Why is my hair falling out after giving birth?
Post-partum hair loss is a real phenomena affecting many women in their journey after birth. Although it can be quite alarming having your hair suddenly start shedding excessively, especially if you wasn't falling out much at all during your pregnancy, it is completely normal and just your body doing its thing.
Why does postpartum hair loss happen?
Post-partum hair loss affects around 50% - 60% of women. Hair grows in four stages: anagen (growth), catagen (transition), telogen (resting), and exogen (shedding). During pregnancy, your high oestrogen levels slow the rate at which hair moves into the resting phase. In the months after giving birth, your hormone levels even out and your hair moves into the exogen (shedding) phase). All that excess hair that you held onto during your pregnancy now is lost and the shedding now looks more obvious than it normally would.
Will postpartum hair loss stop?
Yes! absolutely! It usually takes around 6 months, but your hair will settle back into a normal pattern again as your new hair grows through, the excess shedding will subside. There are things you can do to help manage it though, so don't despair if it's really bothering you!
How to help post-partum hair loss
1) Be as gentle as you can be (on yourself as well as your hair!) Being a mum is HARD, but try as much as you can to be gentle on your hair. That means no harsh brushing, and trying to avoid tight hair styles. Go for loose plaits to keep hair away from tiny hands rather than pony tails or buns. It also means avoiding shampoos and conditioners that have some of the harsher ingredients (some sulphates like SLS and SLeS for example). Stay away also from hormone/ endochrine disrupting ingredients, especially if you are breast-feeding; look for something that is phthlate free as well as sulphate free (like An'du!)
2) Sleep! Don't throw your phone across the room when you read that. I know sleep is a hard to come by commodity with a baby, but as and when you can, do try to catch up on your missed sleep. Lean on your community as sleep makes all the difference to stress levels and hair loss.
3) Good nutrition. This one is key - make sure you are getting enough of the following to help counteract post-partum hair loss:
- iron
- omega 3 fatty acids
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
4) A gentle scalp massage. You can do this yourself as you are washing your hair. Use the tips of your fingers (try to avoid nails and scratching) to massage in small circular movements to increase blood flow and stimulate the hair follicle.
And finally don't stress, it's all totally normal and will remedy itself over time. Your body has just done something absolutely incredible, give yourself a break.
If you're reading this pre-emptively and are still pregnant, then take a look at our blog on caring for your hair during pregnancy here.