Can Pregnancy Change Your Hair Type?

Key Takeaways

• Hormones during and after pregnancy can affect hair type, texture, and thickness.
• It’s common for hair to get fuller and become straighter, wavier, or curlier during pregnancy.
• Hair most often returns to its original type, texture, and thickness within a year after pregnancy.

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Can Pregnancy Change Your Hair Type?

Hair changes in pregnancy—from getting thicker during pregnancy to losing hair more quickly in the months following—can be completely normal! But can your hair go from straight to wavy or wavy to coily? Absolutely. Hormones can have a lot to do with the amount of wave or curl pattern in your hair. Learn about how and why pregnancy affects hair type and more.

Common Ways Hormones Can Change Hair during Pregnancy

Hormones play a big role in your hair, and you might see that in specific ways during pregnancy. That’s because hormones can affect the shape of your hair follicles and the timing of your hair growth cycle. Here are a few specific hair changes you might see:

Straighter, Wavier, or Curlier Hair

Did you know that follicle shape determines your hair type? Yes, round follicles produce straighter hair, oval follicles produce wavier hair, and elliptical follicles produce more coily hair. During pregnancy, changes in estrogen, prolactin, and other hormones can alter your follicle shape. Depending on these hormone levels, the hair type you start with, and genetics, your hair could become straighter, wavier, or curlier. Follicle changes may also affect hair texture, making strands finer or coarser.

Thicker Hair

Thanks to the influx of estrogen, prolactin, and progesterone in your system during pregnancy, your hair may not shed nearly as much, making it thicker and fuller. This happens because your hair may stay in the resting phase of its natural growth cycle longer. Instead of shedding every three months or so, those hairs may stay put, resulting in a thicker, fuller head of hair overall.

Hair Changes after Pregnancy

More hormone changes after pregnancy can mean more hair changes. It’s normal for hair to shed at a faster rate after pregnancy since your hair is returning to its normal growth cycle. Expect your hair to return to its usual cycle within a year. Most often, hair returns to its pre-pregnancy type and texture, too.

Tips for Managing Hair Changes during and after Pregnancy

If your hair is changing while you’re expecting, you might need to change your haircare routine. Here are our tips on keeping your hair strong and healthy looking during this time:

Maintain Strong Hair Bonds

To maintain strong hair during this time, we recommend our go-to daily shampoo and conditioner combo: OLAPLEX® Nº.4 Bond Maintenance® Shampoo and Nº.5 Bond Maintenance® Conditioner. You’ll see stronger, visibly healthier hair with every wash.

Moisturize Curlier or Coarser Hair

Curlier or coarser hair has a tendency to be on the dryer side. If your curls or coarse strands seem a little parched, try Rich Hydration Mask. This reparative mask provides intense moisture and is clinically proven to smooth and treat damaged hair while adding shine.

Add Volume to Straighter, Thinner, or Finer Hair

If your hair could use more volume (regardless of hair type or texture), reach for Nº.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo. Use this healthy-scalp dry shampoo with light-as-air dry cleansing technology for scalp and hair that feel cleaner and a look that’s more voluminous* without buildup or powdery residue.

To learn more about how to care for your hair, visit the OLAPLEX Blog or get a personalized routine by taking our Hair Quiz.

*In an independent consumer perception study of 30 participants after 3 consecutive uses, 97% or participants said hair had volume.

Sources

1. https://theconversation.com/from-straight-to-curly-thick-to-thin-heres-how-hormones-and-chemotherapy-can-change-your-hair-219329
2. https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/changes-to-hair-during-pregnancy
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-loss-in-pregnancy