FACT: The nutritional demands of nursing can lead to hair loss, dry skin, and brittle nails.

MYTH: Us breastfeeding moms are doomed to look like prune witches forever.

When I was a teen, like many others at the time, I did everything to my hair that you’re not supposed to do. Dye it back to back? Yep. Straighten it while it was still damp? Did it. Take some craft scissors to it without a clue as to what I’m doing? Absolutely. If a stylist could watch a documentary of my hair, they would be crying by the end. I slowly began to learn about how to properly care for my hair and eventually, my locks reflected it.

Needless to say, my hair has become very dear to me because of all the hard work I put into correcting the damage done and maintaining its health. When I learned the extra lushness I had accumulated during pregnancy would fall out and then some, it became a real concern for me. Enter me researching everything I could do to ensure my hair stayed healthy during the months of postpartum. Here is the routine I created and use every single week to give my hair the nourishment it needs.

I customized my shampoo

Healthy hair begins with using healthy products. My all time favorite has been my personal concoction created my Prose. Prose is a haircare service that provides custom products for their shoppers. You just take the consultation questionnaire on their site and they will create a custom formula based on your hair needs, complete with the products you need. My formula is for oily strands and a scalp that needs some extra TLC every now and again.

I use this shampoo every two to three days, because over-washing leads to more oil, and my hair feels so good afterwards! The lack of lather took some getting used to, it feels like you’re not putting anything in your hair, but don’t let that trick you into using too much! Just two pumps is all that is needed or a happy head!

I mask my roots

To give my washings a boost, I use a root mask (also courtesy of Prose) once a week to restore and revitalize my scalp. This also helps get any residue build up from my dry shampoo out of my hair.* You massage it into your scalp and let it sit for fifteen minutes before washing. On my mask days my hair feels so soft and fluffy, and my scalp feels wonderfully healthy when it dries!

* I recently learned that you’re not supposed to use dry shampoo daily, because the residue can build up and clog your pores leading to more oil production and, you guessed it, acne. I was a dry shampoo fanatic so this will be another part of my hair routine that changes!

I turned down the heat

This one is tricky, especially if your daily routine consists of blow drying and straightening/curling. When I got my first straightener, it turned me into a straightening fiend for years afterward. Heaven forbid I leave the house with a kink in my hair! Eventually, I phased out this daily habit and embraced my slightly wavy locks. After I loosened up on the straightening, I began letting my hair air dry rather than put a blow dryer to it. I still have each of these tools, of course, and I whip them out guiltlessly for special occasions or when I’m just wanting to look a little extra put together.

To top off my routine, I’ve began taking a biotin supplement by Mary Ruth’s Organics to give my hair, skin, and nails a little extra boost as I slowly wean Layla from nursing. These gummy vitamins are tasty and totally organic, which I love. I haven’t noticed a huge difference in my hair, though it does feel a bit more voluminous. The most noticeable change has been with my nails, which were breaking at contact of just about anything (seriously, one time I zipped up a pair of good fitting jeans and my nail just snapped) and now they are much stronger and growing more quickly.

This post was not intended to be an ad and none of the links are affiliate. I did receive the biotin supplements from Mary Ruth’s for free in order to review them and I give them two thumbs up! As I’ve mentioned before, I will never ever promote something that I have not personally tried and love. You can find each of these products by using the links below!

Take Our Consultation | Prose

Color Protection Conditioner | Maui Moisture

Volumizing Dry Shampoo | SGXNYC

Biotin Gummies | Mary Ruth Organics