WHAT IS POSTPARTUM HAIR LOSS?

Postpartum hair loss is a condition where new mothers experience moderate to severe hair loss after giving birth. Hair shedding could start three to six months postpartum and could last for six months to a year.

What causes Postpartum hair loss?

Typically, we shed about 80 to 100 hair strands a day and shedding more than a hundred strands is a day considered hair loss. During pregnancy, the hormone estrogen is constantly being produced and is more elevated than usual. This constant supply of estrogen encourages the hair follicles to produce more hair and even prevents hair fall. This is the reason why pregnant women have thick beautiful hair. But after child birth, estrogen levels go back to normal, causing hair loss.

Other Causes of Postpartum Hair loss

Telogen Effluvium

Giving birth is very stressful and stress itself can cause hair loss. Stress can trigger a condition called telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium forces the hair follicles to enter the telogen phase, which is the phase of active hair shedding; hence the hair loss.

Dieting

Some mothers go to extreme diets after giving birth to get their “figure” back. Sorry to say, but you will need all the nutrients and energy for your body to recover after nine months of carrying a child. Lack of nutrients, especially protein can make hair dull, dry, making it prone to breakage and could increase hair fall. In addition, if you are breast feeding you definite need to eat more because not only do you need to provide nutrients to yourself, you need to provide nutrients for the child as well.

What You Should Know

Fortunately, Postpartum hair loss is self limiting, after six months to a year, you hair will grow back to its normal thickness. But you don’t have wait for six months to a year to recover from postpartum hair loss, can do a lot of things to encourage hair growth like: a healthy diet, daily scalp massages to increase blood flow or the use of hair growth stimulants.