Did you know it’s normal to lose hair after having a baby? Here is my experience with postpartum hair loss.
During my pregnancy, everyone told me that my hair would become thick, beautiful, and luscious. Funny thing is I didn’t notice its beauty until the last month of my pregnancy. I guess it took my hormones 8 months to get the memo that they needed to focus on my hair… and then during postpartum, your beautiful hair falls out.
NOTICE THE HAIR…AND SKIN…so so pretty. Don’t mind the demonic face from A… she was not having all the cameras.
After I had Annabelle, my hair, nails, and skin were still amazing. The surge of Estrogen in my system did wonders for my appearance, and while my clothes didn’t fit, I at least felt pretty when I looked in the mirror. A few Moms in my Mommy and Me group mentioned their wacky skin breakouts and hair loss. I wasn’t experiencing any acne or hair loss by 4 months postpartum, so I thought, “Hmm, maybe I will skip that part.” I swear the next week I pulled a clump of hair from my head while I was in the shower.
Then the postpartum hair loss kicked in full force.
Now that I am almost five months postpartum, I notice a difference in my hair.
It is thinner, less shiny, and blow drying it has become a chore. My hair is EVERYWHERE. I have to use a Dust Buster in the bathroom daily. I have to clean the shower drain after I step out of it each morning. My hair is in little clumps on the rug, stuck to Annabelle’s hands and feet, and … it appears in food that I cook! My husband gags every time he finds a hair in our kitchen, which I can’t help because it’s like strands just hop off my head and onto the counter.
I sent this picture to B while he was at work yesterday. He thought it was fake… that I somehow made myself look like I was going bald. THIS IS REAL friends. I can’t even pull my hair back anymore, because I look like I have the receding hairline of a 50 year old man.
After some google-ing, I discovered that there really isn’t anything you can do about postpartum hair loss. It apparently takes 6-12 months for your hair to go back to is post-baby ways. This is quite unsettling, since I am at 5 months pp and thinking If my hair keeps falling out at this rate, I will have nothing left by 12 months pp!
Post updated 1.26.2017
It took well over a year and a half for the places in which my hair fell out grew back to a reasonable length. Around my face and at the base of my scalp is where most of my hair thinned out. The regrowth turned out to be just as irritating as the bald spots since I have curly hair that’s straightened a few times a week. The regrowth would shoot out very obviously and refuse to relax. I don’t recommend cutting your hair short during this time. I know a lot of Moms who thought a haircut would make the postpartum hair loss seem less, but it only made it seem worse.
My Best Tips: Find ways to style your hair where it falls forward, avoid pulling it straight back, and KEEP TAKING YOUR VITAMINS!
Fast forward two and a half years from when I first wrote this post and I am now in my fifth postpartum month after having our newest daughter, Ailey. The hair loss is in full force.
The amount of hair that’s falling out in the shower seems to be increasing rapidly and my poor toddler has found more of my hair wound around her toys or stuck to her clothes than she’d like. I have had to explain to her that I can’t help that my hair is falling out, but it’s all because Ailey is no longer in my belly making my hair grow long and fast. Thankfully she sympathizes with me.
I’m trying my best to wear my hair in ways that hides the fact my hair is thinning out around my face and at the base of my scalp. It’s not easy to keep your long hair down all day when you’re nursing a grabby handed baby. Since Annabelle, I never found any ways to prevent postpartum hair loss, nor did I find a solution for the pesky postpartum hair regrowth.
The best advice I have about postpartum hair loss is DON’T STRESS!
It always looks worse to you than it does to anyone else. Plus, most of the world is not going to notice a change in the amount of hair on your head. It’s just those that you live with who suffer when they find one of your long strands in their dinner…. sorry for that husband.
Have you ever had to deal with postpartum hair loss? Do you have any tips, tricks, or suggestions?
I didn’t get it as bad as you seem to have it. You might hate this advice…but cut your hair shorter. For some reason, it seemed to help me, maybe because there wasn’t as much hair to fall out? Basically what happens is during pregnancy, your body doesn’t shed the hair like it normally does (we normally lose a little every day), so once your body settles back from pregnancy, all the hair you would’ve lost begins to go. It sucks, but it really does get better – I’d venture to say my hair is actually nicer now that it was pre-pregnancy. Good luck!
I feel your pain! Mine has been shedding like no other! I have it all over the bathroom floor, in the tub (behind me where I blowdry) and in our shower. Its on our floor, all over Hannah, and its really annoying! I really don’t remember it being this bad last time. I haven’t had any massive clumps come out but today I noticed, in the same area yours is completely falling out, mine has broken off, just a big patch of hair about an inch long 🙁 I did cut my hair about an inch a month ago and it’s seemed to help some. I am hoping now that I am in the “breaking off” stage that the shedding stage is done.
It’s depressing that nothing can be done, at least my skin is evening back out, I was one of those with breakout central the past few months while my hormones leveled back up.
There is a product called Hair, Skin, Nails by It Works that works wonders. It has even helped men regrow hair after balding. I am pregnant right now so I am not taking it but I plan too as soon as I have little bit. I am in my first trimester and hair is coming out in clumps. Is that normal? Anyways, here is a link for it : http://newyouwithmallory.myitworks.com/shop/product/322/
I’m with ya! Mine started shedding at three months postpartum, and two and a half months later, it’s still falling out. It’s still really thick (blow drying it in the morning takes forever), but it’s getting thin at the temples. On top of that, even though I’m still breastfeeding around the clock, I got my first postpartum period. So, I’m broke out, bloated and my hair is falling out. So sexy.
I’ve heard some women look like they’ve cut bangs once the hair starts growing back in again! Eeek!
I didn’t have the noticeable loss that you do, but I did have crazy hair when it was growing back. My mom even asked me who I had let cut my hair like that. I had all this new growth around my face.
Yikes friend! My cousins had that happen to them! I wish I could tell you what to do, but when my hair starts falling out, I always get a haircut and it does cut down on the amount of hair that falls out.
Mine has just started coming out. It’s getting longer than it has been in years, so I’m crossing my fingers that it’s just because of that (because I don’t notice it when it’s short) and not postpartum hair loss!
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This is happening to me right now! I’m 3 months pp and I’ve noticed 3 tiny bald patches . What happens is your hair growth cycle changes when your pregant , it’s normally Anergen (new hair growing ) , catergen (hair resting at follicle with new hair growing underneath ) and lastly telogen ( hair sheds) . This natural cycle slows down during pregnancy (telogen happens less) which is why our hair was amazing! What’s happening now is that your hair has actually return to its normal cycle and this was the hair that didn’t shed (skipped telogen) . So… I’m no hair expert (I only know info above because I do waxing) however, the logical thing to do it speed up the hair growth cycle, so that we can all get back to Anergen and be happy! Things that I’m doing myself are , keeping scalp healthy and clean , massages scalp , exercise (gets blood to follicles ) , I’d also recommend hair treatments wich speed up the cycle , I’ve started using alpecin. Don’t be scared If more hair falls out when you start treating it , the hair MUST fall out for it to get to Anergen again . Vitamins and things like that will NEVER work on this ,.. Hair may look better , but you need to speed up the cycle! Hope this helped!! Also (I know because I’ve also had alopeacia ) using mineral eyeshadows on the patches can help
do not worry. once your pp period is over, the growth will kick in. but you will have to keep your eyes open. if you do not experience growth after your pp, visit a professional.
I stumbled onto your blog after googling postpartum hair loss and I’m experiencing exactly what you did. Just wondering when your hair stopped falling out and started growing back?! Thanks!
I’m interested too as I’m having the same problem
You may have heard jokes about postpartum hair loss, heard a mention of it from friends, or even heard celebrities talking about the frustration of hair changes post-pregnancy. But does postpartum hair loss happen to everyone? What should you
I went through pretty devastating postpartum hair loss my first pregnancy. My doctor seemed unbothered by it when i brought it up , suggesting i cut my hair and just wait it out. I went down the google rabbit hole looking for anything that would help. When i got pregnant for the second time I was actually really nervous because i didn’t want to go through losing my hair again. I ended up finding a postnatal hair vitamin that really helped called Baby Blues (babyblues.care) I use that even now when my son is two years old. Basically replenishes the nutrients lost after childbirth. I also tend to take my lightstim (Red light therapy) i use on my face at night when catching up on netflix and run it over my scalp. Not enough time has passed to really say if that works but i’ve been reading alot on red light therapy as well. Hope this helps some Mom! I know how devastating the hair loss can be.
Best thing I found to help with the shedding and fall out is a postpartum Hair Vitamin from Baby Blues. I experienced pretty devastating hair loss my first pregnancy. It was upsetting, I hadn’t been warned about it so when it started happening I didn’t know what was going on. When I got pregnant for a second time I went down the google rabbit hole somewhat and found the supplement for moms. It’s meant to replenish the vitamins shed after having the baby. Has biotin, collagen, b12, folate, vitamin a etc. I tried the oil drops before on my scalp and couldn’t stand the greasiness. The gummy vitamins are just so much easier to take. Sorry you went through this I can certainly relate and feel like I have to share something that has helped. http://www.babyblues.care is where I get it
I’m 4 months PP and my hair has been rapidly falling out. I’ve noticed patches at my temples.
This is my 3rd baby, and I didn’t have this with the other two kiddos.
It’s heartbreaking. But I’m holding out hope that things will return to normal.
Thanks so much for sharing this.