Recently, a drama set in a postpartum care center aired an episode on the topic of postpartum hair loss and female-pattern hair loss, drawing attention. When a leading character delivered the line, “It's not just the baby's bottle that's empty,” it struck a deep chord among new mothers.
In fact, there are countless cases of women experiencing stress from female-pattern hair loss symptoms after childbirth. Such postpartum hair loss symptoms are so common that 1 in 3 new mothers is known to experience them. The cause is that after childbirth, the level of the female hormone estrogen drops sharply, accelerating postpartum telogen hair loss symptoms.
Postpartum hair loss usually begins as a symptom in which 30–40% of the entire hair falls out during the 3–6 months after childbirth. After 6 months, the hair loss gradually stops, and it generally returns to a normal state as one year passes. During this time, efforts such as using anti-hair-loss shampoo, consuming sufficient protein, and avoiding hair procedures are needed.
The problem is that there are some cases in which hair loss symptoms continue and hair does not return to a normal state even after one year has passed since childbirth. Given that women tend to be sensitive about appearance, experiencing postpartum hair loss symptoms that last for over a year can lead to extreme frustration. In severe cases, one may suffer from depression or obsessive-compulsive tendencies, making it difficult to lead a normal social life.
Therefore, if postpartum hair loss does not heal naturally even after one year has passed since childbirth, it is advisable to receive a detailed examination and treatment.
What is important is that a preventive procedure should be considered before experiencing postpartum hair loss. Restoring hair that has already fallen out to its original state is difficult. Therefore, the key is to fundamentally minimize hair loss itself by performing a procedure that can prevent postpartum hair loss before childbirth.
For those who tried every method said to be good for hair loss but were less satisfied because it did not improve, or for those for whom drug treatment and laser treatment are difficult due to plans for pregnancy and childbirth, a thread-lifting procedure using the polylactic acid (PLLA) component can be considered. The principle is to improve female-pattern hair loss by injecting threads made of 100% PLLA into the scalp.
Receiving PLLA treatment in advance before pregnancy helps minimize postpartum hair loss. Because PLLA treatment injects 100% PLLA threads directly into the scalp to act locally, it minimizes concerns about systemic side effects and has a long maintenance period. In particular, its advantage is a wide treatment interval thanks to treatment effects that last for 1–2 years.
Previously, the same PDO threads used in general skin lifting were mainly used, but because of their characteristic of decomposing and being absorbed quickly, the time of delivering stimulation was short compared to the hair growth cycle of 2–3 years. On the other hand, when a lifting procedure is applied to the scalp using PLLA threads, the point is that fibroblasts are ignited and set in motion by mechanical stimulation. In addition, the neogenesis of collagen is promoted by inducing a foreign-body reaction, which is a chemical stimulation.
Yoo Hwa-jung, Director of Modi Hair Plant Clinic, explained, “The PLLA procedure works on the principle of promoting the microcirculation of the scalp to give vitality to the hair follicles,” and “the thread delivers to the scalp a role like a supercharger that supplies more oxygen to an engine.” She added, “In particular, since PLLA threads take about 1–2 years to fully decompose, they are effective in supplying sufficient stimulation over a long period.”
Source: Segye Biz │ Published 2020.11.16