What to do if your hair is less curly after having a baby? Many people do not realize that there is a strong connection between your hair and your hormones. As such, your hair texture drastically changes during and after pregnancy. In this article, we explain how you can restore your curls after having a baby.
Why Is My Hair Less Curly After Baby?
In order to understand why your hair appears less curly after having your baby, you have to understand the science behind curly hair.
Think back to biology class, curly hair is caused by your genes. Straight hair is considered a recessive trait, but curly hair isn’t completely dominant. What this means is that curly and wavy hair can be dormant at different times in a person’s life.
Some individuals will have straight hair their entire lives until one day they wake up with curly hair. For other individuals, the opposite happens to their tresses.
They have curly hair, but they find their hair getting straighter with time.
Whenever the texture of hair changes, so too does the muscles around the scalp. Whenever the muscle tone changes, the hair follicles change too, which changes the direction of hair growth.
Hair follicles grow out in a straight pattern in straight hair, whereas curly hair follicles take on a hook shape.
The Relationship Between Hormones and Hair
Hormones can activate when your hair changes and causes your curls to go dormant or stop being dormant.
In addition to hormones, stress, and aging also impact the texture and quality of your hair over time.
The fact that hormones play a huge role in your hair explains why it changes texture and thickness after pregnancy and menopause.
As you know firsthand, pregnancy takes a toll on your body.
The change in hormones disrupts your life in a number of ways, and the texture of your hair is just one of them. The thickness of your hair likely changes too during this time.
The good news is that the changes in your hair are not permanent after pregnancy. Your hormones will calm down and go back to their normal levels, causing your hair to go back as well.
The same cannot be said for permanent hormone changes, such as hormonal changes related to menopause.
Thinning, Straight Hair
The texture of your hair is not the only thing that changes due to pregnancy.
Many women also find that their hair gets thinner during and after pregnancy.
The change in the thickness of your hair is also a common side effect of changes in your hormones during pregnancy. In other words, it is common for hair to thin out during pregnancy.
If you have an especially stressful pregnancy, you are likely to experience even more thinning.
Stress of all kinds causes hair to thin and fall out more rapidly.
So, your hair is likely to get even thinner if you are experiencing additional stress on top of the pregnancy.
Much like changes in texture, changes in the thickness of your hair will generally go back to normal once your hormones settled down. However, children bring a lot of stress into this world.
Consequently, your hair might not go back to its original thickness if you do not get your stress under control after your child is born.
How to Revive Curls Post Pregnancy
If you miss your lovely curly hair, there are some things you can do to help revive your hair faster.
That being said, patience is the key here. Your hair will not go back to its original texture until your hormones get back in balance.
Still, here are some things you can do in the meantime:
Cut Your Hair
Many moms find that cutting their hair to a shorter length allows the hair to grow out to its desired texture more quickly.
Getting a nice cut will take off the floppy hair that may appear straight and dead now. You don’t have to cut your hair, but most find it rewarding.
Try New Products
Now that your hair has a straighter texture, you will have to learn how to style it differently.
Talk to a stylist to learn new products that will work with your current hair.
You don’t have to go crazy with the products since the new hair texture is only temporary, but styling your hair differently may make you feel more confident in the new texture.
In addition to trying new styling products, try different hair care products as well. This includes different shampoos and hair masks.
Hair masks are a great way to treat yourself while also enhancing your hair’s texture.
Take Supplements
Talk to your doctor to get on hair supplements.
Obviously, you should take supplements with your doctor’s permission and observation to ensure everything is going according to plan.
If you can’t take any oral supplements, consider using oils and other topical products that can ensure your hair has luster.
Be Patient
All good things come to those who wait, and time is important in this matter.
The curls will not reappear until your hormones have settled down and returned to their normal state. So, be patient, your curls will return again.
Coping with Stress To Avoid Hair Changes
Because stress plays such a major role in your hair’s texture and thickness, not to mention your overall health, it’s important to keep your stress under control after your child is born.
For many parents, the first few months after bringing the child home are the most stressful.
Even though it is understandable to be stressed during this time, do your best to cope with the stress in a healthy way.
Find ways to deal with your stress and relax when you can. I know. This is a hard task whenever you bring a newborn home, but you must try anyways.
Try to relieve your stress in what little free time you have. Try meditation, reading, or other stress-relieving activities you prefer.
Taking just a few minutes every day to focus on yourself will improve your health, your hair, and your ability to be a good mother.
If you’re specifically worried about how your stress is impacting your hair, try to find relaxing ways that aid your hair as well.
For example, doing something simple like treating yourself to a hair mask can make you feel more relaxed without taking up any time in your day.
Let a gentle hair mask sit in your hair while you are doing your chores. Then, rinse it out in the shower as you normally would.
Managing Thinning Hair
Even if you cut back on stress, the results of your hair thinning may be seen for months. So, it’s important to know how to manage your thinning hair so that you feel confident in your skin.
Just as you should change your hair products based on your hair texture, you can select products specifically designed for thinning hair
These products will create a fuller appearance so that your hair looks thicker and more similar to its texture as before.
You could also get different haircuts that maximize volume. Whenever you go to get the big hair chop, talk to your hairstylist to decide how a haircut can help hide hair thinning and make your hair appear fuller.
Similarly, ask for styling advice so your hair looks fuller on a regular basis.
Remember: You’re Beautiful!
After giving birth, many women feel ugly and unsexy. This is especially true if their hairstyle changes dramatically.
Although you may be waiting for your curls to come back, recognize that you are beautiful regardless.
Your body was able to create a child and bring it to life. Now, allow it to heal and go back to normal, and show your body and yourself love in the meantime.
Final Thoughts
If you found that your once curly hair is becoming turning after pregnancy, you are not alone. Many mothers find themselves in this same scenario.
The good news is that your hair should go back to its original texture with time. It is because of your change in hormones that your hair is changing texture. Once your hormones go back to normal, so too will your hair.
What you need to do now is be patient. You can also cut your hair and try new styling techniques so that you are confident with your hair in the meantime.
Consider taking supplements as well, but only do so under your doctor’s advice. If you have no clue how to style your new hair, talk to a stylist to get some recommendations.
Don’t forget to manage your stress too. Stress will make your hair stay straighter for longer, and it will make it thinner.
Because stress and hair thinning go hand in hand, minimize stress as best you can.
Not only will your hair thank you, but so too will your overall health.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Yes. Curly hair can turn straight after pregnancy due to a change in hormones. Within a few months, the straight hair should begin turning curly again as hormones begin to settle down.
During pregnancy, your hormones shift dramatically, which impacts your hair texture and thickness. As a result, once curly hair often turns straight, and straight hair becomes curlier. The hair will go back to its original texture whenever hormones settle down.
Yes. In most cases, your hair will go back to its original texture after pregnancy. You may have to wait a few weeks or months for your hormones to settle down, though.
It is not very common for pregnancy to make your hair lighter. There have been instances where pregnancy makes hair lighter, but it is not super common.
Yes. Pregnancy can make your hair thinner due to the change in hormones. Changes in texture and thickness are the two most common impacts of pregnancy on a woman’s hair.
References
- https://boucleme.us/blogs/news/pregnancy-hormones-curls
- https://www.zrtlab.com/blog/archive/hormones-and-hair-loss/
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