Those curls? Yeah, I wasn’t sure I would ever have good hair again. I didn’t really have any issues after the birth of my first daughter, Addilyn back in 2018. My second pregnancy, changed a lot of things! First of all, I had Gestational Diabetes, which was a unique experience, for sure. Then I got Postpartum Depression (more on that someday soon). COVID hit with a fury just weeks after she was born. And around 3 months postpartum, all of my hair fell out. The postpartum hair loss was not something I was prepared for, and it hit me hard.
I have always had naturally thick hair, so this was very unsettling for me. Literal handfuls would come out every time I touched my head. Washing it was even worse. I had a receding hair line and bald spots that made me super self conscious. I would cry any time I even gave a little attempt to fix it, and resigned to just looking a mess most of the time. Any of this sound familiar, mama?
You can really see it in the pictures from our beach vacation, about 4 months postpartum. I’m not sure if it was just hormones going crazy, the stress of PPD and COVID combined, lack of good nutrition or just one of those things that we get to deal with to have our sweet babies, but it was so bad this time.
One day a few months back, I just got so fed up with feeling self-conscious all of the time and decided that it was time to try and fix things, for my own sanity. I wanted to feel good about myself again. Read on to see what I did, what helped and just maybe some encouragement, too!
I started with good vitamins. Healing something like this really does start on the inside. I chose Hello Bello Hair, Skin + Nails gummies because I really love the company’s commitment to better ingredients. The price is fantastic, and you can even bundle and save by auto-shipping vitamins to your door! I went ahead and used this as an excuse to get the whole family on some! This was a true game-changer for healing my postpartum hair loss.
I decided it was time to throw away the hair brush that I had had since high school. Literally like 15 years, you guys. I’ve been an adult for a while. Why I haven’t bought a new brush? I couldn’t tell you. After hearing so many rave reviews, I made the change to a Wet Brush and I am obsessed! Somehow, it magically detangles without nearly as much pulling. Which for me meant that more of my hair got to stay on my head! I went ahead and grabbed my daughter this cute little Disney Wet Brush, too! She loves to be like mommy, and it makes hair brushing time way easier.
Then, I went absolutely crazy and decided to chop it off at home! I had been dying to get to the hair dresser, but with COVID, a toddler and a nursing infant, I just could never find the time. My length was so fried and frizzy, and straightening it took way more time than I had. I wore it in a not-so-cute messy bun 99% of the time and I was so over it.
So one night, I put it in a low ponytail (leaving the front sections out), had my husband cut the length off and used a razor comb to shape the layers. I instantly felt 10lbs lighter! I can get it cute in about 5 minutes (Thanks to the L’ange Applatir!), which is a major win! I also truly think that cutting all of the dead, dried out hair off really helped improve the overall health of my hair! I noticed pretty quickly that it started to fill back in a bit and regained some shine. Here is the comb I use, and I absolutely love it! I still use it to maintain the shape and it works fantastically.
You can still see some of my new growth flyaways in this picture, but my hair looks so much healthier, and you can see it in my smile, too!
Once I got my cut out of the way, I started working from the scalp out! This scalp purifying scrub helped to clear out any buildup and get my skin healthy.
At the same time, I started using this Detox Scalp Serum and Thinning Therapy Serum, and noticed a dramatic improvement in the new growth and overall texture of my hair. ( Use this link and code LOVEYOU right now to save 50% on hair care products!)
You can really see how well the new growth has come in in the pictures from Addilyn’s 3rd Birthday back in March!
With my hair this short, I only wash it a couple of times a week. This Blowout Shampoo and Conditioner have made a huge difference in the amount of time it takes me to style, which is a big fat mom win if you ask me!
I’ve also gotten hooked on the Glass Hair Thermal Blowout Primer! A little goes a long way, and my frizzy, wavy hair is almost entirely straight when I finish blow drying now!
I know I hinted earlier, but the L’ange Applatir Flat Iron is my bestie. I use it to straighten and to curl. As a wavy, thick haired girl, I have been around the block a time or two when it comes to flat irons. This guy has held up beautifully and is right on par with any crazy expensive ones I have owned in the past. I do plan to upgrade to that Le Duo at some point, just because I hear so many rave reviews!
Now that we have chatted the practical fixes, can I speak into your heart for a second? The 4th trimester is hard on a mama, ya’ll. You get so caught up in caring for your baby and adjusting to all of the changes in your body (stretch marks, saggy boobs, weight changes, hair loss, acne….) that it can be so easy to get down on yourself. To doubt your beauty and value and worth. I know for me, especially this second time around, it was really hard emotionally. If you are searching for this topic, my guess is that you can relate.
I wanted to share a few verses that really speak into those insecurities, and I hope that they are a sweet reminder to you this morning of your beauty and worth.
You are beautiful. There is no flaw in you. You are perfect the way you are. It’s just hair. It will grow back. It has zero bearing on your worth, even if you feel like it does!
You are precious. Seen. Loved. Even when you feel left out, lonely and less than.
Your heart matters far more than your hair.
I hope that just maybe this has helped you out! If you are feeling down, just know that better days are coming. Take care of yourself, mama. It is so worth it! Postpartum hair loss is tricky, but most of the time it is only a temporary struggle. You’ve got this!
