Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there must be something for post partum hair loss?

30 replies

Jadefeather7 · 04/09/2019 12:33

I’m 4 months post partum and finding the amount of hair I’m losing really distressing. I pull out clumps in the shower and in my hair brush and my clothes are always covered in hair!! It’s horrible. I can’t see any bald patches so assume I’m losing from all over. I already have fine and flat hair. My pony tail is so thin. Everything I’ve read suggests it will stop after a while and grow back but surely there’s something that can help stop so much falling out?! I’m using Alpecin shampoo and applying essential oils like peppermint, lavender and rosemary. Haven’t seen any difference though.

OP posts:
Philmitchell · 04/09/2019 12:34

Nope nothing will stop it. I found breastfeeding prolonged it a bit though.

xJune88 · 04/09/2019 12:34

Following I'm 16 weeks pp and its just started. Not looking forward to it at all its bloody awful x

Jamhandprints · 04/09/2019 12:36

Keep taking your pregnancy vitamins and minerals. It is horrible but it'll start to grow back when your hormones have rebalanced.

whiteroseredrose · 04/09/2019 12:44

Didn't your hair get thicker during pregnancy?

Your hair is just returning to normal.

Celebelly · 04/09/2019 12:51

Mine came out in clumps. The poor plug hole! It slowed down a lot around 6mo and is back to normal now at 7mo. I'm afraid it's just one of those glamorous post-pregnancy things. It's because you don't shed hair like normal during pregnancy so your body then goes into overdrive after to try make up for it. You just have to ride it out!

Original poster
Jadefeather7 · 04/09/2019 13:02

Pre pregnancy I would shed like 5 hairs in shower and 10 in brush and an unnoticeable amount through the day. During pregnancy I never noticed any shedding really and my hair got slightly thicker.

I just find it really distressing seeing so much coming out, even if it will eventually grow back. It’s disgusting when all my clothes and carpets are covered in it. Aargh

OP posts:
Oldraver · 04/09/2019 13:17

During pregnancy I never noticed any shedding really and my hair got slightly thicker.

This is what you're shedding. So you are not really losing hair it's just returning to it's pre-pregnancy state

You could get pregnant again to stop it temporarily

Trooperslaneagain · 04/09/2019 13:21

DD is 6 and my mane down to my bra strap hair has never recovered.

Got it cropped a few weeks ago. People are Shock but it's stopped shedding and is looking in much better condition. I'll grow it back again, but not as long. Too old for that!

Original poster
Jadefeather7 · 04/09/2019 13:25

I’ve cut mine as short as I possibly can. I have a round face so I need some length.

Someone should invent a pill that gives you pregnancy hair!

OP posts:
AmIThough · 04/09/2019 13:28

My PP malting started at around 13 weeks (now 16) and I'm loving it because my hair is so thick normally - it's a lot more tame now! I hate pulling the big lumps out after I brush it though.

WindFlower92 · 04/09/2019 13:28

I haven't tried it yet as I'm taking the breastfeeding one, but pregnacare have a hair specific pill for postpartum mothers, might be worth a go?

TheMaddHugger · 04/09/2019 13:34

back in the 80's we kept up with the folate and b complexes. It did help

Stampy84 · 04/09/2019 13:46

Have you tried castor oil?
I found that really helped for me.. put castor oil on your hair at the roots, brush through and wrap in a towel for an hour.. overnight if you can. Do this once or twice a week if you can.

Original poster
Jadefeather7 · 04/09/2019 13:47

@stampy84 I’m putting the essential oils in castor oil. I’ve done it twice this week. Let’s see

OP posts:
Allyo19 · 04/09/2019 13:56

I lost loads after my first pregnancy. Not so much in the second pregnancy. I have taken postpartum vitamins this time but i can't say for sure that is what has helped. The pregnacare new mum vitamins are about £11 a pack but I'm not giving them up just in case.

I feel your pain. It's not very nice.

QuimReaper · 04/09/2019 14:01

Someone should invent a pill that gives you pregnancy hair!

I always think this. Why haven't they? Millions would buy a pill to thicken your hair!

YouWhoNeverArrived · 04/09/2019 14:03

It's telogen effluvium. There's nothing that really helps. It'll pass quickly enough.

WorriedFTM1 · 04/09/2019 14:26

Following with interest because my baby turns 1 soon and I'm still experiencing really bad hair loss. As the OP said, it comes out in clumps in the shower and when I brush and there is hair everywhere! Just about winding down expressing now so hoping that things will return to normal soon. I can't say I noticed thicker hair when pregnant so can't really attribute it to that anymore.

Yogurtcoveredricecake · 04/09/2019 14:51

It's just the hair that didn't fall out as usual during pregnancy. I've got way too much hair so it was quite nice to have less for a while! The regrowth is the worse, I had a halo of baby hairs for about a year, hopefully that won't happen to you!

Lotts123 · 04/09/2019 14:58

My hair has always been very thin and fine and during pregnancy it seemed to get thicker and had more volume. It’s been falling out so much since having DD (8 months), that it blocks the plug hole when I shower - I’ve always shed quite a bit of hair but nothing at this level. I get so worried but my hairdresser promises that I’m not going bald and that I’m just losing the hair that I would usually lose but that didn’t fall out during pregnancy. I’m hoping this is right, because finding clumps of hair is awful!

RumerGodden · 04/09/2019 15:01

As others have said, you don't lose much hair during pregnancy and for the few months afterwards, and then you lose a year's worth very quickly....it feels like you are thinning out, but you have become accustomed to much thicker hair...you are just getting back to pre-pregnancy thickness...it will be over in a few months. the regrowth is worse! so fluffy!

Squashpocket · 04/09/2019 15:19

Yes it is just losing the hair that you've held on to during pregnancy, but unfortunately rather than the hair being lost and replaced gradually in the usual way, it all falls out in one bloody go. So, it's not really your hair 'going back to normal', you now have fewer hairs on your head and it will probably look thinner while the new hair grows back in.

I have curly hair, so I ended up with a halo of 3 inch long wispy hairs standing up all over my head, ffs. I think it's less noticeable if you have straight hair.

Sexnotgender · 04/09/2019 15:22

I feel your pain. I properly clogged our drain with my hair loss! Thankfully I have ridiculously thick hair so it still looks fine but it was insane.

Sian20 · 23/07/2020 18:37

Hi I am looking for some advice. I have a baby girl 5 months old today. At the begging of the month I noticed my hair was falling out in clumps in the shower. I had also just dyed so not sure if I am experiencing a allergic reaction or if it postpartum hair loss ??? My hair has become so thin and can see my scalp when tied in a bottle. I have been advised to wash once a week and be really gentle with my hair it’s falling from the roots (little white bit attached ) not sure if this will make a difference and if it’s going to fall it will fall anyway. I am so paranoid I’m going to loose all my hair I’m even dreaming about it. It’s saying on the internet you can loose around 400 hairs a day After having a baby I’m loosing this every time I brush. Also when I run my hand through my hair loose about 15 hairs each time. Help !!! As I say don’t no if it’s the dye having a baby or mixture. Really appreciate your comments x

ChloeCC · 23/07/2020 18:41

It's just the hair you would have lost anyway had you not been pregnant. It can be quite dramatic but it stops. My baby is 8 months old, the shedding stopped about two months ago. I have very thick hair so there were huge clumps everywhere. Grim.