Treating Female Hair Loss After Pregnancy – Stay Calm, it’s Temporary!

For new mothers, the first months after giving birth are probably the most complicated: besides handling all the concerns and responsibilities which appear when taking care of a newborn, they can be also stressed by a sudden and apparently unexplainable hair loss. Many women in this stage of their lives start wondering: “Why am I experiencing such a severe form of female hair loss?” “Is it a consequence of my pregnancy?” “Or maybe it’s a coincidence?” “Is hair loss after pregnancy normal?” “How long does it last?” “When will it finally stop?”

Well, I have good news for all new mothers: if your experience alarming hair loss, relax: it’s perfectly normal after pregnancy. It is one of the most harmless forms of temporary female hair loss, scientifically called postpartum alopecia.

Let me explain why does it happens and which are the causes of this type of female hair loss.

The life of a hair strand has two phases:

1. The growth phase, also called Anagen. During this period, which lasts from 4 to 7 years, the hair grows steadily – about 1 or 2 cm per month. At any given moment, 90% of a healthy person’s hair are in the Anagen phase.

2. The transition phase, or Catagen. The hair stops growing, but it remains in the follicle for several more weeks. Then, being pushed from the follicle by the new growth, the hair strand falls.

3. The resting phase, also called Telogen (from which the name of the temporary hair loss form – Telogen Effluvium). It lasts for 3 to 4 months – during this period, the follicle rests and the hair does not grow. Then, this whole cycle should start from the beginning. Unfortunately, for many people (especially men) the hair remains in the Telogen phase for the rest of their life – phenomenon which is also called baldness or alopecia.

In order for us to have a healthy and beautiful hair all the time, these two phases happen at the same time – some hairs are growing, others are resting and others are falling.

However, pregnancy changes this situation. During the pregnancy itself, the estrogen levels in the body are higher than usual, which automatically transfers almost all hair follicles into the growing phase. The result is a thinker, shinier, healthier hair.

After giving birth, the hormonal situation changes radically. The estrogen levels drop, which causes all the follicles to enter the resting phase. As a result, the hair starts falling rapidly, and you can find yourself shedding more than 500 hairs per day (when usually women shed only 100). For most women, the symptoms appear from the 2nd to the 4th month after giving birth and disappear during the first year of the baby’s life.

However, this is not all. Taking care of an infant is not an easy job. No matter what some people say, it is a complicated and stressful period. The continuous stress and the constant anxiety caused by any mother’s worry for her baby’s well-being can aggravate the normal hair loss. Breastfeeding is another aggravating factor, ‘attacking’ the woman’s natural nutritional reserve.

That’s why a calm attitude (no matter how difficult it is to attain) and a correct nutrition are so important during and after pregnancy. Besides preventing and treating your hair loss, these cautionary measures will make sure that both you and the baby are strong and healthy.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to make your hair recover faster after pregnancy. All you have to do is wait until the hormonal levels go back to normal. Of course, you can help your hair and your immune system by taking hair loss vitamins (containing zinc), food supplements and other remedies prescribed by your doctor or nutritionist. Invest in a good hair loss shampoo which will fortify the follicles, but don’t expect miracles! Hair masks and Henna are also a good idea.

You can also change your hairstyle (go for a shorter cut). Besides saving you lots of time, it will protect you from the devastating image of long, beautiful strands of hair falling by the handful on the floor. Also, short hair is safer for the baby, whose skin is extremely vulnerable and can be easily bruised by your rebellious locks! Hair extensions, different styling products or highlights can also be good solutions for hiding your temporary hair loss.

In rest – patience is the best policy!

Unfortunately, sometimes coincidences and misdiagnoses can happen. For example, let’s imagine that before deciding to get pregnant, you were taking oral contraceptives. Stopping birth control can affect your hormonal levels as well, causing or aggravating hair loss. You might blame the pregnancy for this, while the main reason (especially during the pregnancy itself) is the discontinuation of birth control.

But don’t forget that while female hair loss after pregnancy is extremely frequent, it is not affecting all new mothers. For some, the hair falls by the handful, while for others the changes in hair growth are minimal.

However, if your hair loss lasts more than several months, if besides hair thinning you also notice obvious bald spots, then you should seek professional advice. Go to your doctor, to a dermatologist or an endocrinologist – these specialists will analyze your situation more deeply, advising you the most appropriate female hair loss treatment for you particular case. Also make sure that your thyroid gland is in norm – you may never know, but you could have thyroid dysfunctions which could result in hair loss.