AIBU to think postpartum hair loss is a serious kick in the teeth

[Basil90]

Hi all,

I'm 14 weeks pp. As amazing as my journey into motherhood has been so far it hasn't been without the usual - hyperemisis, heartburn, stretch marks, vaginal tears and so on. However just when I thought things were settling down and I was getting back to normal , now my hair is shedding. Seriously shedding.

I know it's all part of the process but it's getting me really down. I'm trying to keep perspective but I'm so anxious whenever I wash, brush or even touch my hair.

I'm going to ask the GP to check my thyroid and iron levels. Has anyone got any other useful advice? Vitamins/ supplements/ products or anything else that could help me through the worst of it?

Any reassurance would also be appreciated.

Thanks

It's normal! Don't worry. During pregnancy your hair falls out less. So after birth you're just losing the hair you would have lost over the last however many months. It will settle down, give it time.

Yep it's shit. But it will grow back eventually. PRP on my scalp worked for me(started to grow back within a week) but I do think it just will happen if you are patient.

Did you have a lot of blood loss? I took iron tablets which almost stopped it. Don’t want to over egg that element as you could just be unlucky but you could try an iron-rich diet until you get to see your doctor. If all else fails, highlights really minimised the shock for a friend of mine as the scalp was much less noticeable against blonde hair.

It's also just not true that you're only losing what you would have lost - I got proper bald patches. But it all came back.

Are you still taking a prenatal? If not then restart - they really help postpartum.

I’m 15 weeks nearly PP and it’s coming out in clumps again! Wasn’t so bad with my eldest but with my middle I legitimately had hugely bald patches along the middle of my head and my hairline. It’s looking like it’s going the same way again which is frustrating

Completely normal love - it will grow back, and you end up looking like you’ve for a mane (ffs)

Hang on in there! (Hug)

My DS is almost 2 and mine has just never returned to normal sadly, I'm still holding out hope though!! I was on iron tablets due to blood loss but they don't seem to have made a difference to me, so following to see other recommendations!

I felt like my hair was thinning about 8 months pp. Blood tests identified vitamin d deficiency. I take high dose vit d now - it’s a spray from Holland and Barrett and now it’s fine. I’ve since had another baby and haven’t had the same issue

Hi, thanks all for the replies so far. I didn't have significant blood loss but am taking a iron supplement. I'm also taking b-complex vitamins, vitamin d & c and omega 3 fish oil. I've been recommended Nourkin for hair loss which contains biotin and marilex so have started taking that too. I'm surprised I'm not ratting! I've changed my shampoo to Plantur and am using Natur Vital hair loss tonic

It can also happen after stopping breast feeding 😩

@RebeccaCloud9 I’m not breastfeeding so hoping not to have to go through this more than once..

It grows back. It might get worse before it gets better but it grows back.

It does grown back I promise, I remember putting my fingers through my hair and clumps coming away, it clogged the Hoover brushes up, worst at my hairline/temple area. But honestly it grows back to just as nice, if not nicer than it was before. It just yet another thing that no one tells you about, like getting a dry fanjo in the first few weeks pp!!

I had this but switched conditioner to a macadamia nut oil one and it’s been a lot better recently.

Right there in clogged-drain baldy land with you. It's everywhere, all over the bathroom and the playmat – living in fear of hair tourniquets – and my clothes, everywhere except my head

I considered writing exactly this thread! When does it stop? 😩

I’m here in solidarity as I’ve just been through the same thing there is hair EVERYWHERE. I am DC2 though so was prepared. I’m coming out the end of it now but am going to be stopping breastfeeding soon so I might be going through it all again!

High protein diet helps

I have just had a good hair cut (4-5 inches) for this reason. Doesn't help the loss, but looks like I'm losing less and makes me feel better.

I'd also recommend a plug hair catcher. We had to remove the bath panel to declump the bath drain after my first was born.

Perfectly normal OP. I shed so much for months after my dd was born. I genuinely thought I might go bald because my hairbrush would be ful every day.

My dd is now 12 months old, the shedding has stopped and my hair is thicker than it has been in years. Not going to lie though the baby hair is awful but it’ll grow out.

Mine didn’t grow back. Over the course of three pregnancies I lost a vast amount of hair volume.

My friend went to GP ended up on iron supplements. It is worth getting your bloods checked.

I lost so much hair! I lost it from my arms, legs, genitals and eyebrows as well as the curls on my head.

But it did all grow back, and just as curly as before.

I don't think I had lost a single hair during the pregnancy and in early post-partum photos I look like I'm cos-playing as a lion.

From about 14 week my hair went thin with bald spots.

I went to the hair dresser and got it cropped really short. Then as it grew back it looked fine.

(I was a little 'coiffure à la titus' for a while though)

Just another one saying go for a blood test. Mine fell out astronomical amounts. The plug was covered every day. My hairbrush. Me and dp constantly bickered over the trail I left behind me. My ferritin was low. I'm now almost 9 months post partum and 2 months on from starting ferrous sulphate and finally am back to normal hair loss.