Postpartum Hair Loss

I think this is a topic that not a lot of women like to think about, but I am writing to let all the women out there that are dealing with this (or soon will be) that you are absolutely not alone.  I am currently shedding mounds and mounds of once beautiful black hair only to watch it all end up on the floor, down the drain, or in the hands of my quick fingered 6-month-old.  As a result I found it best to cut my hair short(er) and sweep often.  I keep telling my husband "I think I'm going bald", but the truth is I'm not.

My trusty hair brush, with surprisingly not that much hair in it.

During pregnancy your hair goes into a resting stage, as well as continuing its regular growth, therefore when you are no longer pregnant and your estrogen levels drop your body begins shedding that once luxurious hair, the dreaded shedding stage.  The shedding may seem worse than you remember before you were pregnant because you are shedding nine months of rested hair along with the usual one hundred hairs you lose per day, yikes!  The shedding may seem more dramatic for women who have (or once had) very full thick hair like myself and also for women who have long hair, which I also did until I of course cut it.

The regrowth of my new hair.

There is good news! Somewhere between the sixth and twelfth month postpartum your hair should be back to its pre-pregnancy thickness.  In between your hair falling out and that day you get your normal hair back you will notice regrowth, usually along the hair line.  It may look as though you tried to cut your own bangs.  As for me, I started shedding hair at the latter half of my fourth month postpartum and I am still shedding, noticing plenty of hair on my pillow when I wake up each morning.  Just now at my nearly seventh month postpartum am I seeing some regrowth of my hair.  It feels like a long process to me but may not be the same for everyone.  The main thing to remember is postpartum hair loss happens to nearly every woman who has a baby and when you go through it you are definitely not alone.

And if you were feeling bad at all about your hair, this picture should make you feel better. Enjoy!

My husband, Timm. Thank you for making me feel beautiful.

Some Websites About Postpartum Hair Loss:
Postpartum Hair Loss
"What..." Questions on Postpartum Hair Loss