Our hair follows a standard 4 stage cycle. Typically, there is a growth phase termed Anagen, a transition phase termed Catagen, a resting phase termed Telogen and finally a shedding phase termed Exogen before returning to the anagen phase.

On the scalp, anagen lasts approximately 3 years, while telogen lasts roughly 3 months, although there can be wide variation in these times between individuals. During telogen, the resting hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by growth of a new anagen hair. This cycle is disrupted during pregnancy.

Normally, around 85-95% of your hair is in the growth phase at any point in time, but hormonal changes during pregnancy stimulate an increase in the percentage of hairs in the growth phase. As a result, many women enjoy thicker hair during pregnancy, as more hairs than normal are growing and fewer than normal are resting/shedding.

Postpartum hair loss commonly starts at around three months after birth. The amount of time between childbirth and the onset of shedding corresponds to the length of the resting phase of hair growth (between 1 and 6 months, with an average of three months). The hair loss can seem more extreme if your hair grew much more than normal during pregnancy, or if you have long hair. Most women will return to their usual hair growth cycle within six months, or between 6 and 12 months after birth.

If you feel that your hair loss is greater than the norm, or if things are not back to normal by the time your baby is 12 months old, then seek professional advice. Excessive hair loss can also be caused by common and easy-to-remedy postpartum conditions such as hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) or iron-deficiency anaemia.

♦ Get a good haircut. Some moms choose this time to get a shorter haircut or one that requires less care.
♦ Experiment with different hairstyles.
♦ A good quality shampoo and conditioner may help.
♦ Try different styling products, such as mousses or texturizers that “bulk up” the appearance of your hair.
♦ Avoid using a brush or comb that pulls or stresses the hair.

We usually advice new moms to come in early for scalp care treatments, as early as 1-2 months post pregnancy.

Our post-partum range of treatments are safe and effective, and cater for breast feeding moms. As the treatments are non-invasive and comfortable, many mothers take it as an opportunity for self-love to pamper themselves while looking after their tresses.

• Papilla’s SEP Activator
• Papilla’s Scalp Nutrition Therapy