So you have discovered you are pregnant. You have broken the news to your husband and you are thrilled. Your parents and his parents are already collecting booties and bonnets. You are thinking about whether you should paint the guest room blue or pink.

And then you started noticing changes in your body. Yes there is weight gain, back pain and morning sickness. But everyone keeps telling you how great you look, that you have a glow. and if that doesn’t stop you from a little blue , Dr Apoorva Shah, India’s first  certified Trichologist ( which is common parlance is a  specially  qualified to treat hair and scalp disorders) has some more good news.” Pregnancy is a special time for women and it is great time for hair. During pregnancy there is an increase in the level of estrogen hormones. The estrogen hormone causes hair to remain in the growing phase and stimulate the growth of hair. So while you are pregnant you should expect a full luxurious head of hair,” he says. No wonder we find so many pregnant women looking gorgeous.

Post pregnancy, however, the story’s slightly different. You might find the thick mane of hair you acquired during pregnancy beginning to thin, as estrogen level fall, says Dr Shah.

This normally happens three months after the event which is called as post partum l hair loss. Hair will start falling in copious bunches, even on the slightest touch accompanied in some cases. With increase soreness at the scalp in the front and the top and thinning of hair. The hair are suddenly pushed   in the Telogen phase which is the falling phase.. This type of hair loss after pregnancy is often is called as Telogen Effluvium.

Your gorgeous hair has now become a thing of the past. Hair Loss will be at its peak 6 months after pregnancy. Hormonal changes, physical stress & lack of sleep because of a young baby, all take a toll resulting in severe hair loss. The need to take care of the hair is at its peak during these trying times. Proper rest, 8 hours of sleep, a glass of water every hour & hair foods like almonds, dates, Soya & flax seeds will be helpful. The Tricho Scalp Treatment (TST) is a great boom for controlling hair loss after pregnancy. This is a unique treatment, designed to meet the hair needs of men and women of today by disinfecting, detoxifying and rejuvenating your hair and scalp. Dr.Apoorva Shah says, “It is like a facial for your hair and must become a part of your hair care regime”..

The hair loss that many women have after giving birth is common and known as “telogen effluvium”, It can be more than a nuisance occasionally, those shed hair can get wrapped around baby’s toes catering a tourniquet that cuts off the circulation. The condition is not very common and the exact incidence is not known. The condition referred to as toe tourniquet syndrome occurs when a loose hair or thread becomes so tightly wrapped around a baby’s toes that pain coloring and discoloring occur. It can occur from 1-15 months of age but usually occurs at an age when their mother’s post delivery hair loss is at its peak around four months old. The only symptom is fussiness and one of the toes are swollen, purple and tender to the touch. Look for a fine line indention and blue or red toe past it Treatment is to soak the toe in a hair dissolving solution.

So watch the hair and toes.!

If hair loss still persists then you need the specialist attention of a Trichologist.

Dr. Apoorva Shah is India’s First Certified Trichologist and the panelist at Richfeel Trichology Centre. For enquiries call 9822612634 or 64002824 (Laxmi Road) 26056005 / 30521705 (Sohrab Hall) or 25658648 (Model Colony) or log on to www.richfeel.com