Over the past year, your body has changed in many ways. And just as everything seems to be getting back to normal, you start losing your hair!
Why does hair fall out after childbirth?
Many people think that it is a matter of exhaustion or breastfeeding as if the baby was depleting the mother’s body in some way. The truth is otherwise. During pregnancy, estrogen concentrates in the blood, and the wonderful thing about this hormone is that it has the side effect of thicker hair! A few months after childbirth though, as estrogen levels normalize, all that extra hair starts to fall out [1].
Can postpregnancy hair loss be stopped?
In short, it can’t. Hair loss will stop in three to six months [2]. Approximately a year after childbirth, your hair will recover its prepregnancy thickness [3].
Should I use a special shampoo or take vitamins?
You can try using volumizing shampoo and conditioner to give your hair the appearance of fullness, but nothing will stop the natural process of postpartum hair loss, including vitamins and topical treatments [4]. Keep in mind that postpartum hair will stop on its own when your hormones level off. Consult with a dermatologist if you keep losing considerable amounts of hair after six months of childbirth.
