What To Expect For Your Hair During Pregnancy
So, you just found out you're pregnant. Congrats! During life, human bodies go through multiple changes. For women, the changes are typically significant and extremely noticeable. When people go through puberty, the body becomes different. When people experience menstrual cycles, the body behaves differently due to a spike in hormones. Extreme changes also happen during pregnancy.
The same occurs when women become pregnant. Of course, we’re always told about the changes that will happen to the body such as nausea, the fluctuation in weight, and the changes in dietary habits, but we don’t hear too much about the difference that will occur with our hair. During all these changes with our bodies, our hair is simultaneously changing. Most of the time, our hair doesn’t drastically change, but sometimes it does, especially during pregnancy.
It’s important to know the changes that your hair undergoes during pregnancy so that you can properly treat it. If you already have some hair issues that affect you, then it’s even more crucial to pay attention. Also, there are some hair products and treatments that you’ll want to avoid during pregnancy, especially when harsh chemicals are involved.
Let’s get into all you need to know to have great hair during your pregnancy.
Why Does Pregnancy Change Hair?
The biggest misconception that people have when it comes to pregnancy is that hair grows faster than usual. Many pregnant individuals talk about have thicker, fuller, and longer hair during pregnancy, but in reality, their hair isn’t growing thicker, their hair cycle is just changing because of their hormones.
During pregnancy, there is a surge in estrogen and progesterone. This surge affects the hair-growth cycle. Before pregnancy, hair is on a natural 3-month period of growing, resting, and shedding. At any moment, about 85-95% of your hair is growing while 5-15% of your hair is resting. After the resting phase, hair gradually sheds when you wash or brush your hair.
Your hair will shed while you do anything to manipulate your hair. Don’t worry though, shedding is entirely normal, and it usually occurs in small increments.
During pregnancy, instead of going through this natural cycle, your pregnant hormones expand the resting phase so that you don’t shed nearly as much hair as you would. Since you’re not dropping much hair during pregnancy, your hair will look fuller, thicker, and longer.
So, if you are pregnant, know that there are a few hormonal benefits, especially when it comes to hair!
When Do These Changes Happen?
With most pregnancies, it’s normal to see most changes happen after the first trimester. The first trimester is when all the abrupt changes occur such as morning sickness, fatigue, and mood swings.
This is normal for your body to adjust to this newly found pregnancy. However, after all the bad stuff in the first trimester, your second trimester will bring blossoming. Your hair will start to look vibrant. Your skin will be glowing during this trimester as well.
Of course, these are general changes and don’t occur during everyone’s pregnancy. Also, these changes will also depend on how your hair was before pregnancy.
Were you taking care of it? If so, then you should be good to go!
What To Hair Products To Avoid During Pregnancy
This is extremely important. Similar to how there are products to avoid ingesting during pregnancies, there are products you should avoid using topically during pregnancy. Why? Well, when you put products onto your hair, especially when in contact with the scalp, you risk ingesting chemicals through the scalp.
Most professionals will say that it’s safe to get hair colored or bleached during pregnancy, but it’s important to be mindful of how much and how often. Hair specialists don’t recommend getting color or bleach too often because it can be harmful to hair.
The same regulations apply in this case except they are more prominent because of the sensitivity of pregnancy. If you don’t want to sacrifice your hair color during pregnancy, then it’s worth getting your hair done by a professional. If you can afford it, go to a professional when you need to get treatment.
While you’re with your stylist, ask them about alternative methods to coloring such as vegetable-based dyes. You want to be as cautious as possible when it comes to hair during pregnancy because so many chemicals can have an adverse effect.
Since your body is undergoing a significant change, you’ll want to make sure that you’re testing everything before fulling using it.
Some Not So Good Changes
Just because hair gets thicker and fuller doesn’t mean that issues don’t arise. In fact, during pregnancy, a variety of different hair issues can occur. For example, during pregnancy, the body’s internal temperature sporadically rises throughout the day.
Your hair follicles and cuticles are usually open during this time which can cause a frizzy look and imbalance of moisture. Also, since pregnancy hair has extra volume, the clash of old and new hair may cause frizz. The increased hormones can cause your hair texture to change completely.
Your natural curls may fall, and straighter hair may curl and tighten up. All of these changes can happen during pregnancy. Be mindful of the changes and rack up on some hair products that may help you during these changes.
Before buying products, you’ll want to make sure you know what your differences are. Pay attention and keep track of what you see then splurge on what will ultimately save your hair from looking out of the ordinary!
Some Safe Hair Products To Try
These days, there are plenty of hair products out there that are organic and safe. There are product lines wholly dedicated to expecting mothers. They are made with ingredients meant to be gentle and safe, yet effective. The top three that we found were Acure products, ShiKai products, and Morroco Method International products.
Each of these products caters to expecting mothers by having gentle ingredients in them. All three of these brands are made with mostly organic ingredients. They are reputable, especially since they’ve been around for some time. Don’t be afraid to check out something new while you’re pregnant.
It might be worth trying out something that won’t be harmfully especially as you go through so many changes.
What To Expect When Expecting
Pregnancy can be a scary journey. There are so many changes that happen, especially when it comes to the body. One thing that we may not think to pay attention to is our hair. During pregnancy, most people report having fuller and thicker hair, but that’s not the case for everyone.
Every pregnancy is different, and everyone responds differently to hormones. Don’t worry too much if you don’t experience the same things. The important thing is that you’re safe during your pregnancy.
Try to avoid harmful hair products, especially those with harsh chemicals in them. Don’t be afraid to ask a professional when it comes to your hair. If you can afford it, visit a hairstylist that can cater to your needs.
There’s nothing better than a gentle head massage when you don’t feel like doing it yourself!
