Choreographer Yoon-Jeong Bae interviewed on a TV program about the aftereffects after childbirth. When asked by the crew about the changes that occurred to her body after giving birth, she replied, “It’s from her head to toe,” and complained that she suffered from various postpartum complications, including forgetfulness and sagging skin. As such, women undergo many changes in their bodies during pregnancy and childbirth. From joint pain to hair loss, hemorrhoids, and urinary incontinence, she asked a Hidak expert about various postpartum complications.
Q. About 6 months after childbirth, the scalp is very itchy and dandruff occurs a lot. Postpartum hair loss is also progressing, is it related?
There are many people who suffer from dandruff after giving birth. This is not a special problem, and most of it is caused by increased sebum secretion on the scalp. The main reasons are the stress of pregnancy and childbirth, and major changes in eating habits as a result of adapting life patterns to the baby immediately after childbirth.
The scalp naturally secretes more sebum than other parts, but stress or changes in eating habits make it feel more sebum. When this happens, acne bacteria and dandruff bacteria also increase, so itching, dandruff, and scalp acne also increase. These symptoms get better as the body adapts over time.
After giving birth, there are cases of scalp massage or scalp scaling because of dandruff. Although this method does not cause permanent hair loss, it is recommended not to do it when there is a lot of hair loss after childbirth, as it temporarily increases hair loss and may interfere with the recovery of dandruff and hair loss after childbirth. Symptoms of hair loss gradually recover from about a year after childbirth, and you can recover more quickly if prescribed by a dermatologist.
– Hidak Dermatology Consulting Doctor Yoon-Woo Noh (Maxwell Dermatology Clinic)
Q. My wrist pain got worse after giving birth. Will it get better with time?
If the joints loosened due to childbirth are stimulated excessively, pain may occur. In severe cases, the nerves are compressed and the sensation of the hand may decrease, so appropriate treatment and management are required.
It is better to avoid using your wrist too hard, and it is also recommended to avoid direct exposure to cold wind or air conditioning. Applying a warm compress or light stretching to the painful area may also help. We recommend that you visit a hospital to check the condition of your wrist, determine the cause and receive appropriate treatment.
– Hidak Orthopedic Consulting Doctor Sangbeom Kim (Sunsunchon Hospital)
Q. I have a lot of stress because of my sagging belly after giving birth. Is there any way to improve it?
As a way to improve the worries of stretch marks and sagging belly, you can consider abdominal plastic surgery (abdominal lift). Abdominal plastic surgery is divided into ‘full abdominal plastic surgery’ and ‘mini abdominal plastic surgery’ according to the extent and extent of skin sagging around the navel.
Total abdominoplasty is suitable for cases where skin sagging and stretch marks are widespread throughout the abdomen. Since the treatment is carried out by removing the skin sagging in the abdomen and tightening the abdominal muscles that have been relaxed due to sagging belly fat through the rectus abdominis muscle manipulation method, you can expect a more complete result than general liposuction.
On the other hand, mini abdominoplasty is a case where skin sagging and stretch marks are concentrated only on the lower abdomen, and only the lower abdominal tissue is partially excised and the original elastic abdominal line can be improved again through the same treatment process.
The most important point during abdominal plastic surgery is the scar that inevitably occurs due to the incision in the process of removing sagging belly fat. Since the incision is made inside the bikini line, there is no concern about being visible, but since the size and maintenance period of the scar may vary depending on the method of suture after the incision, the relevant information should be read before deciding on a hospital for abdominal plastic surgery. It’s good to check. Also, check in advance whether there is a resident surgeon with abundant experience in abdominal plastic surgery, whether he has a special surgical technique that is different from other hospitals, and whether the post-surgery post-operative management system is structured in advance, and We recommend that you decide which hospital is right for you.
– Hidak Plastic Surgery Consulting Doctor Na Ok-joo (BSST Plastic Surgery Clinic)
Q. After giving birth, I felt like my urine was constantly leaking, so I took a test and was diagnosed with urinary incontinence. Do I need to have incontinence surgery?
After childbirth, the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis become stretched and weakened, which can lead to incontinence. In most cases, the pelvis returns to normal within 6 months to 1 year, but sometimes the recovery is slow or if the damage is severe, it often worsens into permanent incontinence.
Depending on the severity of urinary incontinence, symptoms may be alleviated with pelvic muscle exercises such as Kegel exercises if the patient has the will and effort to heal, even without surgery. To determine whether surgical treatment is absolutely necessary, visit the hospital and undergo a urodynamic examination to determine the stage of symptoms accurately. If the anatomical damage is severe, surgery can eliminate the leaky symptoms.
– Hidak Obstetrics and Gynecology Consulting Doctor Jeong Jong-il (Formiz Women’s Hospital)
* This article has been reconstructed from a Hidak expert’s answer.
Help = Hidak Consultant Dr. Noh Yun-woo (Dermatologist at Maxwell Dermatology Clinic), Hidak Consultant Dr. Sang-beom Kim (orthopedic surgeon at Sunchon Hospital), Hidak Consultant Dr. Na Ok-joo (BST Plastic Surgery Clinic), Hidak Consultation Dr. Jongil Jeong, director (specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, 4miz Women’s Hospital)