Beyond The Mask: My Hair Loss Story

My hair at it's longest, most beautiful state. ❤️

I felt sick to my stomach.  The anticipation of what was to come was more than I could physically or emotionally handle.  That feeling... the feeling of those clumps crawling down my back, and then my legs. Feeling the water pull them down and knowing I’d have to look down at the shower drain, at the mass that had collected in it and trying so hard not to cry when I did. 

“It’s just hair. I didn’t marry you for your hair and if it all falls out I will still love you, it changes nothing. And besides, it’ll grow back, isn’t postpartum hair loss normal?” Is what my sweet husband would tell me when I would come upstairs totally distraught after my shower. 

Yes, postpartum hair loss was normal, or so I had read over and over as I constantly, desperately researched for answers to this unimaginable, stomach turning situation. 

I had learned that yes, hair loss after having babies was normal. Yes, it fell out in clumps that seemed beyond extreme. Yes, it would eventually stop, and yes, it would grow back. 

But for me, it wasn’t stopping! It’s only supposed to last 3-6 months- I was almost 2 YEARS postpartum and STILL LOSING IT IN CLUMPS! 

A clump I pulled out of the shower drain. This amount of hair loss was my "normal" every time I washed my hair.

And these clumps weren’t just after I showered and washed my hair- they were ALWAYS! After I brushed, after applying hair oil, always! I could feel strands constantly falling from my scalp and tickling my skin, a sickening reminder that my hair was steadily falling out.

I was desperate for answers and a solution. After having our second child, my sweet baby girl, my hair was longer and fuller than it had ever been. But now it was falling out faster than I could have ever imagined. 

The little bit of hair I had left. You can see where the new growth was coming in... and those straggly strands are all that was left after continuous hair loss. 🥺

Soon I realized I had no choice but to chop off the few strands that were left, I was determined to figure out the cause and a solution.

This led to The Hair Mask. I started researching natural products that helped with hair loss and growth. My original mask was a combination of coconut oil and castor oil. But after continued research I started learning that there was so much more that could help, specifically through improving scalp health and therefore allowing for stronger, healthier new hair growth! 

I went down “the rabbit hole” so to speak of hair health research and very quickly discovered that there was more I could be doing than just what I was putting on my hair. 

• How I was fuelling my body

• The amount of sleep I was getting at night

• My stress levels

• Exercise

These were also contributing factors in my hair growth goals and the sad part was that through this research I realized I was lacking IN ALL OF THESE AREAS! 

You see, our first 2 babies were only 17 months apart and with a husband who worked a full time job and farmed during all of his vacation time, I was often solo parenting with no outside support. 

I was extremely sleep deprived. This sleep deprivation along with minimal help (only when my husband was home) created a perfect storm of postpartum depression and anxiety (but I didn’t realize it at the time). I was also too tired, busy and exhausted to exercise or cook to properly fuel my body, which increased the decline of my mental health… which made sleep and meals worse… and eventually I was in a vicious cycle spiralling further and further into a state of disarray. 

They say hindsight is always 20/20 and in this case it’s so true! I can see clearly now all the factors that piled up to create the perfect storm leading to the aftermath of extreme hair loss, but at the time, in the deep dark trenches of new, lonely motherhood it was a confusing and exhausting blur. 

So back to The Hair Mask. I now knew I needed to focus on more than just the mask. I needed to get my life back in check! By the time this realization hit, I was sleeping better, exercising and starting to eat better. I also learned about the importance of supplements for postpartum mamas, especially those of us who exclusively breastfeed, as our bodies give EVERYTHING to our sweet little bundles, leaving us very depleted! 

Fast forward to today, almost 9 years and 4 babies later, things look much different! 

One year ago almost exactly, we had our 4th baby, our 3rd son. I won’t lie, I was SO SCARED to lose all my hair again, but I also knew I was much more educated on the topic. 

Right from the beginning of my 4th pregnancy I MADE SURE to prioritize my health, both mental and physical. 

• I exercised when my body allowed

• I prioritized sleep and rest

• I supplemented (let me know if you’d like to hear more about what I took)

• I cooked nourishing, fuelling foods, mostly from my cookbook. 

• I used The Hair Mask before EVERY SINGLE WASH.

I am now 1 year postpartum with baby number four and I am stronger and healthier in every way compared to my first 3 pregnancies, and the best part- I lost the normal amount of hair, nothing more!!!

The Hair Mask has come A LONG WAY since I first made it, and it has even improved since I first started selling it! 

Yes I used it, and continue to use it before every wash and wouldn’t go without it. I know that it plays a huge role in the health of my hair because I do notice a difference when I don’t use it (not often, just when I run out or Simon finds it and hides it on me 😂), but I also know that my hair health goes beyond the mask. 

Our health, whether it’s for our hair, mind, body, whatever, is very complex and is a collection of many moving parts that need consistent TLC. 

That’s why prioritizing our health through fuelling our bodies, exercising our mind & body, prioritizing rest & relaxation, properly supplementing, finding time for fun and being intentional about the products we are using while educating ourselves about what’s in them are all crucial to our overall health. 

My hair loss journey was devastating to say the least. It's something I would never with anyone to go through, but I am grateful for it as it has taught me so much and now I have the opportunity to not only share the journey with you, but the knowledge I gained as a result and hopefully help you.

I'd also love to hear from you. What was your postpartum hair loss experience like? Or have you ever gone through hair loss? I'd love to hear your story below in the comments.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog post, I really appreciate it!

God bless,

Sarah ❤️🥰❤️