How I Beat Postpartum Shedding? I Did The Big Chop!

Something as easy as changing your hairstyle can completely change the way you feel about yourself. 

Terese George
Contributor

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​I  had my first pixie cut a t the age of 21. I fell in love with short hair so I kept it this way for years. While dating my husband, I decided to grow it out because we both wanted a change. I did not enjoy the process one bit! I found myself buying so many products in an attempt to “take care of” the mane. I bought products to add shine, give it volume, make it grow, to tame, to nourish and the list goes on and on. I sadly bought in to every dumb gimmick and ended up with way too many  tools and products that I never really used. 

I remembered looking forward to  seeing and playing in my luscious hair they said pregnancy gives you. Pregnancy gave me the exact opposite. My skin and hair became so dry and coarse I was struggling with my hair daily. When you are growing a human in your stomach the last thing you want to be bothered with is your hair. Mine was a complete annoyance.  Flash forward to a week or two after I had my son... ooohhh I felt like Rapunzel. My hair was strong, glowing and growing. You couldn't tell me anything! I was flipping  and shaking my hair all day long. 

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It was two months later, I was washing my “you cant tell me nothing” hair when the first clump of hair came out in my hand. I WAS DEVASTATED. My reign was over. I was forced into going back to my pixie cut , which I was absolutely in love with. I felt sexier with shorter hair and I felt like I was getting the old me back. That feeling lasted for a month because my hair kept falling out. 

​Postpartum shedding comes as a shock to many once they have their baby. During pregnancy our bodies experience many hormonal shifts which promotes hair growth. Our hair does not shed every day while pregnant, more hair sticks to your head, giving that thick and lustrous head of hair. But, when hormone levels return to normal there is a drop in estrogen and this sort of triggers shedding to resume. Now, it is important to remember that you were not shedding for months so the hair that stayed there needs to come out. This phenomena is called telogen effluvium, there are different causes—in this situation it's giving birth —basically a larger amount of your hair than normal is triggered to enter this resting or shedding phase. Though temporary, this phase could be very disheartening. 

​There are many valuable tips floating around offering solutions for postpartum shedding. Some recommend changing your hair regimen and hairstyle others advise that you make changes to your diet and continue taking prenatal vitamins. No matter the path you chose to take, I recommend that you stop stressing and implement one of these solutions . My love for short hair led me to do the“big chop” or as i call it, “postpartum shedding is a bitch” chop.  In my case, this is the best hairstyle I've ever had in my life. It's liberating, empowering and stress free. You don't have to be as drastic as me but maybe you should use this period to change up your hair a bit.  Something as easy as changing your hairstyle can completely change the way you feel about yourself. I walk with a different pep in my step and I’m enjoying every minute of it. I dare you to do something different. Try something new and let me know how you feel! ​