Hair
Let’s take it from the top. Rennie
Fensham, mother of two – now-adult
– children and owner of Hollywood
Hair, explains that new motherhood
can be a testing time for your tresses.
“During pregnancy, hormonal
changes prevent normal daily hair
loss, so your hair may appear fuller
during this time… which is a nice
bonus!” She continues, “Sometime
after delivery, it’s perfectly normal
for hair loss to start up again; this
is usually just shedding the previous
nine months’ build-up, but if my
clients are concerned about excessive
hair loss, then I always recommend
that they rule out any underlying
health issues with hormone balance,
zinc and iron level checks. Major
shedding can also be a sign of low
thyroid function, so trust your
instincts and if something doesn’t feel
right, then always get it checked by
your doctor.”
Assuming your hair has the full
bill of health, then it’s on to the next
hurdle – how to style it? Where you
may previously have spent half an
hour each morning straightening and
spraying before work, you may now
find that a hastily scraped-back pony
is quite literally the high point of
your day. Finding the time to book a
six-weekly appointment for a cut and
colour may well feel about as likely as
finding a unicorn in your bathroom.
Before despairing, Rennie
suggests a heart-to-heart with your
hairdresser. “New mums often
sit in my chair and ask me to just
chop everything off, but I wouldn’t
encourage any really drastic
transformations straight after having
a baby. Work with your stylist to
make gradual tweaks over time,
rather than a radical change that
you might regret later. This could
be something as simple as adding
subtle highlights or a sweeping
fringe to freshen up your look.”
It’s also important to be
realistic. “When it comes to the
right style, everything starts
with time,” says Rennie. “How
much time does the mum have each
morning? How often can she come to
the salon for maintenance? Budget is
also important, as is her lifestyle;
does she do a lot of sport? Does
she regularly attend events
that require a glamorous
look? We need to know all
of this to accurately advise
what will – and won’t –
work.”
And Rennie’s final words:
“There is no point in us
creating a gorgeous
hairstyle in the
salon that requires
a full team of
professionals to
maintain once
you get home! A
great stylist will
always send their
client home with the
knowledge,
May 2015
61
