Pregnancy and Excessive Hair Loss

Approximately 90% of your hair is growing at any one time, while the other 10% enter a resting phase. Every two to three months the resting hair falls out and allows new hair to grow in its place. Telogen effluvium is the excessive shedding of hair that occurs one to five months following pregnancy. This is not uncommon, affecting somewhere between 40 to 50% of women; but like most changes during pregnancy, it is temporary.Typically, 90 percent of your hair is actively growing and 10 percent is resting. After the resting period, the hair falls out. During pregnancy, hormones slow the normal hair shedding process. This is the reason that many pregnant women develop such thick hair. Immediately after delivery, hormone levels are still fluctuating. As hormone levels drop, typically around three months after giving birth, hair that was in the resting phase, but not lost during pregnancy will begin to fall out.

• Misconceptions

It is a common concern that you will eventually develop bald spots if your hair continues to fall out at the rate it does after delivery. Assuming you have no other health conditions and are not suffering from nutritional deficiencies, this will not happen. The hair that falls out is in a resting stage and would have already fallen out if you were not pregnant. Actively growing hair has already taken its place on your head.

• Considerations

There is nothing you can do about the inevitable hair loss after pregnancy. You can minimize the amount of hair you lose by treating your hair gently. Don't comb it while it is wet, when it is most fragile, and refrain from styling hair in a ponytail or other styles that pull on the hair.

• Effects

Seeing so much hair go down the shower drain each morning can be demoralizing, but it is important to realize that excessive hair loss after pregnancy is a common condition that affects 40 to 50 percent of women. There is no long-term damage associated with hair loss, and it does not indicate poor health.

• Warning

There are other reasons someone may lose hair. Illnesses such as diabetes, problems with hormones unrelated to pregnancy, such as thyroid issues, and poor nutrition can all lead to hair loss. If you are still losing an excessive amount of hair at five months postpartum, are experiencing other symptoms, such as fatigue, or believe that you may have an undiagnosed health issue, talk to your health practitioner.