Jamie Otis Shares Brutally Honest Postpartum Hair Loss Photo
Married at First Sight star Jamie Otis has taken to Instagram with a brave and candid post about her postpartum experience, which includes depression and a very unglamorous side effect (via People). "Here I am completely raw & bare— & balding," Otis captioned a makeup-free video, adding that since her son was born, she has lost a lot of hair.
The reality star and her husband Doug Hehner welcomed son Hendrix in May, and are also parents to a 3-year-old daughter named Henley Grace (via Today). The always-honest 34-year-old — she bravely chronicled the loss of her son Jonathan at 17 weeks of pregnancy in 2016 — admitted in her post that the postpartum experience had rocked her to her core, saying it affected her "physically, mentally, & emotionally."
As Otis works toward healing, she writes, "I feel like I'm a different person than I was before I had my son. I've had days where I've been bed-ridden, too depressed to get up." The mom of two goes on to admit she hasn't talked much about her depression, fearing people would think less of her, or that she is not thankful for what she has, especially post-loss. "I know I'm so lucky to be a mommy! We tried and tried and tried for SO long to get these beautiful babies & I'm so thankful!" Otis asserts.
Jamie Otis opens up even more about her postpartum depression
"But that's the thing about depression — you can't talk yourself out of it, you can't put makeup on and instantly feel better, you can't even spray dry shampoo on your bald spots and expect the sadness that you buried to stay down," Otis writes, adding there is no specific reason she feels depressed following her son's birth. It's important to note that postpartum depression is common, affecting 1 in 8 women according to the CDC.
Wrapping up her post, Otis jokes she doesn't want her followers to think she has it all together, which is why she wanted to open up about what she is feeling. "But today I feel good!" she adds. "I'm not letting the hair loss get to me. I'm embracing my freckles & blemishes. Tomorrow, who knows!"
In the end, the courageous mama says, "The point is, body positivity & body acceptance is not a 'flip the switch and it's turned on' kinda thing. It's an on-going personal journey." She also shares a tip for covering up bald spots if you are experiencing postpartum hair loss: dark dry shampoo! Meanwhile, take heart Jamie — according to What to Expect, postpartum hair loss is only temporary.