Have you noticed an increase in hair fall during your pregnancy? You’re not alone. Though getting pregnant doesn’t mean you will surely lose your hair, hormone changes, underlying hair issues, and stress can lead to the problem. Read further to learn why you lose hair and how to prevent it.

What Causes Hair Loss during Pregnancy?

You Might Experience Drastic Hormonal Shifts

Some pregnant women can experience hair shedding and thin due to shock or stress. This condition is known as telogen effluvium, but it affects only a few in hundreds of women.

Your first trimester may stress your body and dramatically shifts to balance the hormones to support the growing baby. This stress can put 30% or more hairs into the resting phase or telogen stage of the hair life cycle. Therefore, pregnant women started to lose more hair than the average 100 hairs a day.

Also, hair loss due to this condition usually starts right away. But you might notice hair thinning after two to four months. It doesn’t last longer than six months and doesn’t lead to permanent hair loss.

Use Hair Oil for Moisturizing

During winter, there is a lack of moisture in the air. This leads to flakiness and dandruff, causing hair breakages and hair fall. A hot oil massage with nourishing hair oils such as olive and coconut can resolve this issue.

The oil will penetrate your hair shaft and help lock moisture in the hair. On top of that, massage increases blood circulation to your scalp, which improves hair growth.

It Might be an Underlying Health Issue

Giving birth to a baby requires a lot of work for your body. It can even increase the risk of developing several health conditions, including:

• High blood pressure
Gestational diabetes
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Hormone imbalances
• Hyperemesis gravidarum

Depending on the severity, these health problems can result in severe hair fall.

Thyroid Probs

 In some cases, hormone levels can fluctuate significantly, weakening the hair and promoting hair fall. Thyroid conditions like hyperthyroidism (an excessive amount of thyroid hormone) and hypothyroidism (a lower amount of thyroid hormone) can lead to hair loss.

Here are a few signs of hypothyroidism, which affects around 2 to 3% of pregnant women:

• Exhaustion
• Constipation
• Cramps

Keep an Eye on Water Temperature

We all love steamy showers when the temperature is below freezing. As much as you love it, hot water is an enemy of your hair. Hot showers can take moisture from your hair, making it more vulnerable and brittle to breaking. So, no matter how much you are tempted to enjoy steamy water, avoid showering with hot water and always wash your hair with lukewarm water. In the end, rinse them with cold water to close the hair follicles.

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is common in pregnant women and one of the primary reasons for hair loss. This problem occurs when you don’t have an appropriate number of red blood cells to get oxygen to all body parts. Iron deficiency can result in hair thinning with other symptoms like irregular heartbeat, fatigue, headache, and exceptional shortness of breath.

Pregnancy can also cause a high risk of anemia, especially if you get pregnant multiple times or have severe morning sickness. You can easily identify the problem with the blood test.

Though hair loss due to anemia or iron deficiency is not permanent, your hair needs great care and attention to regain its vitamin levels and normal thickness.

Ways to Prevent Hair Loss during Pregnancy

Here are a few things you can do to support your hair and offer essential nutrients to prevent hair fall.

• Eat a healthy and balanced diet that includes all the essential nutrients
• Consult a doctor to get supplements to strengthen hairs
• Create a hair care routine that includes hydrating and nourishing products like sulfate-free shampoo, moisturizing serum like Root 66, hair strengthening oil, and others.
• Use the right hair accessories to prevent hair loss, like satin scrunches and less hair-damaging styling spray