What it is
Your hair is falling out in handfuls, clogging the drain, around three months after birth. In pregnancy, high estrogen keeps hair in its growing phase, so you shed less. After birth, estrogen drops and all that held-back hair sheds together. Dermatologists call this telogen effluvium. The follicles are not damaged.
What's typical
Shedding starts two to four months after birth and peaks around month four. You may lose up to three hundred hairs a day, against the usual fifty to one hundred. It slows by six months, and most mothers are back to normal thickness by twelve months.
What's known
The American Academy of Dermatology describes this as normal and self-limiting, with no treatment needed. Shedding past a year, or shedding with exhaustion and feeling cold, is worth a thyroid and iron check.
What helps
- Wide-tooth comb, loose styles, no tight ponytails or heavy extensions.
- A shorter cut, if you want one. It hides the shedding and blends the regrowth.
- Protein and iron at meals. Hair is built from what you eat.
When to call someone
- Todaybald patches with smooth skin, or a scalp that is sore, scaly, or has a rash.
- At your next visitshedding past twelve months, or shedding with tiredness, feeling cold, or weight change. Ask about thyroid and iron.
Who helps
Related
- Postpartum thyroid problemsPostpartum: Your Body
- Anemia and exhaustion after birthPostpartum: Your Body
- Your body after birth: weight, shape, and timelinesPostpartum: Your Body
- Night sweats, chills, and the hormone dropPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say
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Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology — Hair loss in new mothers
- NHS — Hair loss
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
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