Post-pregnancy hair loss: Hair is made up of protein and thus there's a need to eat protein to restore hair growth. Otherwise, your hair could feel dry and brittle and may break easily. Eggs, lentils, legumes, soya and chicken are examples of foods rich in protein.
Post-pregnancy hair loss can be dealth with by consuming a balanced diet
HIGHLIGHTS
- Eat more protein-rich foods
- Make sure your iron levels are optimum
- Vitamin B12 deficiency can weaken hair follicles
Post pregnancy hair loss is the result of hormonal changes that occur soon after delivery. When you get pregnant, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is the first hormone which spikes. Alongside, there's also a rise in oestrogen, oxytocin, progesterone and prolactin. All of these hormones drop quickly after the baby is born. The hormones come back to normal levels within 24 hours after birth, although prolactin stays high for as long as you're breastfeeding. High levels of oestrogen, increased blood volume and circulation during pregnancy reduces hair loss.
And after the baby arrives, drop in hormone levels results in hair loss in bigger clumps. The total volume of hair loss is not more than the hair you would have normally lost over the last nine months, but it seems as if there's huge amount of hair fall because it is all happening at once.
Here are a few things that you can do to deal with post-pregnancy weight loss
1. Eat more protein
Nutritionist Pooka Makhija, in one of her IGTVs, says that since hair is made up of protein and thus there's a need to eat protein to restore hair growth. Otherwise, your hair could feel dry and brittle and may break easily. Eggs, lentils, legumes, soya and chicken are examples of foods rich in protein.
Also read: Proteins And Immunity: Know The Link And Why Protein-Rich Foods Are Important For You
2. Eat more iron
Hair follicles are fed by a blood supply. When you are anaemic, this blood supply provides less nutrition to hair follicle, and makes hair weaker. So in case you are anaemic or have been diagnosed with iron deficiency, work towards increasing your iron levels by eating leafy green vegetables, broccoli, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, etc.
Leafy green veggies like spinach are a rich source of iron
Photo Credit: iStock
3. Vitamin B12
Deficiency of Vitamin B12 can open your hair follicles and make them weaker. Fish, eggs, milk and milk products are rich sources of Vitamin B12.
4. Vitamin E
This nutrient is important for healthy hair and including nuts and seeds in your diet can take care of Vitamin E intake.
Also read: Vitamin E For Skin: 7 Different Ways To Use This Vitamin To Fight Different Skin Issues
5. Zinc and selenium
These two nutrients are required for your scalp health. Their deficiency can make the scalp flaky and dry. Consuming a balanced diet can provide you with these nutrients.
The idea is to understand that its easy to get all these nutrients from your diet. As far as you are consuming all food groups in a balanced way, post-pregnancay hair loss can be effectively dealth with. Contact your healthcare expert in case you feel the need of supplements.
Also read: Balanced Diet And 4 Other Home Remedies To Treat Grey Hair In Kids
(Pooja Makhija is a nutritionist, dietitian and author)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
