Postnatal hair loss.

[WanderingTrolley1]

How much is too much?

I'm 16 weeks postnatal and, for the last 4 weeks, it's been falling out.

I'm especially thin around the temples and receding at the front and I'd say I've lost maybe 50% of my hair.

Starting to get me down (almost as much as my migraines) :(

It's very hard - I nearly went bald with my first and I normally have masses of hair. It would come out in clumps and I left a trail of it wherever I went.

I'm sorry to have to say the regrowth stage of 1/4 inch spikes striking up all over your head is even worse .

When I feel pregnant again 18 months later (at the 1/4 inch spike stage) I was terrified I would actually go bald. My hairdresser suggested nioxin shampoo/conditioner and it was brilliant. I lost far less and it seemed to grow faster.

It's quite expensive but completely worth it because I know how worrying the prospect of suddenly, really looking like you are going to lose all your hair is.

That's pretty normal to have the Anne Berlin look. It'll grow back, fret ye not xx

Do you have any other symptoms? My hair got really thin after ds1 and I was also really tired and achey etc. my GP dismissed it for over 6 months but it turned out my thyroid had failed and hair loss is a big clue to that happening, along with various other symptoms which were ignored.

Not saying it is necessarily anything over and above the normal hormonal upheaval but worth keeping an eye on it just in case.

Thanks for your replies.

Lost, how old is your second DC now and is your hair back to it's former glory yet? I'll look into the nioxin. Is it easily available?

upup, just hope it starts growing back before it's all gone.

Fore, I've been suffering migraines and tension headaches the past month and tiredness, yes, but put that down to having 2 DCs under 16 months.

Do you think it's time for me to see Dr about it?

Thanks again.

I suffered with this both times at about 4-5 months after I gave birth, but it was much worse after I had DS2. Like you, I must have lost about 50% of my hair - which is very fine anyway so I looked fucking awful. I had bald patches and a receding hairline!

Turned out I was very iron anaemic and also B12 deficient - once that was fixed it all started growing back immediately. Now I have a layer of hair about 6 inches long throughout my normal length hair. Get yourself checked out if it is really bad, my GP fobbed me off at first saying it was perfectly normal and that I was narcoleptic with exhaustion due to night feeds.

Thank you for your reply, Fruitbat.

Did you have other symptoms with the iron/vitamin deficiencies?

That's also my concern - that the Dr will send me on my way, telling me it's normal.

Bump.

Are we really that much in the minority, then?

No - it happens to a greater or lesser extent to most people. It's one of those horrific facts of pregnancy that no one warns you about.

My second DC is nearly two and my hair is lush - but I looked at photos today from from when it was falling out and oh my god it was horrific. It does grow back I promise. x

I am currently in the 1/4 inch spike stage a pp spoke about. My thyroid and iron are fine (checked for unrelated conditions), just one of those things. Why does nobody warn you? Or why does no one else seem to have it as bad as me