There’s a very good chance that you know a woman who ended up shedding more hair than usual in the first few months after giving birth. Hopefully, both of you know this is completely normal.
The best news is that if this happens to you, your hair should go back to normal within the first year of giving birth.
It all has to do with science!
Normally, about 85 to 95 percent of the hair on your head is growing and the other 5 to 15 percent is in what’s called the resting stage. After the resting period, this hair begins to fall out. It usually happens while you’re handling your locks, like while you’re brushing or shampooing, and those hairs are replaced with new growth.
An average woman sheds about 100 hairs a day.
During pregnancy, increased levels of estrogen prolong the growing stage (this is where the science comes in), and there are fewer hairs in the resting stage, which means fewer hairs are falling out each day. You have GORGEOUS hair during your pregnancy for this reason!
But you do pay for it later (kinda).
After you give birth, your estrogen levels take a nosedive and your hair follicles rapidly enter the resting stage. Almost immediately you’ll begin to notice your hair falling out at what you may consider being an alarming rate.
But don’t stress it – the vast majority of women have a large amount of hair loss after their pregnancy. Your body is just balancing out and this unusual shedding will slow down and eventually stop within six to 12 months after you give birth.
It is also worth noting that not all women notice dramatic changes in their hair during pregnancy or the postpartum period. This issue usually tends to be a little more accelerated for women with long hair.
If you’re concerned about your hair loss post-partum, be sure to see your doctor.
