Will I experience hair loss during pregnancy?

Now before all the expectant mums out there start to panic, this post on hair loss during pregnancy is targeted mainly at the guys…the poor fathers-to-be whose luscious locks are under threat.

One of the major perks of pregnancy for new mums (you know, aside from the famous ‘glow’ and of course the actual baby you get at the end of it) is that during the second trimester and beyond, most women experience an unexpected and positive change in their hair.

As the pregnancy vitamins they have been taking for months start to kick in, combined with some magical gifts from Mother Nature that come with growing a baby, their nails and hair should start to become thicker, glossier, stronger and generally much more healthy looking. You know, because “they’re worth it”…

Unfortunately, the situation for expectant dads is by no means as magical, at least not if my recent experiences are anything to go by.

‘New dad hair loss syndrome’

For years, I’ve had a problem with my wife’s hair.

Don’t get me wrong. She has lovely, long and ever so sweetly smelling mahogany locks. But their propensity to shed is what I have an issue with.

Here, there and everywhere around our London flat, I constantly find long strands of it; on the sofa, the kitchen table, in the bed or imbedded into our carpets, not to mention the clumps of it that can regularly be found clogging up our vacuum cleaner and bathroom drains.

peter castleton via Compfight

But since she’s been pregnant, these strays have all but disappeared, and I fear it is now my much shorter hairs that will soon replace hers in our shower plug hole (no, not those shorter hairs…the ones from my head!).

While I haven’t actually noticed it yet myself, my wife recently relished the opportunity to point out a growing patch of thinning hair atop my otherwise full head of hair.

Of course I didn’t believe her but after taking photographic evidence of the patch in question, it turns out she’s right! Signs of hair loss and thinning are definitely apparent.

A sense of dread immediately filled me, as I realised that the combination of a stressful job, a mortgage, my advancing years and now the stresses of having a baby on the way have all taken their toll on my poor hair.

Sensing my growing panic, my pregnant wife quickly offered her all-out support at my impending future as a hair loss victim and bald dad.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll still love you even when you’ve got a big bald patch in the middle of your head and a full head of hair everywhere else.”

“You know what? I’ll even colour in the bald bit for you.”

*reaches for felt tip pen*

Well if that’s not love, I don’t know what is…

24 weeks and 5 days left to go!

Are any expectant dads out there going through similar changes yourselves? Are you experiencing hair loss, grinding your teeth or putting on baby weight of your own since finding out about your pregnancy?”

As always, we’d love to hear from you, so please do share your stories with the group via the comments section below.

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