The real question is why do long-haired women feel the need for a haircut after having children? I believe it is partly biology. The wild hormonal roller coaster that is pregnancy often includes the happy benefit of lustrous, shiny, thicker-than-normal hair while you’re expecting—and the not-so-nice reality that it can go away when your body begins to stabilize after delivery. The scientific term for this type of hair-shedding is postpartum telogen effluvium, and while it’s often erroneously pointed to as hair loss, it’s actually just a delay in losing the strands your scalp would naturally have cast off had you not been pregnant.
“The hormonal changes of pregnancy cause a shift in the hair cycle such that all hairs remain in a growing phase and do not transition into a resting or shedding phase,” explained Dr. Jessica Weiser, a board-certified dermatologist and founder and medical director of Weiser Skin. “At the time of delivery, there is a sudden change from growing to resting that then triggers an abundant telogen shedding phase.”
The same hormones that gave you fuller, more bouncier hair during pregnancy are responsible for it receding approximately three months later. The amount of hair that is thrown away is about the same, but it can be alarming to see it fall in a more concentrated fashion.
Here’s some real mom-talk for anyone who hasn’t been in the throes of newborn life. The three-month milestone that docs point to as the start of hair shedding comes when you’re just starting to regain some grasp on reality. Prior to that marker, I probably could have gone completely bald and wouldn’t have cared. The first few weeks and months are about survival, tinged by terrifying sleep deprivation and a bone-deep exhaustion I’d never known before. Then, just as you’re getting the tiniest bit of your groove back, you’re hit with another physical injustice.
There’s a cruelness to that timing that doesn’t feel quite fair. Your body’s healing, getting your child in a feeding groove—by whatever method you choose—has become more of a routine, and you can summon the energy to put on real clothes and get out of the house. Cue another “Where did this come from?!” moment, and it’s not surprising that the first appointment back with your stylist might include an order to go shorter, if only to just save some time.
“My hair has always been a huge part of my individual self identity,” says Nikita Charuza, founder of Squigs Beauty. “I’ve always been blessed with really thick hair, and it’s something I’ve been proud of my whole life. Postpartum hair loss was not easy for me—especially when you’re dealing with so many other things as a new mom. While I didn’t do anything drastic, I did end up cutting off a few inches because my hair was starting to look really thin, and I wanted it to feel fuller and more like myself.”
Motherhood is not only hormonally-driven, but also involves a search for a new identity. The new mantle of mother and caregiver is a heavy one to bear; cutting inches off to try a new ‘do—or get closer to the hair you knew pre-baby—is a quick way to put a stake in the ground.
Source: Glamour