Symptoms
Changes to the hair during pregnancy are usually only an aesthetic problem. However, greasy, stringy hair can cause an unkempt appearance, which some pregnant women find extremely annoying and stressful. Dry hair, which is often associated with dry scalp, can also cause severe unpleasant itching.
An individual consultation for hair care is therefore very useful. Even increased sweating can make the hair appear greasy. This is caused by frequent hot flushes in advanced pregnancy.
Is this a sign of pregnancy?
During pregnancy a hormonal change occurs. This can bring many changes with it and have a positive, but also negative effect on hair and skin. The hormonal change can lead to an increased and even excessive sebum production on the scalp.
The sebum is a layer of fat that protects skin and hair from drying out and, if overproduced, can lead to oily hair. Since anyone can get oily hair even outside of pregnancy, quick greasing of the hair should not be seen as a sign of pregnancy, as this sign is too inaccurate. It can also occur, for example, if the pill is discontinued or the hair is generally very dry. To confirm a pregnancy, a pregnancy test and an ultrasound examination should always be carried out as a sure sign of pregnancy, because unusually greasy hair can have many other reasons.
Is there any indication of the sex?
It is a myth that the increase in testosterone during pregnancy with a boy leads to sebaceous gland overproduction and thus to oily hair, and that newly emerged oily hair and impure skin therefore speak for the male sex of the baby. However, the rapid greasing of hair during pregnancy is not a clear indication of the baby’s sex. Not all expectant mothers who have a boy have the same effect on testosterone levels. Thus, expectant mothers who already had to deal with oily hair and skin before pregnancy are more likely to have problem hair and skin during pregnancy, even if the sex of the child is actually female.
