Hair loss after pregnancy (postpartum)

Hair loss after pregnancy, postpartum effluvium, is one of the most common hair concerns in women, and it is completely normal. During pregnancy, high oestrogen levels keep more strands than usual in the growth phase, which often gives unusually thick, full hair. After childbirth the oestrogen drops, and all those "extra" strands enter the resting phase at the same time.

The result is usually noticed 2 to 4 months after birth: a sudden, diffuse thinning, sometimes most visible at the hairline and temples, with lots of hair in the brush. It can feel alarming in an already intense period, but it is a natural correction, not a disease.

In the vast majority of cases the hair recovers on its own within a year, and you see small new "baby hairs" growing along the hairline as it turns around. What you can do yourself is eat nutritiously, check your iron levels (pregnancy and breastfeeding deplete iron stores) and be kind to yourself with gentle hair care.

If the thinning does not turn around after a year, or if it follows a pattern (wider part, crown) rather than recovering, it may be female pattern hair loss that has been "unmasked" by the pregnancy, then it is worth an assessment. At Hair TP Clinic we do a trichoscope assessment at a free consultation and can use PRP as support if regrowth is slow.