Can postpartum hair loss affect my baby?

No, postpartum hair loss cannot directly impact the baby, however, make sure you clean up the hair strands wherever they fall. They can get tangled up on the baby’s fingers and cut their skin, as their skin is very delicate in the newborn stage.

Will my hair ever grow back to how it used to be before?

Yes, your hair will grow back to its normal volume within a year of childbirth. It might take longer, depending on your individual circumstances. Postpartum hair loss is temporary and can be reversed. However, it is important to maintain a good diet at this time.

How can I prevent postpartum hair loss?

There is no way to prevent postpartum hair loss. However, it is important to remember that this is very common and happens to every woman a few months after childbirth. With time, it will stop and reverse.

Postpartum Hair Loss: Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Management Tips

It is important to remember, that while it can be distressing to lose so much hair, this is a normal and temporary condition.

How Hair Grows: The Hair Growth Cycle

There are small pores on the skin of your scalp, called follicles. This is where your hair grows from. Your hair continuously grows and sheds.

There are three phases in the cycle of hair growth that keep repeating throughout your life, those include

Anagen Phase: Anagen phase is the phase of active hair growth. It can last anywhere between two to six years. Most of your hair (85 to 90%) is in this phase at any given time.

Catagen Phase: The catagen phase is a short, transitional phase in which the hair follicles shrink

Telogen Phase: The telogen phase is the resting phase and it lasts for about three months. After this phase, the follicle releases the hair and it falls out.

Telogen effluvium is when the hair sheds rapidly in a short amount of time. This can be triggered by a stressful event, medications or hormonal changes and is temporary. Telogen effluvium after giving birth is caused by hormonal changes.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy can affect the hair growth cycle in a large number of ways.

Hair growth: Oestrogen levels rise during pregnancy, which can cause the hair to grow faster and fall less often. The increase in oestrogen also prevents hair from shedding, making the hair look thick and shiny.

Postpartum hair loss: Oestrogen levels drop after giving birth, causing a lot of hair to enter the resting phase of hair growth. This leads to a large volume of hair shedding, known as postpartum hair loss or telogen effluvium. This hair loss usually occurs about three months after giving birth, but this can vary from person to person. It should not last longer than six months, and the hair grows back to its original volume within six to twelve months.

Other hair changes: Pregnancy hormones can also cause the hair to appear drier, oilier or change colour. Some women notice unwanted hair growth in places like the face, belly and nipples.

Hormonal changes cause hair in the growing (anagen) phase to suddenly enter the resting (telogen) phase and fall out a few months later. Typically, you have 80,000 to 120,000 on your scalp. It is normal to lose up to 100 strands every day. During telogen effluvium, you will lose more than that amount per day.

When You Should Expect Postpartum Hair Loss

You can expect postpartum hair loss to occur about two to four months after giving birth. This is normal and happens to everyone. It can be distressing to see so much hair loss, however, it is important to remember that it will pass and your hair will grow back to its original fullness within a year.

Signs And Symptoms Of Postpartum Hair Loss

The most visible sign of postpartum hair loss is finding more loose hair on your hairbrush, clothes and pillow than you usually do. You may also have more hair loss when you shampoo your hair, leading to visible loose strands on the bathroom floor.

How To Manage Postpartum Hair Loss

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent postpartum hair loss. There is no treatment either, which can be stressful. Once the hair enters the telogen effluvium stage, it will shed. However, there are some ways you can handle and manage the situation better.

Choose a volumising shampoo and conditioner: Choose a shampoo that volumises hair to add more body to your hair. Additionally, choose lighter conditioners because conditioners that are too thick can lay the hair flat and weigh it down, making it appear thinner. You might have to experiment with a few products to find the ones that suit your needs.

Be gentle with your hair: Be gentler than usual when you deal with your hair. Brush it less often and when you do, do it gently without pulling too hard. Avoid heat styling as much as possible, but if you really need to, use low heat settings. A straightening iron can cause a lot of pulling and rip up more hair strands, so sticking to blow dryers and heat-styling brushes might be a better idea. Blow dry your hair using the cool setting if possible, as heat can damage your hair a lot, making it appear lifeless.

Get a haircut: Shorter hair is easier to manage as there are fewer chances of the hair getting tugged or pulled at while you sleep or change your clothes, hence preventing more hair loss. Short hair also looks like it has more volume and looks healthier in general.

Avoid chemicals: Stick to the basics of hair care, like hair oil, shampoo and conditioner. Do not experiment with too many additional products. Avoid chemical treatments like keratin. These treatments make it seem like you would lose less hair due to fewer tangles, but the chemicals in them may end up causing more hair loss.

How To Promote Faster Hair Growth

While you cannot do anything to prevent postpartum hair loss, you can do a few things to speed up the hair growth process. The process of hair growth is slow and requires a lot of patience, but key factors like nutrition and hydration can help.

Maintain a healthy diet: A healthy diet is very important for faster hair growth. Now, while there is no way to prevent postpartum hair loss, you can rely on a healthy diet for faster hair growth. Incorporate fish, eggs, green vegetables and seeds like sunflower seeds into your diet for faster hair growth. Fish helps with hair growth the most.

Hydration: Drinking a good amount of water is extremely helpful for hair growth as the water supports vitamins and flushes toxins out of the body. Additionally, it promotes blood circulation, which is essential for hair growth. Water also gets absorbed by the hair, making it look thicker and fuller.

Supplements: Taking supplements can help your hair grow faster as well. Speak to your doctor about which supplements are suitable for you. Generally, it is recommended to take omega-3 fatty acids, iron and biotin supplements. However, always speak to your doctor before taking any supplements.

Manage your stress levels: Losing so much hair can be a stressful situation, but try to remember that more stress will only make the hair loss worse. Practice yoga and meditation to manage stress levels. Additionally, some yoga poses can increase blood flow to the scalp and increase the chances of hair growth. There are many yoga tutorial videos you can refer to for these.

Scalp massage: Massage your scalp to increase blood circulation in the scalp area. This will promote faster hair growth.

Exercise: Moderate exercise every day can improve your blood circulation, especially to the scalp. This can speed up hair growth.

Rest: Adequate rest is very important when it comes to hair growth.

When To See A Doctor

Postpartum hair loss is normal, and you do not need to consult a doctor for it. However, if your hair fall does not stop or reduce within six months, it might be caused by an underlying condition, like a deficiency or something more serious like thyroid disorders. Based on observations, your doctor will provide you with information on whether the hair loss is due to a recent pregnancy or if there is some other condition.

When it comes to hair loss and hair growth, it is important to remember that hair growth is a slow process. It will take time, but your hair will grow back. Postpartum hair loss is a temporary condition and usually gets better within six months. You will have your original volume back by the time your baby turns one. During this time, take care of yourself and avoid stressing out about hair loss too much.

Postpartum recovery can be a challenging period and it is important to take care of yourself overall.

FAQs on Postpartum Hair Loss: Why It Happens and How to Manage It

Can postpartum hair loss affect my baby?
No, postpartum hair loss cannot directly impact the baby, however, make sure you clean up the hair strands wherever they fall. They can get tangled up on the baby’s fingers and cut their skin, as their skin is very delicate in the newborn stage.
Will my hair ever grow back to how it used to be before?
Yes, your hair will grow back to its normal volume within a year of childbirth. It might take longer, depending on your individual circumstances. Postpartum hair loss is temporary and can be reversed. However, it is important to maintain a good diet at this time.
How can I prevent postpartum hair loss?
There is no way to prevent postpartum hair loss. However, it is important to remember that this is very common and happens to every woman a few months after childbirth. With time, it will stop and reverse.