Why Kate’s locks have lost their lustre
( and what she can do to get it back )
DURiNG her pregnancy, the Duchess of Cambridge’s lovely locks looked their lustrous best. But since she gave birth to Prince George in July, it seems that, like many new mums, Kate’s hair has looked rather worse for wear. So, what is it about pregnancy and giving birth that wreaks such havoc on hair?
Why is hair less shiny after having a baby?
OFTeN, women find their hair looks thicker and shinier during pregnancy but hormonal changes kick in after having a baby, as dermatologist Justine Hextall explains.
‘Hair has three phases; growth, resting and shedding,’ she says.
‘Normally, hair grows at the same rate that it falls out. But under the influence of pregnancy hormones, more hairs remain in the growing phase, particularly during the second and third trimester, which is why women often notice hair becoming thicker as their pregnancy goes on. Usually, losing your hair after birth is just your hair going back to normal.’
Will the frizz last for ever?
‘PReGNANCY is thought to be a terrific time for hair,’ says trichologist Philip Kingsley. ‘But that’s not true for everyone. Hair is likely to become progressively drier during pregnancy as hormones reduce the amount of oil your sebaceous glands produce.’
As your hormones return to normal, this dry frizz should subside. in the meantime, use anti-frizz products which boost levels of oil and moisture, such as DGi Organics’ Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner (£5.99 each, Waitrose). even fine hair can benefit from a light oil.
Try Alterna’s Kendi Dry Oil Micromist (£21.95, alternahaircare.com), which can be sprayed onto dry or damp hair.
Can a special diet help hair recover?
‘JUST choose healthy foods,’ says Kingsley. ‘And make sure that you include protein, which hair needs in order to grow, in every meal.
‘Your body considers your hair to be non- essential tissue, so it’s the last to benefit from good nutrition.’
Fertility expert Zita West’s range has supplements for different stages of pregnancy and breastfeeding (£ 25 a month, zitawest.com) or try Pregnacare Breast feeding supplements (£15.25 for a month’s supply, boots.com).
Spatone iron sachets (£8.25 for 28, at Boots) are a good way to top up low iron levels, which can result from blood loss during birth and can lead to hair loss.
Hair today
How can I give thin hair more oomph? A CLiP-iN hairpiece or ponytail (Her she son’s invisible Ponytail,
£ 60, hershesons.com) gives instant v ol ume, or rub Trevor Sorbie’s new volume Big Hair Powder (£6.29, trevorsorbie.com) — which contains particles that puff up as they emerge from their container — into your roots.
There are many volume-boosting shampoos on the market, such as Burt’s Bees very volumizing Pomegranate Shampoo, (£9.99, burtsbees.co.uk), but Nanogen gets rave reviews from new mums. its thickening shampoo, conditioner and Growth Factor Treatment Serum (£29.95 at Boots or nanogen.co.uk) contain patented ingredients that copy your body’s natural hair-growth signals, providing extra support f or post- pregnancy hair.
The average healthy head has 100,000 hairs, shedding between 40 and 150 strands every day
Should new mums dye their hair?
iT LOOKS as if Kate has given up colouring her hair for t he t i me being — possibly because there’s still some controversy over whether women should dye hair while pregnant or breastfeeding.
NHS guidelines say it’s ‘very unlikely that a significant amount of the chemicals used in hair dyes will be passed on through your breast milk . . . because very little enters your bloodstream’.
if you’d rather wait, try Color Wow (£28.50 at victoriahealth.com) a brush-on, temporary powder for your roots, which comes in a slick compact in shades from platinum blonde to black.