How to care for your hair and skin after childbirth

During pregnancy, the female body undergoes a complete transformation, physically, emotionally and mentally.And despite being difficult, as beneficial as pregnancy is for a woman, if neglected, the postpartum period can prove to be just as damaging.

 After childbirth, new moms often face a multitude of challenges, from adjusting to a new routine to dealing with physical changes, one common problem most new moms experience is thinning of hair and breakout.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy and postpartum can cause hair loss, dryness, and acne. But with the right postpartum hair and skincare routine, new moms can feel confident and beautiful during this exciting, yet challenging, time, as per aesthetician and cosmetologist Medha Singh.

Hydration is key

Singh, in interaction with Hindustan Times, said, "The most common difficulty faced by women after pregnancy is the amount of hair loss. It is understood that during pregnancy, a female’s hair grows and new hair starts emerging which in post-partum, begins to fall leading to a depressive phase for females. The hair that falls after pregnancy does not lead to hair loss if the diet, nutrition and sleep cycle during pregnancy are appropriate.”

Singh added that apart from internal care, external care is important as well. “To prevent hair loss, it is necessary to keep the scalp hydrated because even if the human body consists of 70% water, it only secretes oil and to fulfil the demand for water we have to supply it to the body externally.”

A skincare regimen to stick by

Talking about postpartum skincare, Medha explained, "Another difference seen in females very prominently post-pregnancy is the change in skin texture.” Singh noted that for this, a body massage and application of ubtan can help.

“Ubtan can be made from a mix of mint and saffron and should be applied every day after bathing. The right method of application and removal of ubtan should be known, either by watching a video or reading online because the wrong methods can give folliculitis. Many dermatologists get clients who are postpartum females and they complain about severe sticky or prompt acne on their body, this can be caused due to the wrong application or wrong selection of products while massage and in ubtan."

She added, "Making an ubtan is not as easy as it sounds, it should be a proportionate mixture of well-researched products which suit the body in that condition. Postpartum, a lot of females also go through adult acne which is due to the secretion of high levels from adrenal glands and enlarged pores attracting bacteria causing acne. In such cases, hygiene of the skin should be the top priority beginning with the use of cleanser as soon as you wake up, applying face masks made from green tea and herbal masks."

To conclude, Singh warned that it is never recommended to consume antibiotics. “Taking antibiotics can prove to be disastrous for the baby, especially during breastfeeding. Every phase in life has its specific problems and beauties, and we as humans should be attentive to those and address them on our own time to prevent any long-term damage.”

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.