I've been on thyroid medication since my second was born. I'm also T1 diabetic.

Anonymous said...

Ha! I'm in the same boat---in fact my husband told me the other night that my hairline is receding....I don't remember losing this much hair with baby #1 but Thatch was born in April and just when I thought I was out of the woods (August-ish) it starting falling out like CRAZY! I find long blonde hair all over my house (gross!!)-----I'm *trying* to be diligent about taking my prenatals---but have also heard of friends being VitD deficient so maybe I'll look into that? Maybe I'll swing by WhFds and get a good "hair, skin & nails" vit??

I don't have any good answers but I so hear ya!
XO
Christy

Anonymous said...

The same thing happened to me after my son was born 2 1/2 yrs ago.. I was so unhappy... I do of course highlight my hair so that did not help. But i started to take Viviscal which you can order online and Biotin. You can get biotin at whole foods and vitamin shops. 5000 mcg. Lots of deep conditioning treatments since my hair is very dry. My hair did get better not the same as before my kids but better...

Katharine said...

Hair loss.... yes! After my 2nd was born it only lasted about 6-8 weeks. Just like the books say. But after my third child was born TWO YEARS AGO, it fell out until about 3 months ago, when it slowed down (but still hasn't completely stopped). Luckily it seems to grow back as it's falling out, so I was spared bald spots (but man has it been thin). I got checked and no thyroid problems or vitamin deficiencies. But I became prediabetic (type 2) after my 3rd was born so maybe that's related. Not sure. Sorry it's happening to others, but glad I'm not alone! One good side effect - my hair that's grown back in is coming in curly! Fun after spending my life with lifeless fine hair.

Susanna said...

Ok I've had issue with this over the last year, too. I JUST spoke with a nutritionist about it last week - she said she's seen a LOT of her patients take the herbal supplement Saw Palmetto and see great results. Told me to take it every day for 8 weeks. By then, if it works (she said close to 75% of her clients see noticeable difference!), you should notice FAR less hair falling out and see new baby hairs growing. I haven't ordered some yet, but I'm going to! Can't lose my crowning glory! :) Good luck!!

Anonymous said...

Dying your hair lighter or getting some highlights is a good way to disguise hair loss! Hang in there!

Rebecca said...

I can completely relate, my hair has been falling out on and off since I had my daughter over 2 years ago! IT is incredibly stressful! I had my blood checked and there were no problems, so my doctor recommended a biotin supplement. My hair is growing back, but also still falling out, such a drag. Please let us know if you find out any good, natural solutions!

Unknown said...

If you get pure Ginger, Juice it and put that and water in a spray bottle. It stimulates the hair follicles and helps with faster regrowth!

Aria said...

Oh my gosh I'm so glad I'm not alone! I just had my first little dude in May and the hair loss started about two months ago and has not stopped. There's hair all over my house, the bathroom looks like something from a Dr. Suess book, and my ponytail is shrinking by the minute. It's driving me crazy! I think I'll try that ginger juice spray, sounds tingley. Hope you get your hair back soon! Also I love that quote :)

Anonymous said...

Definitely check hormones and thyroid level. I would find a doc that will run a full thyroid panel including reverse t3. Good luck.

Mandi said...

Lindsay I don't know if you follow me on Pintrest, but I posted a link to 20 natural hair growth remedies. One of which is castor oil (works for eyebrows too!). There are a bunch of items you probably have in your house that will help. Same thing happened with me, thankfully it's less noticeable on blonde! ;)

Mandi said...

http://hair.allwomenstalk.com/recipes-for-homemade-hair-growth-treatments/

Probably easier. ;)

Unknown said...

oh no! i am so sorry to hear that...i wish i had some advice, but it looks like a lot of people above do :) my friend recently had her 2nd baby and i know that she has battled all sorts of hair issues. :( it is like a cruel joke...you carry around a baby for 9 months and then have to deal with hair issues afterward. i wish you all the best! XO brynn

p.s. on another note...i made your chocolate mug cake the other night...deeeeeeeelish! :)

two birds said...

i had the same thing when i was breastfeeding. coconut oil is supposed to help thicken hair and promote growth. plus it makes your hair soft and shiny! i rub it all over my head a few nights a week and sleep with it in, then just wash it out in the morning.

Jennifer @ Delightfully Noted said...

My co-worker was just telling me all about her post-pregnancy hair loss woes yesterday. I've heard of other side effects but had never heard the hair thing. She started taking some hair vitamin so we'll see if it works. It's probably not as noticable to others as you think it is but still I would fret too!

SHUG IN BOOTS {Beth} said...

Get thyroid checked. PS - .3-3.0 is "normal". However, mine was slightly out of range, and they ignored it. My hair was falling out like whoa. (Not from pregnancy). Also, if you do turn out to have a thyroid issue, gluten will make it much worse. Aside from that, I try to wash mine only every other day, and use baby powder on the non-wash days. Also, fish oil and vit E are good for hair. :)

Susanna said...

Ok I went back and looked at the recommended supplement amount that nutritionist told me for Saw Palmetto (see my comment above) - it's 400mg. So, hope it helps!

Brianna said...

I went into Lush a few weeks ago looking into their shampoo bars I had heard about and found a cinnamon one that was developed specifically for post-pregnancy problems of hair loss!! I use it just because I want my hair to grow and it's supposed to stimulate your scalp, so far I'm really liking it! And it seems like my hair has grown a bit! The only down side is sometimes I feel like it gives my hair a draggy feeling after I rinse but once I condition that goes away!

Simply LKJ said...

Not fun! I am experiencing that too, but mine is due to crappy hormones at 44! My youngest daughter had experienced hair loss last year due to medication she was on. Our hairdresser suggested taking Biotin supplements. We also both use Aveda's new Avanti line. We both SWEAR by it!!! It really has made a difference.

My-cliffnotes said...

Biotin, it's great for nail growth too!

Skye said...

I am currently going through the same exact thing and recently blogged about it. I've heard the biotin thing like others mentioned. Basically I made the tough decision to cut 7 inches off my always long hair to make it appear thicker...it seemed to help. Best of luck from a fellow baldie :)

G said...

you're not balding. you normally shed 100 hairs a day. while pregnant that stops. now you are losing all the hair you would've during those 9 months. your hair was thicker while preg. and now going back to normal, but there may be patches where a lot fall out at the same time. it will grow back.

Rachael said...

I wish I had some encouragement for you but I know nothing about this other than that it happened to my mom after giving birth to me and it got all the way better eventually. I'm sorry this is happening to you!

Liz said...

hello to all with post pregnancy hair loss! I'm a hair stylist with a passion for hair science so I'm here to tell you that usually there is absolutely no reason to worry about this since it is completely normal. When you're pregnant your hair actually stops falling like it does normally(we lose about 100 hairs a day on average) so it all falls out after you have the baby usually in the first 3-6 months. If it's worrying you still check your iron levels since this is the most common cause of hair loss in women. Just relax about it stress will only make more hair fall out!

Lauren said...

I am sooo super thankful that I have ridiculously thick hair. When I go through the post-pregnancy "balding" it thins out my hair a lot. I mean, a lot a lot. To the point where if I didn't have ridiculously thick hair I would certainly have bald patches. I went shorter and I think because my hair isn't as long now I'm not noticing it falling out as bad. I want to say my hair was falling out from 3-6 months post partum last time and it's just starting now so I'm guessing I have at least 3 more months to go =\ Praying against bald spots for both of us!

Btw I hate little dogs. Love big ones, even though they are a pain sometimes, but hate little ones. I would take a cat over a little dog anyday and I'm deathly allergic to cats.

Sami said...

Like others have said, you could always get your thyroid levels checked. I'm also a T1, and the first thing I notice when my thyroid levels change is crazy significant hair loss. So sad. I've lost quite a bit at different times!

I like to take the Spring Valley hair, skin, and nails supplement, found at Walmart and drug stores, etc. And meanwhile, wear lots of headbands and hair wraps, and keep it freshly dyed so you feel pretty! Also, wash it as little as often and try to avoid using a lot of product or wearing it pulled back tightly, as this will make more fall out.

Lauren said...

oh what a bummer...I thankfully didn't have it come out in chunks, but i was definitely shedding a lot more than usual! I hope you find a good trick that works.

Anonymous said...

I have never been pregnant so I was not aware of the hairloss that occurrs but I can recommend a good shampoo to try, it is the Natures Gate Biotin Shampoo and conditioner it has a good amount of vitamins in it and has amino acids that helps to regrow hair and prevents further hair loss, its all natural and does the trick for me.. It my take some time for it to work and you may still have some hair loss but it will be less. you typically can get it at Whole Foods. I have found that it works well and there is no sulfates or other harsh chemicals that can also contribute to hairloss plus the smell is really nice.( my hair tends to thin out more then normal and in large amounts). Hope this helps!

Durante said...

I had honestly never thought of creating my own beads... I bet my girls would love doing something like this!

I don't know a lot about hair loss, I know that as a guy it's a constant thought though. My Brothers all started balding pretty young, I make sure to exfoliate my scalp a lot and bought a brush that seemed to help with that. I'm not sure if it helps or if I just robbed the best from the gene pool. There are a lot of good suggestions here though.

Patricia Stuever said...

I know you've already heard this but get your Thyroid checked. Pregnancy triggers thyroid problems and hair-loss is one of the symptoms. Mine started right after my first was born I lost a big chunk of hair and got progressively worse over the next 3 kids.

Patricia Stuever said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rose said...

Oh goodness...my hair is falling out like crazy also,I had my second son 4 months ago. I was actually expecting this to happen though, I lost a ton of hair with my first son as well.

Tara said...

Adding to the chorus of it's totally normal. Mine fell out with my twins, but it was definitely a bit worse with baby #3 (pregnancy #2). It fell out more and for longer...it's growing back now so I don't look bald anymore, but it's in that ugly baby hair stage. I used shampoo with biotin this time around to try to at least make the hair that was there a bit thicker...to be honest, I'm not sure if it totally worked, but it made me feel like I was doing something! And btw, I have also had thyroid issues in the past, and this hair loss is completely unrelated.

Kristen said...

I dont have any kids, but I do struggle with thin hair that is also fine. I love how natural and full your curls/waves look. I've tried SO MANY TIMES trying to give myself waves...curlers, curling iron, non-clip curling iron, sock bun, etc. I think i'm just horrible at hair. Would you be willing to make a tutorial post on your method/products you use? Would love to try it out!

Unknown said...

Hair fallout after having a baby is totally normal - I actually had to get a plumber in to unclog my drains a couple of months after my daughter was born. I'm only a hair stylist but I think giving your hair a touch of dry shampoo and a tease can do wonders :)

Kris Loya said...

My hair has fallen in patches with extreme stress before. I use a biotin supplement and a biotin shampoo and scalp serum all natural that i got at the organic market. It has helped a lot..also less stress. My stylist asked me if i had just had a baby when i went to him with the hairloss and he said that it usually happens as severely as it did after having a baby so hopefully it will regrow for you soon.

Kris Loya said...

My hair has fallen in patches with extreme stress before. I use a biotin supplement and a biotin shampoo and scalp serum all natural that i got at the organic market. It has helped a lot..also less stress. My stylist asked me if i had just had a baby when i went to him with the hairloss and he said that it usually happens as severely as it did after having a baby so hopefully it will regrow for you soon.

Michelle said...

My boss told me the other week that she thought my bangs were cute. Funny thing is, I don't have bangs, they're grown out. It was my post pregnancy hair regrowth she was referring to. Baby bangs. Hilarious but not very flattering on me. Lol! But really, the regrowth you're going to get is no joke ;)

Anonymous said...

Postpartum hairloss is perfectly normal after pregnancy and may continue for months (especially for breastfeeding mommas) because of all the hormones. At least that is what my hairstylist told me. Sadly I am experiencing bald patches myself the second time around. I don't remember losing this much hair with my first child. I had thick, lucious hair my entire life and over the past three months, I have watched the hair fall out in clumps while showering. I fear showering because that just means more hair loss for me. My hair has become so thin, limp and flat that I regret the days I cursed my thick, unruly hair. I'm waiting for the day that this stops but it may mean giving up breastfeeding for me. One thing that is encouraging is that I am now seeing all these baby hairs popping out all over my head. So I know atleast it is growing back.

Jen said...

I'm no expert, but have hypothyroid and had a huge "falling out" a few years ago. My hair was so thin and I had a bald spot in the back of my head. NOT good for a girly Italian. I found out about something called BioSil and read great reviews about it helping people with this condition. I also went to a talk by Lorna Vanderhaeghe (who's a biochemist and expert on women's hormones) who said it was wonderful for hair, skin and nails. She said it's shown great results for dealing with wrinkles. So, I was sold. It did help (I'm bad about not taking it regularly now.) Lorna said the liquid was most effective. You put it in a little apple juice and drink it down. I think it's 10 drops per day. Dealing with my thyroid naturally also has helped me and now the hair loss isn't happening. After my firstborn, I lost so much hair my husband got grossed out at it being all over the house. My thyroid problems were going on even then. It might be worth looking into - just in case. Hypothyroidism caused me to be unable to breastfeed my kiddos for any length of time, be so exhausted I could hardly make it through the day, and have "female" problems that were unreal! Anyhoo - I hope you can find some relief. If it's any consolation, you're a beauty and the thinning hair is only temporary. (still stinks though)

Jen

Anonymous said...

It is actually common to lose more hair after pregnancy because when women are pregnant they usually get a lot of hair growing in! So when you start to lose it, it seems like so much loss. It is a lot of loss, but it's not as devastating as you think since you didn't originally have as much hair in the first place.

But! That's a bit different since you are really noticing bald spots which you didn't have before.

People talking about thyroid, definitely look into Iodine.

Anonymous said...

My mom experienced this also. She told me that I may experience falling hair too. How were you able to get used to it during that time?

Jessie said...

Hope you've figured this out by now, but in case you're still dealing with it. It's hormones. Your liver is not functioning properly. Liver is important in hair growth. It uses Biotin to grow hair. Along with other minerals. Looking there would be a start.

Unknown said...

I used to be more than happy to seek out this web-site.I needed to thanks on your time for this glorious learn!!Okay so my pet's heads are not really falling off. I don't actually have any pets. I might be the worst (little) dog owner ever since we have given away every single little dog that we have ever owned.Shampoos come as a rescue measure and are used to add life to get add some force and life to your hair. The market place is full of brands that claim to be the best shampoo for thin hair. Such products are mild and can be used regularly too.Black Hair Growth Products

Candice Petersen said...

I get a lot of letters from women who are trying to understand why their the hair loss is being conducted and what to do about it. I really like your writing style and how you express your ideas. Thank you.

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