Postpartum Hair Loss

I've spent a great amount of time thinking about what I wanted my first post to be. I really wanted it to be something that was multi-faceted and relevant to what was currently going on in my life, as well as something that could help our readers. For those of you who may be new to knowing me, I have a 4 year old son, and a 10 month old little boy. Postpartum has been at the forefront of my life for the last year and something I am still continuing to struggle with, whether that be accepting my new body, adjusting to breastfeeding, dealing with an over supply, clogged ducts (sorry if this is TMI- just being real :-P ), and raging hormones just to name a few.

Some Background:
With my first pregnancy, I struggled horribly with postpartum hair loss. Sure, everyone experiences a great deal of hair loss, but I was NOT prepared for the second wave that would hit when Bennett, would turn one. I have always had tons of fine, brittle, and dry hair, but during pregnancy it had become thick, shiny, and long- until one day- it didn't. My hair was a little below shoulder length when this second wave hit and I remember it was not only falling out in extreme clumps, but it was also breaking off- and I mean bad with a capital B.A.D. Suddenly my hair looked like I had gotten a horrible cut with a razor that included many unwanted layers and it would not stop. I remember crying day after day and not wanting to wash it for fear of losing more. I tried to attribute it to everything I could, diet, products, well water (we had just moved into our new home), stress, lack of vitamins, even the pillow cases I was using. I am not sure if it was one specific thing, or all the above factors that created a perfect storm, but I will tell you- stressing about it did not help one bit. I started cutting it, trying to even out the layers, create some thickness, and try to regain some sort of style and life back into it. I was making progress when in the midst of it all, my long time hair stylist (ladies you know how much we trust them), had decided to leave. Thankfully, she left me in good hands with someone who not only is a genius with color, but had awesome ideas that would help.

Here is what my hair looked like Pre-Postpartum:

and the beginning of the end, keep in mind I had not cut it:

First hair cut:

What I tried:
Of course, when looking for remedies,I would go to Pinterest unfortunately there isn't a ton of helpful products out there. Here is what I tried:
- Aveda Damage Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner
- Aveda Invati System
- Redken One United
- Filter for my shower head
- Installing a water softener in our home
- Olaplex System
- Kevin Murphy Doo Over
- Kevin Murphy Angel Wash
- Keving Murphy Leave in Repair Treatment
- Bed Head Tigi- Recovery
- Neautrogena Anti Residue Shampoo
- Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
- Biotin Supplements
- Nioxin System
- Cutting my hair more often
- Avoided using heat (thank you quarantine)
- Eating a balanced diet
- Talk with my doctor about stress management techniques

Here is after 5 months using Aveda, pregnant with Braxton, my hair was at it's worst, there may have been an emotional breakdown in my stylist's chair...

So...what worked?!

What Worked for ME:
 Please remember that every body is different and unique, but here is what I found to be most beneficial and why:

Filter for my shower head:
This was a total game changer. Having well water, it was doing nothing but drying out my already extremely brittle hair. Keep in mind, a filter will NOT soften water the way a traditional softener will, but it WILL remove any chlorine or contaminants making it much less harsh on your hair.

Olaplex System:
My new stylist recommended integrating Olaplex products into my haircare routine. Olaplex changed my life. It works by repairing damaged and broken hair bonds. I began by using the N0.3 Hair Perfector twice a week and noticed a difference right away in the texture of my hair. This is not a conditioner or a mask and won't leave your hair feeling silky smooth, but it did reduce the amount of breakage I was experiencing significantly. Because I loved the No.3, I decided to try No.6 Bond Smoother which helped to moisturize and product my hair from environmental and heat damage. As of recent, I started to use the No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and No5. Bond Maintenance Conditioner and don't think I will ever go back to using anything else. The conditioner is like butter and leaves my hair silky soft and feels so thick and healthy.

Cutting My Hair More Often:
This was the hardest for me, as I was losing so much hair and wanted to hang on to every inch I could. Our hair goes through cycles, and it was important for me to to continue to cut off hair built of old hormones,  embrace the new growth, and focus on keeping it as healthy as possible.

Avoiding Heat & Styling:
 This was also hard. I have very frizzy hair where parts are extremely curly, and others stick straight so washing and going all natural is not an option for me, especially in the work place. I would blow dry, straighten or curl every single day. Thankfully, once COVID hit and we were forced to stay home, I was also forced to embrace my natural hair and just let it go and do it's thing. Total. Game. Changer. My hair had a chance to breathe and take a break from all the styling.

Diet and Self Care:
 No physical change is going to take place, without something changing inside. I started incorporating more greens and fiber into my diet, as well as talked to my primary care physician about what I was experiencing. She explained that although mentally I was not feeling anxiety or stress as I had in the past,  but my body was taking on the toll and suffering- hence the hair loss. She helped me come up with a plan that worked for me to manage it all. I also incorporated Collagen Peptides into my daily routine.

Kevin Murphy:
My stylist swears by Kevin Murphy products and I have recently started using them as well. The three I have been using are: Angel Wash, Leave-in-Repair, and Doo.Over. I love the Angel Wash because it is a purple shampoo that helps knock out any brassy tones that try to over take my ash blonde hair. Thus, preserving the color and being able to go longer in-between coloring sessions. I love the Leave-In- Repair because it is light weight, protects my hair from any heat I may put on it while styling, and also leaves my hair full of shine. The Doo. Over product my be my favorite, it acts as a hair spray while adding texture, and provides a flexible hold that will last for days without leaving behind a build up. Plus all of these products smell AMAZING.

This is from June, at Bennett's 4th Birthday:

I say these methods worked for me because I am a year postpartum with baby number two and not having any of the issues that I did during my first pregnancy. Am I still experiencing hair loss? Yes. Is it abnormal? No. Is my hair continuing to grow, not break off, and feel healthy? Yes. Am I still a work in progress- YES!