HAIR Raising

As a hairstylist, post-partum hair is one of the topics I am asked about most, and 90% of the time new mothers have the same concern, hair fall. It is such a common occurrence.

New Mums often tell me they just don’t feel comfortable in their own skin after pregnancy. On top of this, their lush pregnancy mane that often suffered little or no hair fall, begins to shed 9 months’ worth of extra hair over the weeks or months after baby is born.

This, added to normal expected daily hair fall, can be quite disheartening, and even traumatic for many women.

Some hair fall is inevitable, but you can reduce the impact it has by supporting your hair and scalp with suitable care systems. As your body is busy growing
a baby, it can forget about your scalp a little.

To help improve blood flow to this area, try gentle massage, softly rub your scalp in small circles for several minutes a day, to encourage the blood flow back to the scalp.

Hair fall usually happens once baby is born, or after you stop breastfeeding, and while it cannot be stopped completely, it can certainly be slowed down with the correct scalp support systems.

It is good to start using these before any fall happens, to retain as much hair for as long as possible. A very popular support system with new Mums from
us here in Millies.ie is Nioxin, which is designed to improve blood flow through the use of mint, clarify the follicle to keep each strand growing thick and consistently, and to stimulate new growth with caffeine.

Stress related hair fall

During times of stress related hair fall, I personally have used this range, to great success. This has a three-part starter system with a cleanser, scalp moisturiser, and leave-in scalp activator. It really does not take long to use, just replace your usual shampoo with Nioxin cleanser, put your scalp moisturiser on your roots at the same time as your conditioner is on your lengths and ends, and rub one pump of the leave-in into your scalp after you towel dry your hair, and Bob’s your uncle.

When you do towel dry your hair, be gentle. Your hair and scalp are especially fragile at this time so a kind hand will go a long way to keeping both healthy, only towel wrap your hair and don’t scrub
it. Brush it out with a gentle wide-tooth comb, or Tangle Teezer, which also

doubles as a scalp massager. Do not proceed with this though if you get sunburn on your scalp, or it may cause more harm than good. However, you can resume once your scalp has healed fully.

As I have mentioned, your hair can be fragile after your baby is born and in particular, after facing the Summer sun, so the addition of a strengthening treatment can really help.

Cult favourite

A cult favourite is the ever successful Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector. This is a great one for expectant and and new Mums, as it is easy to use, goes onto unwashed hair, and it can stay in as long as you like.

So, if your day is not going exactly to plan, at least your hair will be getting healthier by the minute.

Olaplex works to rebuild the internal structure of your hair, making it strong, glossy, and soft to the touch. What is best though is it being sulphate free, silicone free, paraben free, gluten free, nut free, cruelty free and vegan.

In fact, the entire range is, which is wonderful for this super cautious period of time. Olaplex gives your hair a lovely, full, natural result which will help the result if you decide to let it air dry on warmer days.

Breakage prevention 

If you are feeling the effects of both hair fall and breakage you could look towards Kerastase Genesis Serum Anti-Chute Fortifant which helps to re-anchor the hair at the root, and strengthen it along the shaft, helping to prevent fall from breakage.

The entire Kerastase Genesis range works on this basis and is beautifully nourishing for your hair and scalp.

The Summer days might be longer, but we all know free time is like a gift from the Gods when there is a new baby in the house, so dry shampoo is likely to become your new best friend. This will be a real asset when your morning slips away from you and you need to make a mad dash out into the public gaze.

Just blast a little at your roots, shake it out, and off you go. One of my absolute favourites is Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair, it smells divine and will bring your hair from oily and limp to fresh and full in an instant. Try giving your hair a quick blast of cool air from your hairdryer after for even more root lift and volume.

For a simple summer style do braids on each side your head after you shampoo.

Take them down once your hair is fully dry, gentle shake them out, and pop on a pretty hair accessory, for maximum chic summer vibes with minimal effort. For unruly hair pop some styling product in first.