3 Ways My Hair Got Weird After Having a Baby

I have to preface this by saying my relationship with my hair has always been fraught, at best. At worst, it's downright throw-up-my-hands OV-er it. I remember as a teenager getting up at 5:45 every morning to wash it, dry it, and set it in curlers. I remember taking breaks from blow-drying it upside down because my arms got tired. I once tried to darken it with box dye—my one act of rebellion against my mom who told me I couldn't pass as a brunette. I'll show her, I thought. My sorority sisters and I got some Garnier from Winco. I turned into a carrot. So, we got some even darker Garnier from Winco. And I became Snow White with carrot undertones. Admittedly, not my best look. 

During Thanksgiving break that year, my mom took me for highlights and didn't say I told you so. It turned out really nicely, actually. But I wouldn't get that adventurous with it again. I know that it's meant to be fine and blonde-ish. I embrace that it's meant to be fine and blonde-ish.

I don't like to wear it down because I find it gets stuck in my lipgloss, or it gets too flyaway given it's fine-ness. And, remember, my arms get tired. So, for a long time now, I've been pretty committed to wearing it mostly up. But just because I wear it up doesn't mean I don't attempt to take care of it. I get quarterly cuts and colors. I should be better about the maintenance, but I've accepted that I just can't get myself to commit to doing it more frequently. 

None of that changed after having a baby, but my hair did:

• The first thing I noticed is that the texture got really gummy (???) and wavier. The gumminess feels like when you forget to wash out your conditioner...except you did. The only thing that helped me while the gumminess was going on was this Davines MINU shampoo and conditioner. It got my hair back to its natural soft texture until it got there itself
• I didn't get the big chunks of hair loss like a lot of people do. I don't feel like I was shedding much less while I was pregnant, so I didn't expect huge loss and didn't notice much, HOWEVER, I do have major baby hairs around my forehead—I feel like they scream RECENTLY GAVE BIRTH—which are starting to be more blendable
• GREYS. Related? Maybe. All I know is the first time I was SURE I saw one last month, my heart stopped for a little and I felt really old. All the more reason to keep up with my cuts and color maintenance now (I've been really into blendable Balayage), I guess! 

I've been seeing Marshall who owns Inherent Salon in Seattle for several years. He helped me grow my hair out for our wedding and shorten it to be a sassy mom bob that still fits up in my buns. If you're in Seattle and looking for someone great (who sells Davines products, too), see him. He also brews me tea and lets me hold his crystals while he listens to me ramble about my life and THAT is totally invaluable. 

Did your hair get weird after having a baby? I'd love to feel less alone.