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Hair loss after pregnancy

In shortHair loss after having a baby is normal. It usually starts around three months after the birth, peaks a month or two later and recovers by the baby's first birthday. It is a form of telogen effluvium and needs no treatment. See your GP if it goes on past a year or you feel unwell.

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Why it happens

In pregnancy, high oestrogen keeps hairs in their growing phase, so you shed less and hair feels thicker. After the birth, hormone levels drop and all those extra hairs move into the resting phase together. About three months later they fall. You're losing the hair you would have shed over the previous nine months.

A black comb with loose strands of hair beside it

What's normal

Handfuls in the shower. Thinning at the temples and along the hairline. Short new hairs sticking up at the front a few months later, which are the regrowth. It happens whether or not you breastfeed.

What helps

  • Time. Most women are back to normal between six and twelve months after the birth.
  • Eating well, with enough protein and iron.
  • A looser hairstyle and a gentle brush.
  • A shorter cut or a different parting while it grows back.

Minoxidil isn't recommended while breastfeeding, and it isn't needed for hair that will regrow anyway.

Month by month

  • Birth to 2 months: hair still feels thick. Nothing has changed yet.
  • Month 3 to 4: shedding starts, often suddenly.
  • Month 4 to 6: the peak. Hair comes out in the shower and the brush every day.
  • Month 6 to 9: shedding slows and short regrowth shows along the hairline.
  • Month 9 to 12: thickness returns for most women. The short hairs take longer to catch up in length.

If you have another baby, expect it again. It doesn't get worse each time, and it doesn't mean you'll have hair loss later in life.

When to see your GP

See your GP if the shedding is still heavy after your baby's first birthday, if you have bald patches, or if you're also exhausted, low, cold or losing weight. Low iron and thyroid problems are both common after a birth, and both thin hair.

Questions people ask

When does postpartum hair loss start?

Usually around three months after the birth.

How long does it last?

The heavy shedding lasts a few months. Most women's hair is back to its usual thickness by the baby's first birthday.

Can I prevent it?

No. It is a normal effect of hormone levels returning to where they were.

Does breastfeeding cause hair loss?

No. The shedding comes from the fall in pregnancy hormones after the birth and happens whether or not you breastfeed.

More guides

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