Postpartum hair loss

[Gardengnome82]

Hi all

I feel a bit ridiculous posting this but I am feeling a really low about the extent of my hair loss. My son is 20 weeks old and I have lost so much hair that as well as feeling very thin, I have bald patches around the front and sides of my hairline. I have to have my hair tied up as it is long and my son grabs it and pulls it out but of course, having it tied back really shows off the thinning and balding hair line. I normally have very thick curly hair so this has really come as a shock to me in terms of how much hair I have lost. Please tell me it gets better soon, any tips to cover the hair line while still tieing up?

Thank you

Hey. I feel for you - make sure you’re taking a good multi vitamin and I’d get your iron and b12 levels checked as that can exasperate it x

Hi OP,

I had this with my first baby and couldn't believe how much I lost at the front. Luckily I had a great hairdresser who completely understood and helped with a style that I felt 'hid' it a little bit. And rest assured, it came back a few months later.

Currently expecting DD2 and not looking forward to this part again, but it will pass!

Thanks all - I will start taking a supplement and pay a bit more attention to my diet which is mainly chocolate at the mo. Think it's bothering me due to lots of comments on how tired I look (why do ppl say that??) combined with finding a few greys! Just feel like I don't look like 'me' any more and maybe never again.

@Gardengnome82 hiya I’m going through this now and my hair is so bad I did have very thick long hair before pregnancy too but now my hair seems to be so thin after all the hair I’m losing everyday I’m just wondering has yours stopped now? If so how long did it go on for
Loiis x

Hi! It peaked when my baby was four months old and then stopped falling out between then and five months. It’s regrowing now (baby is nine months) but is a slow process and looks a mess as I have very curly hair!
It’s v depressing isn’t it but no one really seems to notice except me xx

I’ve been experiencing the same thing. My hair was gorgeous while pregnant. So full & thick. I was really shocked at the amount I started losing. It’s quite distressing. I started taking a multi vitamin & got a really good chop, so it’s a bob now which makes it less noticeable. The past couple of weeks the hair loss has calmed down a lot. My son is almost 6 months.

Mine peaked at 4 months post partum, like a pp said. But then all the new regrowth was very noticeable! I had tufty bits at the front and along my parting. If i were you i’d get a fringe, or some shaping round the front that will allow you to put your hair up but leave bits covering where you feel the loss is most noticeable. Get a good couple of inches off the length as well as this will make it feel thicker - the blunter the cut the thicker it will look. The collarbone length lob is good for this as it’s still long enough to put up when you cba with it.

Change how you put it up as well, if you scrape it back in a ponytail or bun that always sits in the same place you are placing stress on the same part of the hair over and over, both in the bit where the bobble sits and at the front where it’s pulled from the hairline. So have a go at putting it up differently from time to time - it doesn’t have to be complicated and faffy, just eg twist it up in a claw clip, change to a lower/higher ponytail, tie it more loosely (silk scrunchies are good), or try just taking a piece from each side, twist back away from your face and clip at the back so it’s half up and out of your face, but you haven’t got the full weight of it all pulling on the front of your head.

@MadameButterface I’m getting my hair cut soon see if that will help as my shedding still really bad I have also been having dandruff ? Did anyone else get this ? I’ve never had this before ?

@Johnson10 yea mine was so thick during pregnancy and now it’s so thinner it’s never been so thin I’m surprised I have any hair left I lose so much each day can’t wait for it to end 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hi OP i'm right there with you, my mood was already down the pan so my mam was emptying the plug hole and changing the bed sheets before I could see them. I'm now 6 months PP and have probably an inch of hair in those patches. I have a fair amount of grey hair which made it look even more sparse so dyeing it has helped make it look fuller, I've also been using clairol root touch up on my baldy bits.

Has anyone suffered with dandruff along with postpartum hair loss? As this is what I’ve been dealing with too and I never suffered with it before 😕

@Gardengnome82 Hello OP, going through this right now. Bald patches all over to the point I have been asked if I am on meds or having treatment. Did yours get better and how soon? I am 5 months pp

Oh gosh so sorry to hear this. Yes it did get better. It peaked at 4-5 mths then stopped falling out. Then regrew at normal rate. I think it’s still a little thin at one side on my hairline but that might just be me scrutinising. Can you wear thick hair bands? It will grow back xx

@Gardengnome82 Thank you so much for coming back to me, sorry did think you posted one year ago and that’s normally when people see it get better by. I had bad hair loss after ds1 but ds2 who was born this June it has been horrendous. It is visibly very very thin and the girls at my son’s nursery asked me if I was unwell and kept giving me pity looks I felt so self-conscious I have been looking for crown topping hair extensions. Just makes me feel so unfeminine am sorry if I sound dramatic, I have a lovely baby to enjoy but the hair loss has made feel so insecure.

Sounds like they could be more understanding! It’s awful the effect it has on you isn’t it. I was really rocked by mine. I did have my iron checked and it was found to be low so perhaps you could have that done. I also used a scalp massaging brush. At least it u it s getting colder for hats!