There’s no doubt that motherhood is a beautiful thing! Birthing life into the world, however, can also bring about some less than favorable bodily changes. Today, mommy and lifestyle blogger Ciarra of WatchCiWork is sharing a bit about her experience with postpartum shedding and how she has navigated that journey.
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Before giving birth, I heard a lot about the changes my body would go through following pregnancy. I didn’t realize my hair would also be included in those changes. My hair FLOURISHED during my pregnancy. It was long, thick, and my edges were full. Whew, what a time! I was low-key hurt when I saw the amount of hair that shed during my first wash day postpartum. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Every wash day for months more, hair continually came out. I knew postpartum shedding was a thing, but I was hoping it would just skip over me… but it didn’t. Slowly but surely, my edges diminished as well.
I knew this was a normal part of the postpartum process. As my hormones balanced, my hair did as well, but a big part of me cried inside, especially as a natural hair content creator. “Nooooo! I need my hair!” “How will I create cute styles with thin edges?” So many thoughts ran through my head, but as I researched and educated myself on this part of my postpartum journey, I was reassured that this was completely normal and there was not much I could do to prevent it. Most new moms have gone through it. I literally had to let it run its course. “It’ll grow back,” I remember one of my friend’s reassuring me. It was tough on me mentally at the beginning, but it was ultimately out of my control. Nevertheless, one thing I could do was shift my mindset. I had to change my thinking to: “How I can use this experience to inspire and encourage other mamas going through the same thing?”
Along with shedding, my hair was extremely brittle, dry and tangled. Y’all, the tangles were a MESS. What once was a 45 minute wash-day quickly turned into 2 hour wash day. I spent majority of my time trying to detangle. Although my routine wasn’t completely different, I now had to make sure I was even more consistent. (as consistent as a new mommy could be). Every 1-2 weeks a wash was necessary in order to prevent my hair from shedding even further.
–> Detangle, wash, deep condition (with heat), condition, leave-in/ moisturize and style. Repeat.
A few things I learned through my postpartum hair journey was to have patience, give myself grace, and be open with my changing body and hair. My mindset played a huge role. Instead of focusing on the negative, I would celebrate the positive and speak affirmations over myself and my situation: “This will not last,” “It’s only temporary,” and “I am beautiful” are some of the words that kept me uplifted.
I’m currently still dealing with postpartum shedding and waiting for my edges to grow back, but it has gotten a lot better. I’ve gotten my dryness under control and wash days are a lot smoother and quicker. I’m also more aware and pay close attention to what my hair needs (ex: protein, moisture, water, and etc.).
For any mamas experiencing postpartum shedding– remember it’s only temporary. Give yourself grace. You are beautiful. Your hair does not define you. And it will grow back. These changes are all a reminder of our beautiful motherhood journey.
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Suggested products for moms experiencing postpartum shedding and dryness:
Papaya Castor Scalp Cleanser – great for detangling
JojOba Monoi Deep Conditioner – provides intense moisture
Papaya Castor Scalp Massaging Serum – provides nutrients to the scalp, especially ideal for those with thinning hair
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If you’ve experienced postpartum shedding, dryness, or other changes in your hair, we’d love to hear how you navigated those challenges. Be sure to share your story with us on social, tagging @edenbodyworks!
See you next time!