Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia

You'd think from looking at my bed in the mornings after the alarm goes off that I'd been sharing my pillow with a woolly mammoth.

The hair loss I've inherited postpartum is incredible. My hair falls out in small clumps each time I shower and my hairbrush resembles a tumbleweed. I have to clean it out each week or else I may lose the handle in the debris. Literally everytime I look at Nate, I see a stray hair in his hand (about to enter his mouth, of course) or on his clothes. I've grown tired of the tell-tale tickle of loose hair. Drives me bonkers.

Apparently, this is very common after childbirth due to fluctuating estrogen levels. Higher levels of estrogen slow hair loss during pregnancy. Once estrogen plummets, the thick, lustrous head of hair that accentuates that rosy glow goes by the wayside.

I'm just hoping not to go bald by Christmas. Or else I might be asking Santa for some hair plugs. Or at least a nice wig. Real hair. No horse hair. I may be suffering from alopecia but I still have standards.

Besides, I think I've been quite nice this year.

11 comments:

Kim said...

I have been totally meaning to post about this. Girl, you read my mind.

My hair didn't fall out until a full year after having B. But with M, it started at about 2 1/2 months. And it's AWFUL. I have to clean the shower drain THREE TIMES in a 15 minutes shower. There's hair EVERYWHERE. It's absolutely ridiculous, and very embarrassing. I can't WAIT until this is over. I keep blaming it on B's hair, but I think R may have figured me out.. haha.

Geohde said...

Ah. Yep, I can relate.

I've had to pick the stuff out of the bum cream, fercryingoutloud.

J

RBandRC said...

OH YES!!! Every time I shower I swear I am going bald. I've had G searching for bald spots and everything. It is just terrible. I really hope it stops soon because I would not be attractive as a baldy. :P

Grad3 said...

I try to remember that it took me 9 months to get that (this) way so it will likely take me another 9 months for it be undone.

When will it finally end for the love of all things good????

Somewhat Ordinary said...

I'm shedding something fierce, too! I kept hoping that I would a little bit because I've always had super thick hair, but the stuff is growing back in...GREY!!!!!!!!

Shelli said...

So I don't want to depress you, but after I had D, my hair fell out so profusely that I swore there was something else wrong with me.

There wasn't, but I must admit that my hair has NEVER been the same again (I lost about 30% of my volume and never got it back). I guess I am unlucky in many ways!

Hilary (Maya Papaya) said...

WHAT??? Ohmygoodness. Is hair loss in store for me too? Should I be asking Santa for some new hats??

Polka Dot said...

I've always had super thick hair.

The last few years, though, it's been thinning. The top front is thinning - as in it's noticeablly thinning. I hate it. My hair dresser said it's related to all the hormones I was on and that it should improve when I stop the treatments. But it's still thinning more than a year later. Sadness.

Dr. Grumbles said...

wow, another thing I didn't know about!

Hope it slows down or stops soon!

OrchidLover said...

Oh honey, I'm right there with you. Balding, but not bald yet. You put it all so eloquently.

Two Hands said...

Ugh. I remember that. It's awful. What cheered me up was the idea that during my pregnancy the hair that SHOULD have fallen out didn't so it was just catching up afterwards.
Hope it ends soon.