Does everyone get post partum hair loss?

[Yorkshirelass198]

I know I shouldn’t worry too much but I’m due in a week and a half and I’ve seen many of my friends suffer with PP hair loss - one of which has had it very severe! I already have very fine hair naturally where you can see my scalp so what worries me is I’ll potentially be left almost entirely bald in areas. My question is, did you suffer PP hair loss? I’d love to hear a mixed bag of experiences..

Dd - seemed to lose a lot
Ds - not quite as bad

Nope I haven't had all. I've got loads of thick hair and didn't lose any. None of my friends did either, I've never heard it mentioned except on here

I did with all three and I have fine hair so it was quite noticeable and depressing. Keep your iron up and consider whether either cutting it or keeping it long and tied up is better for you. I cut it the first time, but actually tying it back hides the hair loss. However, not everyone gets it.

My hairdresser said that when you are pregnant you don't shed as much hair so afterwards your body gets rid of the old stuff, so you shouldn't lose enough to go bald (although I'm sure there are exceptions) although it can be quite alarming, it's just what would have fallen out in the previous 9 months.

No not at all. My hair got thicker.

I did - lovely thicker than usual hair til 3m postpartum then all the stuff round my temples fell out and I needed to get a fringe. Took a year or so to fully come back. Oddly it grew straight during pregnancy too then gradually curled again after.

As @HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime says, you should just end up the same as you started. So whilst that may not be ideal, it shouldn't be any worse.

I also have very thin hair (so much so I had seen a "specialist" about it previously). During pregnancy my hair looked thicker just because it was falling out less. Some fell out around 9 months post partum but most of it came out after I stopped breastfeeding so after 20 months or so. It did fall out quite dramatically but it is the same as it was pre-pregnancy. No worse.

I'm glad there are people this didn't happen to. You may be one of the lucky ones but it isn't too bad either way!

I didn't

Yeah, I had it. About 10-12 weeks after birth both times.
As pp has said, it's the usual hair you would have lost during pregnancy, but because your body is on "growth" mode in pregnancy you don't lose as much. It's a catch up of the hair you would have usually lost, but in the space of 4-5 weeks not 30 odd!

My hair strands are fine but I have a lot of them and my usual hair loss is pretty high anyway, so it was quite alarming post partum! Handfuls when I put my hand through my hair at one point. It does grow back, but obviously it's all at the same time. I'm pretty adventurous with my hair but it was a pita.

Got a fringe with DC1 in an attempt to blend in the baby hair regrowth around my temples, and with DC2 I ended up getting a jaw length Bob with an undercut. Then both times grew it out to how I wanted. 20weeks with DC3 and I'm already getting irritated at the thought of it!

Like vampire mine got thicker, before DS1 hairdressers always commented on my baby fine hair. Now, when I go to a hairdresser they always say it's so thick.

Yes I did but only when I stopped breast feeding.. seems terrible and apocalyptic at the time .. but it will pass and I got my hair back again.

I didn't lose any thankfully and I have fine hair. I can't say I know anyone in real life who has ever mentioned it happening to them.

Yeah I did. It was horrific. And it was certainly worse than just ending up the same way it started. If you are only losing the ‘extra’, why do you then get massive regrowth after the loss?
My best friend didn’t lose any at all though PP. I think it’s luck of the draw.

I have long thick hair and had hair loss twice before pregnancy, once because of illness and once because of stress. I didn't have any loss after DD1, DD2 is 5 month and I am losing it this time. But not as bad as the non pregnancy times I don't think.

I had it badly with my dd. The house was covered in my hair and every evening I would sit watching tv, brushing my hair and pulling large quantities out (every night for weeks) to try and stop it from shedding all over the house. It was so bad that my hoover kept getting jammed up with my hair and I had to cut the hair out of it after every time I used it. I also have thin hair and was scared that I would have bald patches due to the amount I was losing (it was a scary amount) but I didn't, and it stopped after a few weeks.

With my ds, I had some loss of hair but my hair was much shorter this time and I just didn't notice the loss as much. Again, no bald patches. Both times it started around week 10 postpartum and it was over by week 15 ish, with the two middle weeks being the worst.

Hi OP, sorry to be a downer but mine was bad. I've got fine hair and a thyroid condition so like you it was a worry before pregnancy. Then pregnancy was this amazing 9-month mermaid hair paradise (I mean, apart from the puking and the PGP :) ) and then it all came out over the course of a week or so.

It was pretty horrible - woke up one morning and my white pillowcase looked like it was brown muppet fur! - and it was noticeable around my hairline at the front, mostly. I didn't hack it off but wore it up a lot.

The wispy regrowth came in pretty fast though and I think once DS was 1 it was pretty much back to normal.

Fingers crossed you'll be one of the lucky ones! But if it does come out then try not to worry, it's not a permanent thing. X

I lost loads

It all grew back quickly and now at 11 mo pp it's growing down, just out of the annoying fluffy stage.

I have very thin and fine hair. When pregnant my hair was so thick and full and i loved it.
I got hair loss after and it seemed quite bad, my hair was everywhere and when i ran my hand through i had a whole bunch of hair in it after. But i never got bald spots or anything. My hair just went back to the way it was before pregnancy.

4 month PP here and shedding quite a lot unfortunately. I have very fair, fine hair and had lovely thick hair while preggers, hit about 10 weeks PP and it started. Fortunately had a hair appointment as soon as allowed and my lovely hairdresser has sorted out a bit of a fringe and some shape at the front and it looks fine. Had the same 4 years ago with my older child and it came back just a bit tufty in parts for a couple of months.

Yes and I got that dreadful fuzzy halo too 😬 it's back to normal now though

Yeah, I did with mine. However, I didn't find that hair looks sparse or thin, even losing loads. It's just the excess hair grown during pregnancy. Those growth hormones affect everything. Except my leg and bikini hair which weirdly became fine and barely-there

Oh - I said it didn't get sparse, but I remember really annoying tufts of regrowth hair sticking up all around my face! Don't know what the hell that was. Remember the trainee hairdresser washing my hair asking if I'd had a baby recently, so I guess it's normal!

Yeah the regrowth annoyed me far more than the loss tbh.

My hair got even thicker when pregnant and 3 years later still as thick, tot he point it's almost unmanageable (it would be if didn't just tie it back all the time!) Everyone is different xx

No hair loss at all. I've got really fine hair and it didn't get better or worse!