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Let's be honest. As a first time mother I'm certain, not too many people told you that you would find yourself in losing situations most of the time! Losing sleep, losing free time, losing your mind and in some cases...losing your hair!

As a licensed cosmetologist and online hair care consultant, I've seen and corrected my share of hair care issues! Not only will the information I share with you help you fight, but it will also help you win (or at the very least prepare you to take a stand against) the battle of losing your hair, due to pregnancy.

For those first time mommies that don't know what to expect, let's just dive right in, shall we? I've found that the most common problems first time mothers experience when it comes to hair care during pregnancy are:

o Chemicals (relaxers, perms and color)

o Styling (due to your limited time amount of personal time)

o Shedding/Hair thinning do to hormonal changes

Chemicals

When it comes to chemicals some pregnant mothers are torn between having chemical services preformed and not having them preformed at all! Relaxers and perms are services that are considered to be completely safe to receive during pregnancy, throughout the second and third trimesters. The molecules in both of these chemicals are too large to penetrate and enter the blood stream and as a result will have no impact on your unborn child.

Even though most experts consider color to be safe during pregnancy, some experts disagree, saying you should try to avoid entire head color applications, and go with foil weaving if you want color while you are pregnant! It is believed that some color molecules are small enough to pass into your bloodstream and in doing so, can affect your unborn child! In my opinion, if there is even a small chance of this happening, then you should not have the service preformed until after you've given birth to your child and your hair is in a healthy enough state to receive color services! If you experience shedding after pregnancy (we'll address shedding a little bit later) I highly recommend you put off any chemical service until the shedding stops.

Keep in mind during this time in your life your hormones are going crazy! You may find your hair shedding (which is the process where the hair detaches itself from the scalp), thinning or even changing its texture! It is not uncommon for your hair to go from being thick to thin or from thin or average (diameter wise) to thick! Even the rate, at which your hair grows, can possibly change! Most of the time your hair will have a tendency to grow faster, but in some cases your hair growth process will slow down!

If you have a history of alopecia (hair loss) in your family, your pregnancy can accelerate your hair loss. What this means is, if hair loss would have naturally occurred when you reached your 60's or 70's, there is a chance you can experience this hair loss, during your pregnancy!

How To Know If Your Hair Is Ready For Color Again

If you have been avoiding an overall color application during pregnancy and feel like your hair is in good enough condition to receive a color service, go to the salon and have a strand test preformed. Strand tests are used by professionals to determine how your hair will react to chemicals (Note: some professionals even test the skin to see if you will have an allergic reaction to the chemical, before they approve the chemical to be applied over your entire head). The strand test involves your hairstylist taking a stand of hair from your head and processing the chemical (in this case color) on that strand. Most professionals will provide you with the results anywhere from 24 hours to two days later. During your pregnancy, this will not only help determine if your hair can withstand the chemical, but also, what the end result will look like. Again, keep in mind changes in your hormones can produce some non-typical reactions to chemicals, and the color that always looked good on you, may not produce the same results!

The Creation Of Style On A Limited Time Schedule

Once the baby arrives, you probably won't have much free time, so I highly suggest you choose an easy hair style to maintain during pregnancy. During the first year of childbirth having hair long enough to be able to pull back quick, in addition to having it cut into a style where you don't have to spend too much time styling it on a regular basis, will not only save you time, but keep your hair safe once your baby starts pulling anything he/she can grab on to! For this reason, styles like braids, ponytails, French braids or having your hair pulled back into a quick French twist work well!

Many women find after childbirth (and up to 3 months later) their hair will start to shed. Shedding after child birth is not uncommon and is usually caused by physical/psychological stress to the body, medications, and/or hormone changes that occur during pregnancy. Unfortunately, there are no treatments for hair shedding during pregnancy, but the good news is, the shedding will usually corrects itself within the next couple of months. Many professionals have seen improvement in the hair when women continue to take prenatal vitamins for 3-6 months after pregnancy. Six months after delivering, it is highly suggested that multivitamins are taken instead of prenatal vitamins.

How To Protect Yourself Against These Hair Issues Due To Pregnancy

For the most part following doctors' orders and working with your professional hairstylist will help you conquer these hair issues. Be sure to drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest eat well balanced meals and exercise as much as you can during your pregnancy. Even though relaxers and perms are considered safe services, I recommend you holding off on receiving these services until you enter the second trimester. If at all possible, try to avoid getting color applications applied, but if you decide to receive one, remember during pregnancy, getting your color foiled, is the best way to go.

Dwayne Pressley is a licensed cosmetologist, hair care consultant, (found at askdwayne.com askdwayne.com) public speaker and author of the internet's scorching hot e-book on the subject of hair "What Your Hair stylist Doesn't Want You To Know" and his newest e-book ?The Hair Growth Bible? for more information join the group and/or visit him at askdwayne.com askdwayne.com