Hair Loss after Pregnancy

Pregnancy changes your entire body, and your hair is no exception. Pregnancy affects the entire body, including hair, skin and nails.  Hair loss is a prevalent side effect of post-pregnancies. Female hair loss is a relatively common condition experienced by women who have given birth.

During pregnancy, increased levels of estrogen prolong the growing stage. There are fewer hairs in the resting stage and fewer falling out each day, so you have thicker, more luxuriant tresses. Approximately 90% of your hair is growing at any one time, while the other 10% enter a resting phase.

Every two to three months the resting hair falls out and allows new hair to grow in its place. Telogen effluvium is the excessive shedding of hair that occurs one to five months following pregnancy. This is not uncommon, affecting somewhere between 40 to 50% of women; but like most changes during pregnancy, it is temporary.Hair loss that is connected to pregnancy usually occurs after delivery.

During pregnancy, an increased number of hairs go into the resting phase, which is part of the normal hair loss cycle. This condition is not serious enough to cause bald spots or permanent hair loss, and should begin to diminish within 3-4 months after delivery. If you feel that you are experiencing unusual hair loss while you are pregnant, this may be due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

The most common period of hair loss occurs approximately three months after delivery. The rise in hormones during pregnancy keeps you from losing your hair.

Hair loss can be triggered by anything that involves a change in the estrogen hormone balance in your system. Pregnant women have a heightened level of progesterone and estrogen.  When these levels drop suddenly after delivery, this causes their hair to slip into the resting or telegen stage. 

Once the child has been born, the “resting” hair follicles begin  to fall out.  Most commonly, hair loss after pregnancy occurs between three and six months after pregnancy.  After delivery, the hormones return to normal levels, which allows the hair to fall out and return to the normal cycle.

The normal hair loss that was delayed during pregnancy may fall out all at once.Up to 60% of your hair that is in the growth state may enter into the telogen resting state. The hair loss usually peaks 3-4 months after delivery as your hair follicles rejuvenate themselves. As noted before, this hair loss is temporary and hair loss returns to normal within six to twelve months.

Many women mistakenly connect nursing to their hair loss, because the condition begins several months after giving birth. Telogen effluvium is the excess shedding of hair that usually occurs one to five months following pregnancy. Telogen effluvium resolves slowly beginning six to 12 weeks postpartum. There is no medical treatment available.

Pregnancy-related hair loss is a natural phenomenon and need not cause anxiety. However, in those cases where hair fall after pregnancy continues unabated,