What Causes Pregnancy Hair Loss? – Symptoms And Treatment

Hair loss after pregnancy is usually common among many mothers. But what usually causes this kind of hair loss? Let’s learn more about hair loss after pregnancy in this post. 

Many women who deliver babies are usually alarmed when their hair starts falling out. Most of them think that it is a serious health issue. The truth is, it is quite normal to lose hair after pregnancy, and some women even lose half of the hair on their scalp. However, you can always consult your doctor to confirm the cause of hair loss just to be sure if it is due to hair loss after pregnancy. In a few months, this hair loss will stop eventually, and hair will continue growing as usual. 

This article will explain to you what hair loss after pregnancy is and what you can do to minimize its effect. This type of hair loss is usually referred to as postpartum hair loss, which normally occurs immediately after a woman has given birth and continues for several months before it stops. It usually affects many women and is considered normal by doctors. However, if you are still not convinced, you can go for a checkup, just to be sure. 

First-time mothers are usually confused about this condition because they are experiencing it for the first time, which can be quite alarming. What makes it even harder for them are the endless nursing sessions that involve waking up in the middle of the night to hold the baby who won’t stop crying! Yes, motherhood can be a handful, but we are not saying this to scare you! The baby’s cute face will melt all these problems away. 

Now let’s get back to the issue at hand – hair loss after pregnancy. 

What Causes Hair Loss After Pregnancy? 

Also called postpartum hair loss, this kind of hair loss happens to women two to six months after giving birth. It shouldn’t be a cause for alarm because it will eventually resolve itself a few months later. New mothers don’t know that this condition is pretty normal; therefore, they tend to freak out, and this makes the problem even worse because stress and depression contribute to hair loss.

However, not all mothers who have delivered babies will undergo hair loss after pregnancy. Postpartum hair loss may even occur selectively after pregnancies. This means that a mother may experience hair loss after pregnancy in one delivery and not in the next one. Postpartum alopecia affects over 90 percent of women after giving birth. But it triggers hair loss after pregnancy, and how do you prevent it? 

When a woman is pregnant, the level of estrogen and progesterone goes up. These hormone types contribute to hair growth in the body. Normal hair growth continues leading to a head full of hair and lustrous strands. Once the mother delivers her child, the production of these hormones goes down tremendously, and this is what slows hair growth. This phase in the hair’s growth cycle is known as the ‘resting’ phase. Slow hair growth will continue for three months after birth. New hair will start growing back again once the three months are over. 

How Much Hair Should One Lose After Giving Birth?

Once you have delivered your baby, you will start finding surplus strands accumulated in the shower drains or on your pillow. This is quite normal, and there is a need to worry. Losing a bit of hair doesn’t only happen after childbirth; it happens to everyone on certain occasions. If it is any consolation, you should know that a healthy person loses about 80 hair strands every day. You can expect to lose about 400 strands of hair in a day once you have delivered because hair loss after pregnancy is accelerated. Within six months, the mother will go back to experiencing normal hair growth. If the six months have elapsed and your hair doesn’t stop falling out, you may need to consider going to the doctor for a checkup to establish the root cause. Abnormal hair loss can indicate an underlying health issue that needs to be resolved. 

While pregnant, your body undergoes many changes. Some of these changes may affect the production of ferritin, which is a blood cell in the body that stores iron. If ferritin levels go down, it may result in raising thyroid levels. Consult your physician if you are still experiencing hair loss after pregnancy for more than six months, as these changes may be the cause. The doctor will conduct a few examinations, including a blood test, to establish the real cause of your hair loss. 

Is Hair Loss After Pregnancy Treatable?

The effort that a mother puts into raising a newborn baby is great, and she can be overwhelmed sometimes. She needs all the help she can get from her husband. You can choose to look for hair loss treatment, but the best thing to do is wait for it to resolve on its own because it will only take a few months to go away. To reduce the effects of hair loss after pregnancy, just stick to a healthy diet and try as much as possible to avoid stress. 

Conclusion

Hair loss after pregnancy is quite normal and shouldn’t be a cause for alarm. This usually happens due to hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy. The condition will resolve itself after six months. However, if hair loss still continues after six months, seek medical attention to determine the root cause.