Postpartum hair loss is when you experience excessive shedding leaving your hair fine and in some areas bald around 2-4 months after delivering your baby. Because this topic is not talked about, a lot of women feel alone not knowing postpartum hair loss is very common and normal. A lot of women think something is wrong, they may panic and try everything on the market to grow their hair back, not connecting it to hormonal fluctuations.
There are a few hormones that fluctuate during and after pregnancy that affect hair growth and shedding phase, estrogen being the main one. Estrogen rises drastically during pregnancy, we can thank this hormone for giving us that beautiful pregnancy hair. It becomes thicker, shinier, and our hair no longer enters the shedding phase for the duration of pregnancy, it remains in the growth phase which is why our hair becomes so much fuller. Unfortunately, this is the same hormone that also drops after delivery which is one main factor that plays in the hair loss. Excessive shedding happens all over the head, but is most noticeable in the temples in some women. Hair follicles take roughly three months to respond to events that impact growth or shedding such as stress, deficiencies, hormones and delivery. This is exactly why the hair loss takes place about three months post delivery.
If you are a mama that chooses to breastfeed, you may notice second phase of hair loss post weaning about three months after you stop. It is less common than postpartum but is something to note and be mindful of.
Hormones are just one factor that play in postpartum hair loss, here are the other reasons contributing:
• Stress factors can vary from the physical strain on the body going through labor and delivery to the change in demand to care for a newborn, even lack of sleep is very common for not only the mother, but also the father. Stress alone will push hair in to shedding.
• Nutrient deficiencies can occur from discontinued prenatal supplements. Iron deficiency is very common due to the amount of blood loss from delivery. Nutrient deficiencies alone will push hair in to shedding.
• Diet shifts because you are no longer eating for you and your baby so eating habits can change. In some situations, there is a drastic weight loss which can push hairs in to the shedding phase.
• Genetic factors sometimes play a part in shedding. It’s said that pregnancy can reveal underlying conditions, that includes hair loss. Androgenetic alopecia is genetic and tends to happen older in age, however pregnancy can reveal this sooner.
The beautiful part about postpartum hair loss is that the hair will grow back, you just have to be patient. In all hair loss events, no matter what the cause, you have to allow between 6-12 months to notice drastic regrowth. The issue must be resolved for the hair to grow back, assuming it is just stress and hormones there isn’t much you can do other than give it time. A lot of women worry very quickly and seek treatments when the issue is internal and will resolve itself.
As a mama who has experienced postpartum hair loss, and understands it my best advice to minimize shedding is to:
- Continue taking your prenatal if breastfeeding or a woman’s vitamin if discontinued to maintain nutrient levels.
- Keep a clean diet, even if you aren’t eating as much.
- Prioritize sleep as much as possible (that’s what they all say, I know it’s hard!)
- Manage stress that you can control.
- Eliminate high tension styles that will contribute to hair loss.
If more than 12 months has passed, and your hair still has not regrown, there may be something medically underlying that needs attention. In a lot of cases, a physician can review blood work that can reveal what’s contributing to the hair loss that has not resolved itself.
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