- Hair Loss

Know All About Postpartum Hair Loss – Raise Vegan

By Ttatty/shutterstock

by | February 2, 2019

Postpartum hair loss is the sudden shedding of hair in the six months after you give birth. When I was pregnant, I had a gorgeous head of shiny, curly locks. It was the best my hair ever looked. It was short lived though, as a couple of months after I gave birth, I started to shed like a dog. My hair was falling out in handfuls and clumps. I was forever sweeping up stray hairs around my house. I was terrified that it wouldn’t stop, and I’d soon have bald patches. Thankfully it never came to that. By the time my daughter turned one, it all started to balance itself out. I don’t have those luscious thick locks that I had during my pregnancy, but it’s back to my normal hair, and I’m happy with that.

Know All About Postpartum Hair Loss
By Nalada Nagawasuttama/shutterstock

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Know All About Postpartum Hair Loss

Here is everything you need to know about postpartum hair loss.

What causes postpartum hair loss?

On average, a healthy person loses about 100 hairs a day. When you’re pregnant, your pregnancy hormones slow down this normal hair loss, which is why you may notice that you’ve got some fabulous hair days. When you give birth, the pregnancy hormones drop, and those luscious locks begin to fall out.

What do you need to know about postpartum hair loss?

Don’t panic as I did; it’s totally normal. By the time your bouncing baby turns one the hair loss should be all caught up, and your hair should be pretty much the way it was before you got pregnant. If you’re breastfeeding, your hair might not start to fall out until you wean or start them on solids. Not all women will experience this severe hair loss, and some may experience it in one pregnancy but not another.

Is there anything can you do about postpartum hair loss?

  • Check with your healthcare provider to see if your blood sugar, iron, ferritin, zinc, and vitamin D levels are normal.
  • Try to eat a healthy diet with plenty of protein to help with hair regrowth.
  • Keep taking your prenatal vitamin.
  • Use a good conditioner and use a wide tooth come to detangle.
  • Avoid using heat to style your hair.

If your hair loss after pregnancy is excessive, speak with your healthcare practitioner to rule out medical conditions.