Here's an Attractive Issue: My Hair is Falling Out!

Yes, it's been a while since I've been here. Rest assured, I have not abandoned you all, I've just been pregnant, then sick, then very pregnant, then recovering from my Cesarean and enjoying my time with my little girl. Let me tell you, she is beautiful! Just the other day we were all out at dinner and a man at the next table said to us "We think that is the most beautiful baby we've ever seen. I mean, look at her!

Little Miss Perfect

Anyway, she's 3 months old now, my estrogen levels have dropped, and all the benefits of pregnancy like that thick, shiny hair and the long, strong nails that just beg for a french manicure (even though its kind of out of style right now) have gone the way of my cankles. Poof. Gone. My nails have either broken off or been trimmed to even nubs which, I can live with. My hair, however...ugh! It's coming out by the handful!

When I was about 3 months pregnant, I actually had to snip my hair to shoulder length to even it out. There was so much new, thick hair coming in that it was looking oddly poofy on top and scraggly at the ends. It was very Britney Spears post freak-out shaved head with bad extensions at first, followed by thick, luxurious mane (which I have NEVER had before) and pregnancy glow.

About 3 weeks ago, I noticed my hair doing some serious flopping. It just looked bad. I don't have poofy Jersey hair, but what style I had would just collapse like bad flan within an hour. I went and had it trimmed because I figured surely that's the issue. While my hair guru Victoria rinsed out my color she asked me "How old is the baby now?" I said three months and she followed with "That explains it, because WOW you are shedding! Don't worry, it happens to everyone. It will go back to normal."

This could be me soon.

Crap! What does she mean by normal? I didn't have great hair to begin with, so now I'm going back to not so great, followed by Kojak?!  I would not be a hot bald chick! I am not an Amber Rose or a Michelle Gallegos. No, I'd be more of a Britney with Umbrella type bald.

I have seriously got to be a little bit proactive if other people are noticing. It wasn't too long afterwards that my husband pointed out that every time I shower it looks like a Wookie used our bathroom. I'm not going to be one of those people who has to wear a hair net while they make their own dinner!

So, I've started to do some research. The first thing I found out is that this hair falling out thing happens to most women after they give birth due to a drop in estrogen...and after about this length of time. Whew, I'm not alone. OK.

Awesome Stuff

The first thing I did was go online and order some Ovation hair products, which I have used before and I believe really makes a difference in the way my hair looks and feels. I'm sure everyone has heard the radio commercials: "Thicker, stronger, longer hair! Ovation really works!" Does it make your hair longer? I don't know, but it definitely makes my hair feel better and I do get unsolicited backhanded compliments like "Did you do something different to your hair? It looks really good today!" as if to say "Normally your hair looks like crap, but today you look like you put some effort into yourself!". I fell off the Ovation wagon for a while because to be honest, the price point isn't fantastic and because of a little thing called unemployment. I'm not one of those people who will sacrifice everything for good hair; I'd rather eat, but being that I am under the threat of looking like Telly Savalas, I figured the price point was cheaper than a great Kim Zolciak wig or Hair Club for Women. Plus I had one of those point driven coupons from past orders that took a giant chunk out of the price. I love rewards programs!

You can order your own Ovation System at ovationhair.com for about $55 USD

Another product my dermatologist recommended way back when I was on a medication that "might make your hair fall out" is a supplement called Viviscal. You may have heard it mentioned on Dr. Oz when he had Tabatha Coffey on to talk about hair issues (I love Dr. Oz AND Tabatha Takes Over, so it was an awesome TV day for me). Viviscal is a supplement that helps with hair loss due to stress or hormones. Way back when, I remember people back home in NJ picking it up in Europe because it wasn't approved here in the states yet. It was the mid 90's and everyone who cut their hair in the hopes of being a cool, different, grunge Linda Evangelista realized that they were not Linda Evangelista and they wanted their hair back...fast. Viviscal is supposedly some combination of marine proteins, vitamin C, and amino acids. I was all ready to pick some up when I read the "Not intended for use by pregnant or breastfeeding mothers" on the box. I'd rather have as much hair as my daughter currently does before I take a risk like that. If you're not nursing and suffering from bad hair, you may want to pick up a box.

60 Viviscal tablets sell for about $35 USD on Amazon.com, or you can go right to the source: Viviscal.com and check out some celebrity testimonials while you're there. I may give it a shot when baby moves on to solid foods.

I will update everyone on hair progress in about a month. Or I'll just post a photo of myself bald stating that I have given up. We'll see, but I promise I will post in-between now and then.