Hormones are one of those little âinfluencersâ in oneâs life that really impact a variety of different things inside and outside our body.
For women key developmental or life stages are measured by fluctuations in hormones during periods of change. Whether it be puberty, pregnancy or menopause or even PMS, we are all held hostage by the hormone changes at one time or another.
But did you know that pregnancy hormones can lead to changes in your hair?Â
If you are pregnant (have been or planning to be) youâve probably noticed that throughout your journey, youâve become accustomed to thick, luscious and shiny gorgeous hair. Whilst your body is moaning and groaning, your hair is living itâs best hair life with lack of shedding and increase in volume. You might also be noticing hair growth in other parts of your body. Weâll keep these secrets for those yet to experience the wonderful hair growth miracles bestowed by pregnancy hormones.Â
However, itâs not all luscious locks and roses. The increase in hormones can also create increased levels of sebum, which can make your skin and scalp more oily than usual. This means you might need to wash your hair more frequently to maintain those the look you love. In addition, washing more frequently can massage the scalp and could create more sebum production. Itâs all about finding the right balance.
Another thing you may notice during pregnancy is that your hair colour might change. This is probably something that bottle-blondes experience more so than other colours. Your hair might become darker, lighter or even be more prone to golden or yellowing tones. The need for a stronger violet toner might become more prevalent.Â
The changes in colour and texture of your natural hair colour might also impact how your hair holds, changes or reacts to hair dye. For this reason, you might find your hair is harder to lift to that clean blonde colour that you love. Thus increasing processing time or requiring slightly different volumes of peroxide or colour to reach the pre-pregnancy result. Itâs also important to consider whether or not exposure to hair dye chemicals is something you will continue to do throughout your pregnancy. For more information on this topic, we suggest you consult your Obestrician or healthcare professional.Â
Some women also experience changes to textures and curls. This means that your beautiful ringlets might disappear altogether, leaving you with the straight hair that you spent so much time trying to perfect as a teenager with a clothes iron.Â
We wouldnât be doing this article justice if we didnât talk about that âincredibleâ post-partum hair loss. (So not incredible). Yep, weâre talking about the hair loss that makes you feel like your receding; that youâve chopped in a horrible fringe in or that someone just cut a whole chunk out. This usually comes into play in months 3-6 postpartum and the result is that all those wonderful strands youâve held onto will begin to shred into handfuls of drain clogging material. Itâs somewhat alarming and definitely disappointing.Â
During pregnancy or immediately after, you might find that your hair is responding differently to your current haircare products. For Solibar users, this also might mean that you need to keep up with more regular Apple Cider Vinegar or acid rinses. And it might also affect the period of time in which your hair takes to adjust to natural haircare or Solibars. (We call this the transition phase).Â
The good news is that although most of us experience hair changes due to hormones, that most arenât permanent. Even curls are sometimes said to restore overtime. (We hope). Finding a shampoo bar that does not contain hormone/endocrine disruptors like many liquid shampoos or syndet shampoo bars can actually benefit you and your hair in more ways than one. Especially when it comes to bathing your new little addition.Â
When we went about creating Solibar, there were a few non-negotiable factors we wanted to make sure our shampoo and conditioner bars were able to have:
Shampoo and conditioner your hair in the same way as conventional products do đââď¸
Be the best option for healthy haircare & without any nasty ingredients đż
Not contribute to the already increasing rubbish created by plastic bottles and ensuring that both wrapping and packaging was zero waste. đ
No matter what life stage you are at, hormones can affect your hair. Sometimes these changes can be whimsical and other times downright rude. Being aware of your hormonal state can also help you to judge whether or not your hair is just having a bad hair day or not. We know that hair is an important attribute for so many women and having good hair is something that we all try to achieve. Making the switch to a healthy haircare alternative can have more benefits to you than just your strands. So thereâs never been a better time to make a change.Â
References for those who want to dive a little deeper:Â