Pregnancy and Hair Loss – The Facts

Doesn’t Pregnancy Have The Opposite Effect to Hair Loss?

Hormone levels rise in the body when you’re pregnant, and the increase in oestrogen can give you thicker hair by slowing the shedding cycle.

So yes, pregnancy can have the total opposite effect on hair loss, but it’s not always the case.

What Causes Hair Loss Then?

There are a few possible culprits, but the most likely is telogen effluvium (stress-induced hair loss).

While hormone changes can lead some moms to be to have lovely locks, they can cause stress to others. Consequently, a larger ratio of hair follicles will enter the shedding phase. 

Having more follicles in the resting phase at once causes you to lose more hair than average, resulting in thinning of the hair.

Usually, you lose between 50-100 strands of hair a day. Telogen effluvium pushes this number to about 300.

There’s no need to worry. This form of hair thinning will often resolve itself within a matter of months.

Other culprits include:

·         Underlying Health Issues

·         Thyroid Problems   

·         Iron Deficiency

However, these issues are more likely to present other symptoms. So, these should get assessed by a doctor.

Will My Hair Return to Normal After Birth?

In the majority of cases, yes.

Providing your hair loss was caused by telogen effluvium, your hair should naturally repair itself back to your full luscious locks within a few months.

For any other cause, it would depend on the severity of the conditions and whether giving birth will improve them.

If not, there’s plenty of options you can discuss with your doctor to help deal with hair loss.

Post-Partum Hair Loss

If you’re one of the lucky ladies who experienced thicker, fuller hair during pregnancy – you may find you suffer from hair loss after birth.

There’s no need to be concerned, as this is just a result of your hormone levels returning to normal.

Things should return to normal over a few months.

So, whether you’re feeling the effects of thinning during pregnancy or hating the post-partum shed, rest assured that it’s a natural part of pregnancy.