Postpartum Hair Loss
Ahhh, the dreaded postpartum hair loss phase. No one loves to lose their hair, but for most of us it happens to some extent postpartum. Everybody’s a little bit different. If you already have thick, lustrous hair, it may not be as noticeable when you experience some mild PP hair loss. However, for those mamas that already have thin, frail hair- losing even a little bit can be noticeable. Losing hair postpartum can take a toll on your self esteem, confidence, and how you feel about yourself postpartum. Many of us are already struggling with the changes in our body postpartum, so having to deal with hair loss on top of it just seems unfair. Let’s talk about why this happens and what can we do to help our hair during this time.
WHEN & WHY postpartum hair loss HAPPENS
Hair grows in three cycles: a growth phase, a rest phase, and then a fall phase. Each hair follicle is in a different part of that phase, at any given time. Some hair follicles are in the growth phase, others are going to be in the rest phase, while others are in the fall phase (aka - shedding). Typically we will shed 50-100 hair follicles per day before pregnancy or postpartum, but during the postpartum hair loss phase we can lose about 400 hairs per day!
During pregnancy we get a big surge of estrogen, which causes those hair follicles to enter into the growth phase more quickly and stay there. It wants our hair to grow more rapidly (not just the hair on our head…but everywhere). Yay for that!
After delivery, our estrogen levels plummet. Our testosterone levels plummet. All of these rapid hormone declines cause our hair growth cycle to go from the growth phase to the resting phase. When the cycle enters the resting phase, it’s typically about three-ish months until it enters the fall phase - aka the postpartum hair loss phase that we all dread. Many of us may think that hair loss would happen immediately postpartum, but that’s not the case. It’s actually a few months postpartum, when postpartum hair loss starts to reach its peak.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1 - Treat Your Hair Nicely
When hairs enter the telogen phase, or the resting phase, it's important to take care of your hair during that time. Your hair is now at its most delicate state. This is good to implement shortly after delivery since we know once those levels of hormones plummet, we're entering the resting phase of our hair for about the next three months. A few ways you can treat your hair nicely are:
Be careful with brushing it - go slow and easy.
Try to avoid super tight hair. I know,we all love the mom bun. It’s easy. It’s simple. You put your hair up, and you’re good for days. Instead of using a normal hair tie to secure your mom bun, try using a scrunchie or a softer hair tie. Claw clips are even great for this stage of your hair cycle. These allow you to still get your hair up, but not as tightly (which can cause more breakage).
2 - Eat A Well Balanced Diet
I'm not going to lie, I get a little turned off when people say, “well you need to eat a better diet” or “eat a more balanced diet” which is so true for everything, so it’s like duh! Let me explain the reasoning behind it for hair growth and hair loss. If we are in the resting phase, where our hair is super delicate, and then we’re not eating a well balanced diet, our body will actually pull the energy away from growing hair follicles to give it to the vital organs in a nutrient imbalance. It’s wanting to take care of our vital organs (thank you) rather than growing our hair, since that truly isn’t as important. This means growth slows and the delicate hairs become more delicate and may begin shedding earlier.
3 - Choose A Gentle Shampoo + Conditioner
Along with treating your hair gently, try using gentle, lightweight cleansers and conditioners. You do not want something that is going to weigh your hair down. Usually something that is volumizing and makes the most of what you have is your best bet.
4 - Supplements
And there are of course hair growth enhancers. I always say do your own research, talk with your OB, lactation consultant, or whoever you have on your team about what you’re wanting to take. Certain things claim to work really well for postpartum moms especially, but may then pose some kind of risk if you’re breastfeeding. It’s always best to check with your care team. Some supplements also claim to show results “in 3+ months”— and in reality, many times, that’s just our hormone levels balancing out.
One thing that is FDA approved, for hair loss of any kind, whether you’re in the postpartum phase or not, is Rogaine. I know, it sounds so funny - you think of old men using Rogaine, BUT it has worked wonders for some postpartum moms. There is still some speculation on whether or not Rogaine’s main ingredient, minoxidil, is safe for breastfeeding mothers. Here is a research article here about minoxidil and its effect on a breastfeeding mother’s newborn, who was using Rogaine during the couple of months when the research study was done. It showed that there were no effects on the newborn.
Another article you can check out here is by Healthline. It was reviewed by a group of women’s health nurse practitioners about products that you could potentially use when you're dealing with postpartum hair loss.
Other recent brands like Divi and Nutrafol claim to reduce postpartum hair loss as well. Some moms have had great success, others not so much. It can be expensive to stick with one of these regimens, but if you truly feel like it’s working- it can be worth it!
You deserve to do something for yourself, AND you deserve to have the research and the collaboration with your healthcare provider when making that decision so that you feel confident. You owe that to yourself.
ONE LAST tip:
I have experienced PP hair loss myself multiple times now, and will be experiencing it again here soon after baby #5! There comes a point where my hair starts to fall out and then it tangles with my other hair. If you experience postpartum hair knots I feel you. One thing that really helped me tremendously was a haircut. Sounds silly, I know- when we are already losing hair, it can seem daunting to go get a haircut. However, by getting rid of all those knots and tangles, I was able to treat my hair more gently (starting fresh!) and lessen the amount of loss.
I honestly wish there were more tips for how to NOT lose your hair postpartum (and for some of you, it might not seem like you’re losing much at all!), but the reality is, hormones play a big role in our hair growth-loss cycle. The best we can do during this time is try to take care of our hair as much as possible and know that these hormones will level out eventually. You are beautiful & you got this, mamas!
