Wednesday 27 May 2009

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow - Post Birth Hair Loss

It is official. My hair is falling out. I am sure this has something to do with post birth changes to my body, however my Fabulous Boyfriend thinks I have the early on-set of alopecia. I can picture him every morning making a mental note to google the local baldness clinic when he finds yet another hair ball which he has named 'hair turds' on the side of the bath.

Before I became pregnant, my hair was completely predictable. I have very straight hair with no life or soul of its own to argue with me in the mornings. One quick shake of my head with the occasional threat of a brush and the bed head is gone to be replaced with smooth shiny hair in the style last cut by the hairdresser. I have no wild moments, no sticking up cows-licks and there is never a bad hair day to be seen.

This all changed towards the end of my pregnancy when I began to notice a subtle change in my hair. I preparation for the birth of Baby E I booked myself a hair appointment when I was 38 weeks pregnant. I knew it would be the last time I would put my feet up and enjoy being pampered in peace. I went to a fab trendy hairdressers in Derby called Eye'Candy (no expense spared) and enjoyed some girly hair talk with the gay Latvian stylist. He made me feel so fabulous darling with lots of compliments and excited talk of the impending birth of my Baby E. I told him about my suspicion that my hair was getting thicker and slightly less tame now I was in my third trimester. My stylist confirmed I had lovely thick hair (something I have never heard before ... ever!), and he reassured my that it is a myth that I would see any post birth hair loss. He told me my new thicker hair was here to stay and I would forever be left with what I considered to be a slightly out of control hair.

How wrong could he have been? My new haircut complimented my thicker hair, and so for many weeks I enjoyed having a little more body (great for all those post birth photos). Then everything changed when I stopped breast feeding about 10 weeks ago. Baby E was 17weeks old at the time. Now, every morning when I brush my hair I am left pulling hand fulls of hair from the bristles of the brush only to deposit them into the bin. I make sure to do this before I wash my hair in a failed attempt to prevent my hair from blocking up the plughole. I am confident this must help to minimise the clumps of hair I pull out while washing, however I am still left rolling hair turds to leave on the side of the bath as a present for my Fabulous Boyfriend. The hair turds are a great measure the volume of hair loss each day and so far the most I have made is 3, all about the same size as a large woodlouse.

The hair loss is not restricted to the bathroom. Baby E is often found with lengths of my hair in his neck, hands, and rather strangely his nappy! It would seem that my hair is not fussy where it falls, and is aiming for global domination. My Fabulous Boyfriend recently decided to vacuum the spare room/nursery. It needs to be mentioned that this is the first time the Dyson has been used since before Baby E was born (my nesting phase was limited to the two weeks before my due date). Sadly the Dyson could not cope with the amount of hair that was embedded in the rug so my Fabulous Boyfriend resorted to using his fingers as mini rug rakes dragging all the hair from the rug into his hands. He was able to make hair turds large enough to make a grown man cry! The long lengths of hair in the Dyson cylinder have been spun into little Dyson Cylinder shaped nest with dust filling the gap. It is so perfectly formed it would look perfect in a tree in the garden ready for a little family of robins to move it!

I am hoping I have turned the corner and think my hair balls are finally decreasing. Today I was actually disappointed when I was only able to make one hair turd in the shower. Making hair turds is fun, however am grateful to reach a plateau. I would rather not sacrifice all my hair for my baby boy, I have already lost my firm body so think he owes me a full head of hair.

What are little boys made of?
Squishy tummy's and hair from his Mummy,
That's what little boys are made of.

4 comments:

  1. Ah I lost loads of hair after each one of my births and I'm not bald yet (well not until I tear it all out myself that is!) it will be fine :)

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  2. BTW got a little award for you over at mine if you're interested :)

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  3. Hi Mum Gone Mad. Thanks for my award, just what I need in this hot weather, something refreshingly sparkling to cool me down.
    So far I am not having to tear any of my hair out. I am comforted that after all your children you still have a head of hair, so there is no need for me to book that appointment at the clinic yet!

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  4. Hi Eve - sorry to say my hair is still falling out and my kids are 3 and 4. Went to Docs for blood test last week but nothing wrong. HUsband is sick of picking hairs off his pillow!

    Luckily I have lots of hair though!

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