It’s no secret that pregnancy causes numerous changes to your body during and even after the childbearing process. You see, when a woman become pregnant, her body’s hormone production goes into overdrive. Hormones, such as estrogen and androgen, function like traffic lights for the body’s various organ systems, signaling whether to “stop” or “go” when it comes to just about every type of bodily function. With this in mind, you can imagine how literally every aspect of a woman’s body can change, sometimes dramatically, when she becomes pregnant. We all know about the weight fluctuations, skin changes, and that “pregnancy glow”, but did you know that your hair can change quite dramatically, as well?
Longer, Fuller Hair
One of the first things you may notice upon becoming pregnant is that your hair is going to get long. It may seem as if your rate of hair growth has been sped up dramatically, and your hair happens to look fuller and thicker, as well. No, you’re not turning into Rapunzel, and no, your hair isn’t actually growing faster. What is actually happening is you are simply losing less hair on a daily basis than you were before. On average, you can expect to shed about 100 hairs per day, but with the spike in hormones during pregnancy, this amount of shedding is significantly reduced, making it appear that your hair is growing faster. As a result, you’ll find your head has a lot more hair than usual, making your styling routine a bit more cumbersome and time-consuming. To help adapt to the change, opt for a styling tool developed for longer hairstyles, like Sutra’s 3” Professional Blowout Brush. Additionally, incorporate a reliable detangling brush to help manage all of the extra hair, like Sutra’s Flexi Brush.
Changes in Texture
Another striking change your hair might undergo during pregnancy is a dramatic change in hair texture. Your curly, bouncy locks might become straight, limp hair, or your smooth, straight hair might become wavy and frizzy. It can be incredibly concerning to have the texture of your hair change seemingly overnight, and you may find yourself having to re-learn how to work with your hair after spending most of your life used to one type of hair texture. Thankfully, these changes are typically temporary, and your hair should bounce back to its usual hair type post-birth. However, in the meantime, you’ll need to learn to work with your new hair, and it’s best to invest in a device that can be used for a variety of hair types, such as Sutra’s best-selling Professional EZ Glider.
Oil Overload
While some of these changes can be seen as major positives (longer, thicker hair! Increased shine!), one of the major downsides is that you may find your hair becoming oilier and greasier than before. As mentioned, your hormone production gets sent into warp speed, and one of those hormones, progesterone, is responsible for the production of sebum. When this hormone’s production is increased, so too is the production of sebum by our skin, leading to greasy, oily hair, as well as dandruff and itchy scalp. To combat this, you may need to increase the frequency with which you wash your hair, as well as use lighter styling products. Additionally, a serum containing jojoba oil, such as Sutra’s Rejuvenating Serum, can help control the balance of sebum in your hair, and the natural antibacterial and antifungal properties can prevent the growth of fungus that lead to dandruff.