Hair Falling Out

Hi,
Although hair loss and thinning is "common" as we all agree, it could possibly be due to an underactive thyroid problem also....I would suggest just ruling that out with a simple blood test right from the start, if it comes back ok, then it's likely the harmone shifts.
~~Pam

It is normal and will begin to subside in a few more months. Mine lasted for about 7-8 months but things are back to normal now. It is aggravating but nothing to be concerned about.

It happened to me also right at the 3 month mark. I did find on WebMD that it is normal for that to happen starting at 3 months after giving birth and could last for a few months. My hair stopped falling out around 7 1/2 months.

This is completely normal because your hair thickens during pregnancy so after pregnancy it goes back to normal. There isn't anything you can do about it that I know of.

Hi M.,
Your body has not shed hair during the 9 months of your pregnancy. Now that you have had your baby, your body is shedding the hair it would have shed. This is normal and in a couple of weeks it will stop. You don't need to do anything about it. Enjoy your new baby!

I had the same problem. It was due to hormones and breastfeeding but I still recommend you see your doctor (like I did) to rule out any other health issues. A good haircut and highlights can help hide the hair loss. Don't worry, it will grow back.

Hi, Congrats on the little bundle of joy! If you had an epidural loss of hair is a temporary side affect . If not, it could be just the stress of caring for a new baby. If your hair continues to fall out for over a month I would consult a doctor and cosmetologists. After I had my twinns my hair came out and the doctor advised me to continue taking over the counter prenatal pills for a year after birth. My hair dresser advised me to massage the edges of my head with extra virgin Olive oil. She Recommended that I massage my entire head with two or three drops of vitamin E oil once a week and to wash my hair no more than three times a week. It helped a great deal. It left a greasy mess in the bathroom until I got used to using the oils. Hope this helps. God Bless you and your family.

I started losing mine at about three months post-partum, and it is just now about done at nine months post. Ugh- it's awful! Don't do any drastic cuts or anything (I had just cut mine short the week before it started)and keep taking your prenatal vitamins. Sometimes a salon can help hide it with a style. I got very thin, almost bald patches at my temples. Since I am a brunette, during the worst of it I actually would brush on brown eyeshadow with a blush brush so that my scalp wasn't so white. Now I have all the little short baby-hairs. I can't wait for my hair to get back to normal.

Yes, as other have told you, it's very normal! My son is 15 months old, and my hair's not falling out as bad, but it is still falling out more than it was before I got pregnant. I have heard that your body loses little to no hair while you are pregnant for some reason, then goes into overdrive after the baby is born when your horomones begin to regulate back.

Are you real nervous and are you taking your vitamins like you are supposed to?
If you answered no and yes, the it may be just hormones settling down. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you notice such a significant amount that you feel like your hair is thin and then I would consult a dr but I have heard of this happening so it must be fairly normal.
Goodluck

Hi M.,

I had this same concern after I had my first son. I had enough hair come out that a wig could be made. To answer your question though, yes it is very normal. We get so much excess hair when we are pregnant, but I don't think we realize it until it starts falling out. It's all of the extra hormones and nutrients fromt he extra food we are eating that causes it to grow. My youngest son is now 5 years old. To tell you the truth I still lose a lot of hair. I don't lose as much as right after I was pregnant, but still a lot in my opinion. My point being, of course tell your doctor, but I'm sure he/she will say that you are fine.

M., I had the exact same problem! My hair would come out in handfuls in the shower and when I would brush my hair. My husband was going nuts with all of my hair all over our house. The good news is that it is completely normal and when my daughter was about 5 months old my hair loss basically went away. My hair is back to normal now so hang in there, it will get better!!

Yes, it's a perfectly normal part of the processes involved with the hormonal changes of pregnancy and postpartum. Actually, whether you realized it or not, your hair got thicker during pregnancy, and now you're just going back to "normal".

It happened me at I had my son.... I was told it was from the meds they used during my c-section. It stopped coming out when he was about 6 months.

M.,

Hello! I am a mother of 2 daughters; 4 years old and 15 months old. I began to lose a lot of hair too at about 3 months after giving birth to them. I noticed it in the shower. I believe it to be normal. I lost most of my hair around the perimeter of face. My hair grew back. I now have small hairs around my face. I have heard of other women losing hair too after giving birth to their children. I believe it is our bodies adjusting to the hormone changes after being pregnant for 9 months. I hope this helps!

A.

Rest assures, you are COMPLETELY normal.

Think of it this way - you are not really 'losing' anything you wouldn't have already lost if you'd not been pregnant. Normal people lose about 100 hairs a day and the pregancy hormones causes them to 'hang on' for those 9 months. Then when your hormone levels drop back to normal, you make up for all the hair you would have lost. A real bummer for those (like me) with thin hair, but a pregnancy reality!! At least you enjoyed them while you could!!!

Hi M.:
It is often normal to lose hair after having a baby. Just like many women experience an increase in the size of their feet! Any kind of stress can cause this as well - your body has gone through a tremendous change with pregnancy and birth alone!
I am a registered nurse and represent a company that offers health and nutritional products. My job is to coach people and assist them in dealing with stress, weight loss, etc. (I help athletes, kids and anyone depending on their specific health goals) I am not pushing products but do like to share the info. We have one product that helps reduce stress, assist in sleeping, and helps improve energy levels and mental clarity. If I an ever help you in any of these areas, feel free to contact me.
It is always a good idea to check with your doctor, but my guess is you are going through a normal cycle that most of us go through after birth. Congratulations on your daughter!!
Blessings,
E., RN

Your progesterone drops after pregnancy and it will come back into balance as the other people have said. I'm a SAHM with teenagers and a pharmacist. If you'd like recommendations for products that will help you through the hair loss trasition, please email me and I will advise. Congrats on your sweet baby and I commend you for doing your best as a single mom. Sincerely, T. B...email at ____@____.com.

Yes.......this will happen. The girl that cuts my hair told me that you normally lose about 85 hairs each day but when you are pregnant you don't lose it like that. You make up for it after you have the baby. I lost a lot too and I did for a year after my son was born. Don't worry.....it's normal.

Hi M.,
This is normal and is pretty much due to hormones. One thing my hair stylist said was to continue taking the prenatal vitamins. This will help a little with the fallout.

Very normal for your hair to fall out. Because of hormones, your hair usually thickens when you are pregnant, after baby is born and hormones get back to normal, your hair goes back to normal also.

This also happened to me. My doctor said that the baby causes your hormones to go nuts! This can cause increased hair loss. If you cannot visibly see bald spots... my doctor told me to not worry. Your body will level back out.. it can take up to a year for your body to return to normal after the birth of a child. If you are really concerned- call the doctors office and speak with a nurse. They should be able to comfort you without the expense of a visit. They will also tell you what to watch out for that would signal it is something more than hormones.

It is actually pretty normal for some of your hair to fall out within the first year after having your baby. It has to do with all the hormones that are decreasing from you pregnancy, namely progesterone and estrogen. If you breastfeed, hair may fall out after you have weened the baby from the breast, which is what happened to me, but thinning hair is common. If you start to notice large patches or become really concerned go to your doc to see if you need further help. congratualtions on being a new mom.
N.

Yes,it is more common than you would think. How bad is the hair loss? Are you nursing or weaning? Are you still taking your pre-natal vitamins? Are you cutting your calories dramatically? Hormones on top of the stress of a new baby can cause hair loss.Crash dieting can cause it. Stress can cause it all by itself. I lost half my hair during one of the deployments. Horrifying. It will stop eventually. Then you will have the little baby hairs coming in like an undercoat and it will eventually all catch up!
Talk to your doctor. Sometimes thyroid issues can do it, that is a simple blood test. More than likely it is hormonal. I know women including myself who had a little fall out after the baby was born. If it continues, Nexxium hair products work (pricey). It dries the rest of your hair out, but it does work. Not sure if you can use it while nursing, however. Keep taking your vitamins too. Great for hair nails and milk. Good luck.

Hi M.

I too am suffering of my hair lost. It was long but I decided to get it cut. It was falling out terribly or breaking off. I was always cleaning the floor of it. It really worryed me.
Having it cut helped a little. The person that cut it said it could be the medicines I am taking. Might be the thyroid meds.
It will effect your hair. I still don't know how to stop it. Or if it will. But maybe I helped a little. Take care Vicki

I had the same experience with my first. I started loosing my hair when my daughter was 3 months old and it continuted until she was about 6 months. Everyone told me it was normal, but it was very disconcerting. I thought sure I was quickly going bald. It can be tough, but it gets better. I also turned to Nioxin shampoo to help the situation. I have fine hair normally so loosing any hair is hard to swallow. Good Luck and don't stress over it! Congrats on the new little one!

Yes, definitely normal. It happens to all of us. :) It should stop soon. Like the other lady, I've had 3 and it does happen everytime. Congrats on your baby girl! I had my daughter 3 mos ago too. :)

Hello,
I am a mother of a 6yr and 4yr old boys and another baby on the way due in Dec. I just found out from my hair dresser with this pregnancy. Our hair goes dormat from "shedding" when we are pregnant. That is why our hair changes during pregnancy. Then afterwards we start "shedding" again. I would ask your hair dresser or doctor to make sure, but I believe it is normal.

It's normal. The same thing happened to me. It tapered off about 5 or 6 months after the birth.

Most women lose less hair during pregnancy and then start losing a lot after the birth.

Although I am no doctor, I have experienced the same. I have a 7 month old daughter...are you nursing her?...I think it has to do with the nursing and the hormonal unbalance we experience after delivery when returning to our normal selves. Well, I freaked out, it had been about 3 months after delivery, I thought I had cancer :), but of course I did'n. I just let it be, and my hair came back...do not stress over it, you'll be fine. Adapt and overcome, and embrace the fact that you are a beautiful woman, that is providing the very best to her new baby. Congratulations on your new baby!

Hey M., after I had my first and second child my hair fell out too. I called the doctor some odd weeks later because it happened later with my second than my first. She said that it is common and it will go away. It will stop falling out so much after your body adjusts again or regulates after having your baby. My hair fell out immediately after my first but with my second it happened about 2 months after I had her maybe not quite that long afterwards but it was a while after having her that it started falling out like mad. It will stop and you will lose you hair less and less as time goes on. She told me not to worry about it and that it is normal. I had 2 C-sections and that was another reason for it falling out but it can fall out too with a natural birth too. I hope this puts you at ease. J. A.

When I was pregnant with my 3rd child around the 8th month my hair on my head started falling out and I no longer had to shave my legs or under arms, nothing grew , my doctor said this was hormone imbalance and it would correct itself within a few mo after birth. Well I am 54 yrs old and have 5 grown children ,10 grandchildren and have never had any hair to grow back on my legs or under arms, the hair on my head did however stop falling out and some came back but not as thick as it was before . Talk to your doctor.

I lost TONS of hair until I hit 6 months post-delivery. Then my hair was thin and straggly for another 1-2 months. Now that my daughter is 9 months old, I've got so much new growth that it almost looks like I have bangs! Don't get me wrong, now that the new growth is coming in, my hair feels much healthier and fuller. It looks great again. So don't worry and don't do anything drastic to improve it. Don't change your hairstyle when your PMSing, and don't change your hair style when you're recovering from pregnancy. Let those hormones simmer down!

contact your obgyn, that should a smart adviser.

I think its normal. Mine did too when I had my son. Its a hormone change that triggers it I think

my hair fell out while I was pregnant and I htought I was crazy. The doctor said that hormones control our hair growth and that when we're pregnant/have a baby/nursing, our hormones are out of wack. He said that normally we have ahormonal rotation so that we lose hair at the same time as it grows in so we do'nt notice it but when we're out of wack, it can all fall out at the same time and then all come in at the same time.

I would give your doc a buzz just to make sure, but if it makes you feel better, it happened to me too :)

Hey! It's very normal to lose some of your hair after pregnancy. The same thing happened to me; I thought something was seriously wrong. However, I learned that for SOME women during pregnancy, they don't lose as much hair as they would normally. That is why some pregnant women have very shiny, healthy, beautiful hair during their pregnancy. So, with all that extra hair on your head, after you have the baby you lose all the hair you would have lost if you weren't pregnant.

Yes, it is totally normal. It happened to me too. I thought it was ALL going to fall out. I used a shampoo to stimulate hair growth (I think it was for balding men - not sure), but I don't think it really worked. It has something to do with your body not losing the normal amount of hair while your pregnant. Now that your not I guess the body makes up for lost time. Anyway, there's not anything you can do, it is normal, it will stop, and it will grow back. Hang in there!

Hey M.,

Everyone tells me it is normal...or should I say common!!! Mine falls out while I am pregnant and after I have the baby. It was when my little one was about 9 months that it completely stopped!! Another one of those things that seems to just happen!! Mostly I am pretty sure it has to do with our wonderful homone changes! Thankfully I have enough hair for two or three people so I can not really tell a huge different!!

Congrats on your sweet little baby girl. I will be having my first girl in a few months!!

I had the same problem. It's normal. I found out that when you are pregnant, and your hair gets nice and thick, it's because of hormones. On average a woman loses 100 hairs a day, but because of hormonal changes during pregnancy, we don't lose very much. So right now, you are just losing the excess hair that you kept during pregnancy.

Congrats on the new baby. Yes, it is totally normal and will level out. It's all part of the process and nothing to worry about unless you develope bald spots. If that happens, see your doctor and get your thyroid checked. Otherwise, just know that it will level off in a few months. Enjoy your baby!
B.

it is totally normal. don't worry about it. it'll stop soon. congrats on the new baby!

That is just a sign of your hormones shifting back to their pre pregnancy levels. You didn't lose any hair while you were pregnant, so it has to come out now. Don't worry, it will slow down to normal levels soon.

Hi M.-

I was told by my doctor that while we are pregnant we grow more hair - hense the strong thick shiny beautiful glowing hair of pregnancy. So after birth, we just loose that extra hair that was grown. Your not loosing your hair. Don't worry. I have 2 kids and it happened both times.

It is perfectly natural and the only thing you should do is try to remember to clean the shower drain before your husband takes his shower! If you were like me you didn't lose a single hair the whole time you were pregnant, and you will now lose hair daily for a month or so to the point that you will wonder if you are going bald! It happened with both my kids, but it tapers off. It has to do with your hormones and the worst part for me was the new growth of hair around my face that came in as little short, fine baby hairs and made me look like I had a bad hair cut for a while! And no, there is nothing you can do about it (except keep the shower drain clear!)

M., I think that it is normal for your hair to fall out after having a child. I have 2 boys and the same thing happened with both. I even went to the doctor after my first son was born and tried several different things and nothing helped. I believe it is something that just has to run its course which can take a while. My youngest is 2 and it seems like its just got better over the past 6 months. Plus, if it makes you feel any better I do know several other ladies that have had this same problem after having a child.

Congates on the little one, and best of luck,

B. W

When a woman is pregnant the hormones or vitamins allow the hair and the nails to grow. When you are no longer pregnant, unfortunately, that hair begins to fall out.

yes its normal. all that lush hair the prenantal vitamins brought to you will be falling out now that your hormones are trying to regulate themselves somewhat. your mails will probably get brittle too

Congratulations on the new baby! My hair started falling out about that same time after my daughter was born. She's almost 16 months now and it's back to normal. Even though I knew it was going to fall out I was still surprised at the time by how much of it fell out! It was everywhere. I decided to cut my hair, which I ended up liking, but if you don't want to cut your hair you can just ride it out. At home I did a lot of ponytails to keep the amount of hair I had to vacuum to a miminum. No worries, it is perfectly normal. It's caused by hormone changes and it will go away. Enjoy the new baby!

oh yeah. my daughter is 10 mos, and mine just really stopped falling out - at least in big clumps. totally normal.

I had the same thing happen to me and yes it is normal. It also happened to me after I had a miscarriage and with the emotional stress it got really bad. I went to a Dermatologist because I was so freaked out he told me to take Biotin. I bought it at walmart. It actually worked and my nails were beautiful. Good luck!!

hi M.,
as much as it sucks, it is totally normal. there isn't anything i found to do for it, just let it run its course. it's payback for all those months where you didn't shed as much :) i'm sure it wouldn't hurt to continue taking your vitamins, but outside that i can't think of anything that might help it. i was worried i'd be bald by the time mine stopped falling out, and you could see my new "baby bangs" where the new hair started coming back... but it does stop! congratulations on the new baby!
J.

Hi M.,
My name is M. also, but go by Chelle. I have experienced the same thing. The lady that has been doing my hair for years told me to get a Vitamin B Complex supplement and Vitamin E supplement. She also told me to start taking a good multi-vitamin as well.

Hope this helps.

Chelle

I support the crowd that says 'normal'. This was very normal for me after each of my deliveries, my hair was coming out in clumps (but I have a TON of hair even normally). I was told by my hair stylist that the prenatals and preg. hormones increase hair production, then awhile after delivery your body will shed all that extra hair.

NORMAL. Only seems like it is because during pregnancy you don't lose hair at your normal rate, it all stays in. Then it plays catch up after you have the baby; seems like your entire head of hair is falling out. No worries, it will slow down soon.