When a woman gives birth, her body goes through changes. Weight changes and emotional changes are what we normally hear about but hair loss after you have the baby is more common than you think. Now more people are talking about it.
Singer Victoria Monét opened up about it and had the internet talking. She gave birth to daughter Hazel in February, and more than six months later, she’s seeing a significant loss in hair.
“Probably lost about 40% of my hair yesterday,” she wrote on Twitter. “I’m so sad it came out in mounds. Post partum really don’t let up.”— Victoria Monét (@VictoriaMonet) September 13, 2021
Fans sent love and “positive vibes” her way, but not any answers on ways to deal with it. The good news is, experts say postpartum hair loss is normal. Telogen effluvium, hair loss brought on from a stressful event occurring to the body, only lasts a few months and hair often returns back to it’s pre-baby state a year after giving birth.
You May Also Like
According to the American American of Dermatology, many new moms see noticeable hair loss a few months after having a baby. This is normal — and not true hair loss. Dermatologists refer to this condition as excessive hair shedding. The excessive shedding is caused by falling estrogen levels.
The good news is that this excessive shedding is temporary, and you do not have to do anything to remedy it. Most women see their hair return to its normal fullness by their child’s first birthday. Many women regain normal fullness even earlier.
Dermatologists’ tips for new mothers
- If the excessive hair shedding bothers you, these tips from dermatologists can help until your hair regains its normal fullness.
- Use shampoo and conditioner that add volume. Here’s what dermatologists recommend using and avoiding:
- Use a volumizing shampoo. These shampoos tend to contain ingredients like protein that coat the hair, making the hair appear fuller.
- Avoid any shampoo labeled “conditioning shampoo.” These contain heavy conditioners that can weigh down the hair and make it look limp.
- Use a conditioner formulated for fine hair. These contain lighter formulas that will not weigh down hair.
- Use conditioner primarily on the ends of your hair. Applying conditioner to your scalp and all of your hair tends to weigh down hair.
- Avoid conditioners labeled “intensive conditioners.” These are too heavy.
View this post on Instagram
Genetic types of hair loss include alopecia areata and female pattern hair loss. ... Black women in particular are prone to a type of hair loss called traction alopecia, which is caused by heat, chemicals and tight styles that pull at the hair root, including some braids, dreadlocks, extensions and weaves.
Even with the hair loss, Victoria continues to write, sing and share her talents with the world. Her success started not too long ago.
Outside of dance rehearsals during her high school years, Monét began exchanging poetry with an older cousin and found a new passion. This soon translated into her writing her own music. Meanwhile, she had been educating herself on the production world, learning about producers, and making music at a local recording studio. She learned about Rodney Jerkins (the producer known as "Darkchild") and decided to add him on Myspace. Shortly after that, he invited her to come to Los Angeles and audition for a new girl group he was forming, Purple Reign. The group landed a record deal with Motown a year later, but was dropped before releasing any music. After the group's disbandment, Monet turned to songwriting to earn money while she waited for her own music career to build up.
The first song she worked on was a track for Diddy Dirty Money's 2010 album, Last Train to Paris. She continued to write song hooks and sang the demos herself before sending them out. Her hope was that the labels would like her version enough that they would keep her on the track as a feature.
Monét has written songs for a number of artists including Nas, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, T.I., GOOD Music, Lupe Fiasco, Chrisette Michele, Coco Jones, Chris Brown, and Diddy — Dirty Money. In 2019, Monét received two Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year for her work on Grande's Thank U, Next and Record of the Year for "7 Rings"
