A woman’s body undergoes various changes during pregnancy. In addition to the bump, you experience fatigue, stress, bloating, nausea, indigestion, swollen ankles, headaches, back pain, and even bleeding gums. These symptoms vary between the first, second, and third trimesters.
Although these are common symptoms a woman experiences during pregnancy, one thing that causes hassle and frustration for many pregnant women is hair loss. Well, sometimes, hair loss can stop during pregnancy.
Women and men lose an average of 50 to 100 hairs a day. However, during pregnancy, the hair follicle shedding, a natural cycle, undergo suppression due to elevated estrogen levels. As a result, some women experience less hair loss than other pregnant women.
Hormonal changes are common during pregnancy, and these can affect your hair. Depending on the number and type of hormonal shifts, you may have thicker or thinner hair during pregnancy. Read on!
Increased Estrogen Levels
Your hair undergoes a naturally programmed life cycle. When a new hair grows, it rests for at least two or three months. After that, a new hair replaces the old one in the follicle. However, this natural cycle changes during pregnancy. Many women have thicker hair in the second trimester because each strand experiences delays in the natural hair cycle.
It means fewer hair strands fall out due to increased estrogen levels. Not only does estrogen stop hair loss during pregnancy, but is also plays a vital role in fetal development and strengthens your muscles, bones, and joints.
Thyroid Levels
Changes in thyroid levels are another cause of hair loss or delayed hair cycle during pregnancy. A growing body of research studies, including systematic Meta-analysis, highlight that about 3% of women experience thyroid-related issues during pregnancy.
For example, one such condition is hypothyroidism, a disease characterized by low thyroid hormone levels that result in hair loss, muscle pain, fatigue, and dizziness. In addition, high-level thyroid production, also known as hyperthyroidism, can also lead to hair loss.
Remember, this occurs in 3% of pregnant women, meaning most women during pregnancy do not experience hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. However, delayed hair cycles due to estrogen or these conditions can lead to hair loss during the postpartum period.
Therefore, keeping a healthy and balanced diet rich in essential nutrients, including vitamin C, E, zinc, iron, and minerals, is an informed decision that can help you can prevent the risk of delayed hair cycle or hair loss.
Final Words
Pregnancy is an exciting time for a woman, but at the same time, it can cause various changes in her body. In addition to other changes, hair shedding or delayed hair cycle become more apparent, especially in the second and third trimesters due to increased estrogen levels or thyroid hormonal changes.