Hair Loss After Pregnancy...Help! :(

sioux1977 · 12-11-2014 9:39pm #1

I had a new baby three months ago, and for the past month, heaps of my hair has been falling out. I know it's normal for a lot of hair to fall out post-partum, but so far I have lost at least 50% of my hair, and there's no sign of it slowing down. It comes out in clumps, and I'm finding it all over the house, even in the weirdest places. At the rate it is currently falling out, it seems like it has to be completely gone in about another month! Does anyone have any advice about how to make it stop, e.g vitamins etc? And is this rate normal? (i.e. 50% hair loss after such a short period of time) I'm really freaking out here! I lost all my hair cos of chemo a few years ago and it was very traumatic...I dread to think this could happen again!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

contrary_mary · 12-11-2014 10:33pm

sioux1977 wrote: »

I had a new baby three months ago, and for the past month, heaps of my hair has been falling out. I know it's normal for a lot of hair to fall out post-partum, but so far I have lost at least 50% of my hair, and there's no sign of it slowing down. It comes out in clumps, and I'm finding it all over the house, even in the weirdest places. At the rate it is currently falling out, it seems like it has to be completely gone in about another month! Does anyone have any advice about how to make it stop, e.g vitamins etc? And is this rate normal? (i.e. 50% hair loss after such a short period of time) I'm really freaking out here! I lost all my hair cos of chemo a few years ago and it was very traumatic...I dread to think this could happen again! Thanks in advance for any advice.

My baby is 5 and a half months and I've lost a lot of hair too. I got it cut up quite short a couple of weeks ago as I was sick of finding my long hairs all over the house - my OH even found some in the microwave! I've been taking a multivitamin but I think it's just a case of giving it time - my hairdresser pointed out that some new hair was starting to come in around my hairline so hopefully I'm reaching the end of it now.

Sorry not much advice but I wanted you to know you're not alone. And congrats on the baby!

marizpan · 12-11-2014 10:47pm

Hair loss after pregnancy is due to stress. Physical, emotional and environmental. Having a baby probably covers all these areas for must people.

With stress levels very high, never mind hormones it depletes the body's stores of nutrients/minerals etc very quickly.

When you went through chemo it destroys all natural stores also that can take years to build back up, so you maybe starting from a disadvantage

Focus on diet. High nutrient foods such as liver, eggs, green leafy veg.

December2012 · 12-11-2014 11:33pm

I understood it to be related to hormones. We always lose hair on a normal daily basis from brushing, styling and washing. Due to pregnancy hormones we stop shedding this hair. As hormone levels change after pregnancy or stopping breastfeeding the hormone keeping the hair drops and therefore we stop holding onto the old would be shedded hair and the current shedded hair.

I treated my situation by getting a good trim (maybe an inch?) and in that way the rate of shedding all over the house reduced.

How Strange · 12-11-2014 11:47pm

Unfortunately it's completely normal. I found it very distressing after both my pregnancies. I just tied it up all the time until 6 months and then got it cut and styled nicely.

retro:electro · 12-11-2014 11:54pm

I read before that apparently women don't shed any hair at all while they're pregnant, this is why it's so healthy and glossy looking. Then after pregnancy all the hair that should have shedded starts to fall out and that's why it seems like you're losing such a huge amount.

How Strange · 13-11-2014 8:12am

anna080 wrote: »

I read before that apparently women don't shed any hair at all while they're pregnant, this is why it's so healthy and glossy looking. Then after pregnancy all the hair that should have shedded starts to fall out and that's why it seems like you're losing such a huge amount.

I'd get pregnant again just for the lovely full, glossy hair:P Mine was amazing both times.

marizpan · 13-11-2014 10:19am

For most people it is normal, due to hormones but 50% hair loss is not normal.
Plenty of rest & good food, low stress.

How Strange · 13-11-2014 10:28am

marizpan wrote: »

For most people it is normal, due to hormones but 50% hair loss is not normal.
Plenty of rest & good food, low stress.

It depends on how much hair you kept during pregnancy. I got a lot so yes I lost 50% and I could feel it.

My hair was lank and thin for months after and it's only started recovering when my babies were around 12 months. Thankfully I've got a lot of hair so I got away with it.

I know other women who got patches of baldness or whose scalps were visible because they had thin hair to begin with. On my first child my hair receded/fell out at the sides but I could kind of cover it up.

Dark Phoenix · 13-11-2014 10:29am

make sure you have enough iron as lowish iron levels can lead to your hair being sacrificed. I also find kelp tablets brilliant you can get them in holland and barret brill for skin and hair.

From what ive heard from friends hair loss post baby is totally normal so try not to stress and let yourself have time to get back to normal.

Chrisita · 16-11-2014 8:56pm

is also worthy of consideration. During pregnancy zinc can become depleted while copper levels rise. This is also thought to be partially responsible for post partum depression. A scientist called Bill Walsh has done some of this research and he may be worth googling. Best wishes for a speedy resolution.

pwurple · 17-11-2014 12:37pm

It's awful, I know.

Wait it out I'm afraid. It's completely normal, hormones are a wagon. I lost loads of hair after all my pregnancies, including miscarriage (so the theory of it being tiredness of a new baby, or hair retained during a full pregnancy is not true, sorry). Had plenty of bald patches... did my best with clips and hairbands to hide it. My youngest baby is 8 months old now, and the hair is starting to come back, in annoying ways. It's like a thick fringe growing in under my other thin hair.

I tie it up, and am waiting it out. Should be back to normal by the time her first birthday comes around hopefully.

theLuggage · 19-11-2014 9:13pm

As everyone says it is totally normal and happens to lots of women. I have very thin hair and it was a nightmare when it started falling out. It's still very thin but a good cut helps loads! Also because no one has mentioned it, take a trip down to gp just to get your thyroid levels checked, they can be affected after giving birth (i think). Just to have all the boxes ticked.

Hair Loss After Pregnancy...Help! :(

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