Many women today have experienced the tragic hair loss epidemic.  Contrary to what most people believe, under normal circumstances we all experience hair loss on a daily bases.  Hair naturally sheds up to 100 strands per day. In the growth process, the only living part of the hair is the root (the root is found below the surface of the scalp). The hair shaft (the portion of the hair that projects beyond the skin) is composed of dead tissue.  It is very crucial that we take good care of our hair and our bodies if we want to maintain healthy hair. Although there are some things we can't prevent when it comes to hair loss; like our natural shedding process, aging, menopause and family history. There are preventive methods for hair loss after pregnancy (postpartum hair loss), hormonal abnormalities, hair breakage, and iron and vitamin deficiencies. You will come to understand that most hair loss issue is not from what we put on our hair but what we put in our bodies.

Hair growth occurs in three phases: the growing, transitional and resting. The growing phase is the most active stage and the longest. While in the growing stage hair can grow actively for up 2-4 years. When this phase is complete, the transitional phase takes places for about 2-4 weeks. This is when most of our shedding occurs and prepares the hair for its resting phases, which will last up to 3- 6 months. During the growing process each phase only covers a percentage of an individual's hair; 93% of hair is in the growing phase, while the transitional phase takes only 1% and the resting stage only stands in 6% of the growing process. Unfortunately our hair goes through the growth cycle only 24-25 times in a lifetime and a single strand lives for up to seven years. This means every seven years; you’re introduced to a new head of hair. Our hair grows the fastest between the ages of 16-24 years. Between the ages of 40-50, women tend to lose about 20% of their hair. Needleless to say, through our aging process with child birth, and hormonal changes (like menopause) growing older takes a toll on the hair.

One of the greatest fears many women face is postpartum hair loss. After I gave birth to my daughter, I didn’t know what was going on with my hair. I mean I tried everything, from hair reconstructors, moisturizers, and protein treatments.  I mean I used everything that I could use over the counter. Yet it never occurred to me that my hair loss was due to what I was lacking internally.  I decided to cut my hair short (exhausted from trying to save my hair for months). There was something telling me it was more to this, and so my research began.  I found it was something I could have prevented. What I found was that a hormonal change takes place after child birth. During pregnancy, the hair roots are locked into the growing stage and this does not allow any of the hair to shed. After child birth, estrogen levels drop and cause old hairs to fall out. Postpartum hair loss generally starts 1-5 months after giving birth and stops about 15 months later. 10% of women are subjected to postpartum hair loss after child birth.



Here are some ways to prevent hair loss after pregnancy:

• prenatal vitamins during and after pregnancy (biotin, silica, calcium, and zinc)
• prenatal vitamins during and after pregnancy (biotin, silica, calcium, and zinc)
• scalp massages (stimulates blood flow to scalp)
• calm, supportive pregnancy