Hair loss after giving birth

It often starts in the shower. You run a hand through your hair and pull it out full. The next day there’s hair on the pillow, in the brush, on the baby’s onesie. In a Japanese study of 331 mothers, nine out of ten noticed this shedding, and most of them first saw it while washing their hair⁴.

It doesn’t mean something is wrong. It’s the natural follow-on from pregnancy, and it has a name.

Why it happens

A hair doesn’t grow forever. It grows for several years (the growth phase, or anagen), rests for a few months (the telogen phase), then falls out to make room for a new hair from the same follicle. At any given time, about 15% of your hairs are resting³. That’s why everyone loses 50 to 100 hairs a day without noticing².

During pregnancy, estrogen extends the growth phase. Hairs that should have fallen out stay put, which explains the thicker hair many women notice in the last months. After the birth, estrogen drops sharply, and all those hairs on borrowed time switch to the resting phase at once¹.

Dermatologists call this telogen effluvium. Childbirth is one of its most common triggers, along with a high fever or emotional shock². The follicle itself isn’t damaged: under every hair that falls, another one is getting ready.

The timeline, month by month

The shedding doesn’t start right away. Resting hairs stay in place for a few weeks before they fall. The French Society of Dermatology (SFD) says it most often starts from the sixth week, sometimes later if you’re breastfeeding². The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) puts the peak at around 4 months¹.

The study by Hirose and colleagues gives more precise figures. The 331 mothers were surveyed 10 to 18 months after giving birth. On average, their shedding started at 2.9 months, peaked at 5.1 months and stopped at 8.1 months⁴.

These are averages. For some women, it’s all over between 6 weeks and 3 months. For others, it drags on to 9 or 10 months. The benchmark to remember comes from the AAD: most women have their usual fullness back before their child’s first birthday¹.

How much shedding is normal

Nobody counts their hairs, and that’s fine: the number wouldn’t tell you much. Just keep the scale in mind. Outside an effluvium, you lose 50 to 100 a day². During an effluvium, up to half the hairs on your scalp can fall out³. That’s where those scary handfuls come from.

Hirose et al., 2023, 331 mothers⁴. Women who had shedding were probably more likely to reply, as the authors point out themselves.

So if you’re worried, you’re far from alone. What matters isn’t how many hairs you lose in a day. It’s how things change over several months.

What mothers say

On a forum for new parents, mothers described their shedding month by month⁵. Their stories match the timeline from the studies, with differences from one woman to the next.

Posted on the HelloBee forum⁵.

Another says she gets frightened when she looks at the drain in her shower. Another writes that all the hair that fell out is growing back in, but that it looks awful for now. That’s actually a good sign: regrowth has started.

What about breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding can push back the start of the shedding by a few weeks². In the Japanese study, mothers who had breastfed for more than six months reported shedding more often⁴. That’s a link seen in a questionnaire, not a reason to stop: the shedding is temporary either way.

While you’re breastfeeding, ask your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before using an “anti-hair loss” lotion or supplement: not all of them are suitable at this time.

What helps

There’s nothing to cure. The AAD is clear: this shedding is temporary and you don’t need to do anything to make it stop¹. A few choices still make the months easier.

• A volumizing shampoo rather than a “conditioning” or 2-in-1 shampoo, which weighs fine hair down¹.
• A light conditioner, on the lengths and ends only. Rich masks flatten your hair¹.
• A shorter cut: it looks fuller and takes two minutes to style, which counts with a newborn¹.
• Go gently: no vigorous brushing or combing while the shedding lasts³.

For supplements, one rule holds up: DermNet recommends correcting a lack of iron, vitamin B12 or folate when a blood test shows one³. Without a deficiency, there’s no evidence that a supplement shortens the shedding.

When to see a doctor

That last point needs explaining. Postpartum shedding usually ends on its own, but it can also reveal female pattern hair loss that was already on its way³. The two look alike at first. DermNet notes that a long-lasting effluvium is easily mistaken for female pattern hair loss, and they aren’t managed the same way⁶. Only a doctor can tell them apart. The sooner, the better.

One thing to watch for your baby

A loose hair can wrap around your baby’s finger, toe or another body part and get tight enough to cut off circulation. It’s very rare. If you see one, unwind it or cut it. If you can’t, call your baby’s doctor or go to the emergency room¹.

Tracking the regrowth without trusting the mirror

The bathroom mirror is a poor witness. The light changes, the angle changes, your hair is wet one day and tied back the next. You end up seeing shedding everywhere and regrowth nowhere.

The most reliable way is to take the same photo every week: same room, same light, same distance, hair dry and styled the same way. Aim at your part and the crown, where volume shows best, and take one of your forehead to spot the short new hairs growing back at the temples.

That’s what Calvap does. Your photos line up on a timeline, week after week. After a few months, you see the trend instead of guessing it. And if you do need to see a doctor after a year, you bring dated photos rather than a vague impression.