Oh yes I did! 🙂
So let me tell y’all about my postpartum hair loss big chop.
Although very few knew I cut my hair, I did get asked a lot of questions, after getting over being shocked. Truth is I shocked myself if you ask me, the plan was to keep getting protective style, like box braids, and faux locs until I reached a reasonable length an then cut my hair. But after taking out my faux locs…
I said EF this! I grabbed a pair of scissors and got to work. I purposely started in the front in hopes that I didn’t chicken out last minute.
Q: So why did I do it?
A: After giving birth my hair refused to stop falling out, my hair had gotten thicker during my pregnancy, and I hardly experienced any shedding. About two in a half weeks before my daughter was born I had gotten some plaits
And took them out about a month after giving birth, after my wash, my hair was healthy thick, long and beautiful! I did a sew in and rocked it for a good three weeks, after that I was whining to my mom and grandma as to why so much of my hair was coming out. I was told it was all the hair I did not loose during my pregnancy, checked it out online and said o.k., had I knew I would be writing about this someday I would have taken pictures of how much hair I lost after taking out my braids from the sew in and after my wash! Never have I seen that much hair come out!
4 months later it was just getting worse! I Love my hair, it was just sad watching all that hair come out as if I was a cancer patient on chemo. In the pass 8 years I only let 4 people other than myself touch my hair. So I’ve been doing a great job if you ask me. I got some plaits again, and left them in for some time, hoping you know what I’m going to let my hair go through what it’s going through in piece. I’m not going to keep touching it, or adding any tension, and guess what? That did not work!
After talking to my doctor, he advise me, postpartum hair loss was common and that everything should go back to normal after a year. He also advise me to keep taking my prenatal vitamins since I was still breast feeding. Honestly I wanted to curse him out, this was no way normal at all and truth is that’s not what I wanted to hear! I went from mid back length to shoulder length in 5 months. After about 9 months, the falling out slowed down, but my hair was extremely uneven, thin and my edges was like the first to go. You can see the damage; I annoyed my mom, my grandma, and my boyfriend, anyone who will listen to my cry about my hair was a target. It was like I was hoping there was something they can do to help me get my hair back. After a year my hair just started changing color, which made me believe it had to do with me dying my hair before I found out I was pregnant.
I just had enough! And decided it was time to start fresh.
Did you cry?
No I did not, but I probably would have if someone else did it.
How did your friends and family take it?
My friends were shocked. Never in a million year did they think I would do something like this. My mother was not happy at all in fact she almost cried. As for my boo, I’ve been telling him I was going to cut my hair once I retain enough new growth, but I don’t think he was expecting it so soon. Never the less I’m still his beautiful girl, and he supported my action.
How do you feel?
I feel good, still getting use too?
What is your favorite style so far?
I have none, just wigging it.
Name one thing you love about your big chop?
I love how easy and quick it is to wash?
What do you hate about your big chop?
I don’t hate it, I just miss my long hair, and since I’ve been missing it for so long now, I’m over it.
Are you going to stay natural?
Honestly when I chopped my hair I had no plans to transition, I did it because it kept falling out and was damaged, it was just time to start over, once my hair get to a bob length I look forward to getting a perm again, if not sooner. Only time will tell. I had no problem with my hair being relaxed; I maintained it well, all these years, I will just do a couple of things differently this time around.
Do you regret your decision?
Not at all, this was necessary, I enjoyed doing my hair all these years, I still have hair on top of my head that can still be styled beautifully.
Will you cut your hair again?
Yes as a matter of fact my TWA is still two different color, so if it stops changing color I will let it grow to a respectable length than cut the color off, but lately it seems my new growth which is dark at the roots, just turns brown after a while so we’ll see.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Anyone else suffered from hair loss after birth? Please share your story, will love to here how you coped with it.
