Former Glee star Naya Rivera has opened up about the hair loss that struck 18 months ago, just after the Californian gave birth to her son, Josey.
According to the Daily Mail, the actress faced “breakage and thinning hair” after the birth which indicates that she most likely had a condition named Postpartum Alopecia.
What is surprising to many new mums is just how common this is and also why it happens. In fact, it is not so much a hair loss condition as a “body-returning-to-normal” condition: what happens is that the excess of hair that was effectively “stored up” during pregnancy is shed after as oestrogen levels even out again.
This sudden hair fall can nonetheless be very shocking, especially if hair appears to be coming out in clumps. While things usually get back to normal within about 6-12 months, intervention from a specialist hair loss clinic would be recommended if the shedding is so pronounced that it leads to very visible thinning or if anyone affected is especially concerned about their shedding. A bespoke course of postpartum hair loss treatment can often help to accelerate the process, as long as the mother is not breastfeeding.
At Belgravia, experts are able to diagnose the condition and offer solutions featuring recommended formulations of topical medications and hair growth boosters.
Additionally, the support that clients get as they progress through their treatment course is frequently described as an enormously important part of the process.
Glee's Naya Rivera Discusses Postpartum Alopecia and Thinning Hair
For Rivera, the solution to her post-birth hair woes was to dye her locks with blonde highlights, which apparently made things worse. Blonde dyes contain bleach and harsh chemicals can greatly affect hair health, often leading to breakage if used incorrectly or too frequently. Furthermore, there are many reports about serious damage that hair dye chemicals have caused to people’s scalps and health in general.
Next in the actress’s hair saga came hair extensions, which, like many women, she turned to in order to help boost her thinning hair.
However, these, too, are often a bad idea as hair extensions - regardless of type - are one of a number of things that can lead to a hair loss condition named Traction Alopecia. This is caused when tight hairstyles, such as braids and high ponytails, place excessive tension on the scalp and tug at the follicles. When worn frequently these punishing hairstyles and hair extensions can lead to hairloss from around the hairline and sometimes in patches where the hairstyle is fixed, too.
Fortunately, following a bespoke Traction Alopecia treatment course and wearing the hair naturally can help the follicles to recover and promote hair growth in a great many cases. Although if the hair loss has been left for some time and/or the person affected continues to wear damaging hairstyles, the receding hairline this condition tends to cause can be permanent.
Today, Rivera appears happy to talk about her Postpartum hair loss after signing up as an ambassador for a US-based cosmetic hair product company. “Thinning hair has been misrepresented for so long and I think it’s about time we elevate the conversation,” she said. “I’m excited to really help people. Whether there’s a new mom out there who doesn’t understand why her hair has changed or started to thin, or a woman who is constantly dealing with dry scalp (like I was) there is a solution.”
The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.
View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.