Post Partum hair loss

[2boyzmama]

Help me out ladies. At what point does post partum hair loss become abnormal?

This was my third delivery, and the shedding didn't start until 3 months post partum, then was pretty bad for about 6 weeks, then tapered off. Now suddenly, at 6 months post partum, it's started up again! I have to unclog the drain multiple times during a shower, and I have to vacuum the bathroom floor several times a week because of how much hair I lose while brushing/blow drying. My office mate is constantly pulling stray hairs off the back of my shirt, and every single time I run my fingers through my hair, I shed more.

Is this still "normal"? Are there other causes of hair loss that I should be concerned about? Some sort of deficiency? Some sort of thyroid problem? As far as I can tell my overall hair thickness hasn't changed much, I mean I'm not balding or anything noticeable, but this does seem extreme when compared to my other two.

[spmamma]

I don't know about it starting and stopping, then starting up again but I can tell you that both times mine started at 3 months. With DD it lasted at least three solid months and with DS I'm going on two months of shedding with no end in sight yet.

If you're worried, call your OB or midwife – she should be able to tell you if what you're experiencing is normal. Good luck!!

[desertgirl01]

Yeah, I second the advice about calling your ob or midwife. My pp hairloss started at 3 months and stopped almost exactly at 6 months, and during those 3 months I lost tons of hair. My hair got really, really thin. And now it is growing back and I have a weird 3" layer of spikies all over, but I'll take those over balding spots.

Good luck, hope it isn't something serious.

[MamieCole]

I have the same problem, although mine hasn't stopped since about 3 months pp. My hair IS thinning and I can see scalp in places I shouldn't be able to.

Here is some advice I got from an herbalist who specializes in pregnancy/post-partum/breastfeeding:

"Biotin, which is one of the B vitamins, works wonders for hair loss. It's safe for breastfeeding women, and is even effective for breastfeeding babies with cradle cap. The recommended dosage for healthy hair and nails is 1000-3000 micrograms per day. I take 2500 mcg twice a day - my hair and nails are growing like crazy, and my husband (who has struggled with hair loss for years) is losing much, much less hair every day. It's safe for preg and BF moms, even in larger doses. Make sure that you take it in conjunction with other B vitamins, such as your prenatal, so that you don't become defficient in the others."

I just got this info the other day and am going to purchase some Biotin today to see if it helps, so I can't vouch for it personally yet, but thought I would share the info.

[PiscesMommy]

My hair started to shed three months after I had my daughter. When I say shedding I mean to the point of baldness

The front part of my hair was bald and so was my back.

I did not stop losing my hair until almost a year later

Up your intake of protein, eat right, and continue taking your pre-natal vitamins.
I really think these steps are important if you are breastfeeding.

[hildare]

extreme hair loss can be a sign of a thyroid problem. pregnancy & childbirth & breastfeeding can stress your thyroid and cause problems.. it's not a bad idea to get your levels checked if you can. of course, lots of hair loss post partum is normal. it can seem like more if you have long hair, too.

[Norasmomma]

I shed with DD for at least 9 months, it started at 3 months PP. I had tufts on my head, not awesome at all. I ended up chopping my hair off.

[Masel]

My endocrinologist mentioned Iron deficiency when she saw how thin my hair has become. They drew blood but have not seen the results yet. I added an iron supplement since I had some around. I'm already on synthroid so were checking that too.

My mom recommended biotin shampoo. (She's a nurse and has worked with cancer patients.)It worked for my sister but my hair is really fine and most shampoos are too harsh.

[octobermoon]

mine seems to have stopped shedding at 6 mos pp and started at around 3mos pp.

[belltree]

I just started shedding at 5.5 months postpartum.

[Peony]

With DD2 and DS, I shed for a good 6 months, even close to 8 I would say. It was so bad with both that I had to cut away mats of hair off of my vacuum rollers. Now I have all the new hair growth coming in which means tufts of hair sticking up everywhere.

[mkksmom]

At 6.5 mo, I am still shedding, and I was wondering if it's normal as well.

[zazenist]

DD will be 6 months old tomorrow, and I have been shedding like a fiend since about 3 months PP. I shed a lot normally, but this has been baaaaaaaaad! Like the OP, we're talking clearing the shower drain multiple times during a shower, constant vacuuming, hairballs in the bed - gak! It's slowing down now, thankfully, but I did have to break down and get my hair chopped off. It was a few inches below my shoulder, now it's at my jaw. That did help a lot with the sheer volume of hair, but it was still bad. I was hypothyroid way before I got pregnant, and my levels are still OK, but it was alarming! Luckily it must grow in as fast as it was falling out, since I never got bald spots.

[Mom2M]

Thank you for the biotin tip! I'm going to try it right away, I can't stand this. I have really long hair and am beginning to panic,lol.
No bald spots yet but wow, in the shower it is scary.

[Mirrormonkey]

I use Nioxin for pp hairloss and that stopped it.

nak

[leaves]

sounds JUST like me. i was losing a ridiculous amount of hair, to the point where it was starting to worry me. i think it had to do with malnutrition also. i haven't been eating the best and breastfeeding is taking SO much out of me. my immune system has been shot and i am underweight.

i got sick a month ago and started taking echinacea and 1000 mg of vitamin C a day and my hair stopped falling out like crazy. i have no idea if it was the vit C and echinacea, but i'm not going to stop taking it! it's too much of a coincidence.

[firewoman]

Well, I barely lose any hair during pregnancy so my hair gets too thick while pregnant. Around 3 months all the hair I would have lost during the pregnancy, had I not been pregnant, begins to fall out. My daughter is 6 months and 1 week and the hair loss is still going, but I'm not noticing bald spots or severely thinning hair. I remember becoming concerned after my fourth pregnancy because the hair loss went on so long but stopped before it became a problem. I think what you are describing is normal, but thyroid problems and malnutrition can be an issue postpartum so it may be something you want to look into just to be careful. I have thyroid problems (currently under control with meds) and it is better to find out about them before they get wildly out of control. Good luck and I hope your hair stops falling out soon!

[Novus]

My hair did the same thing--shed from 3-7 mos, then slowed down, then picked back up from about 9-10 mos. DS is 11 months now and just in the past month, it seems to be going back to normal--hopefully for good! I'd love it if this were one less question to ask my MW at my 1 year PP visit.

[georgia]

Moving to Birth and Beyond