Losing Hair a Lot, 6 Months After Giving Birth

I went through the same thing not too long ago. It was not after child birth, but after getting my tubes tied. I (being a nurse) panicked and went to the dr. I insisted he test my thyroid and for any other conditions that would cause the hair loss. Once that all came back negative, I was speaking with a hair stylist. She looked at my hair and said it was way to dry. She suggested I use pantene hot creme rinse 1x per week for 4 weeks (it comes 2 in a box). She also suggested I use a leave in conditioner in addidtion to using regular conditioner after washing my hair. I like INFUSION, it does not leave my hair slimy or heavy. Leave your hair down as much as you can, try some head bands instead of pony tails, also maybe a loose twist in your hair, or a braid. Mine got better. I hope it works for you too. Make sure you are taking a vitamin with folic acid in it too.
Good luck, let me know how it goes
T.

It's totally normal. I lost a huge amount of hair after my daughter was born, starting at around 4-5 months. It went on for a long time, and my normally very thick hair was down to wispy strands. So I cut it short (a ponytail worked, but I could not wear it down, ever), and eventually it all grew back (I had some spiky things going on for a little while). My hairdresser said it was the worst case of postpartem hair loss she has ever seen, but my hair is completely back to normal now, as thick as ever. It will grow back. No need for Rogaine. And I'm still nursing, so I don't think it has to do with that either. Your hair does not fall out when you're pregnant, so it all gets on the same cycle for a while, and falls out at the same time. Just throw it in a ponytail and wait it out.

Lots of Mom's, when they are nursing, thing that they are eating pretty well, and the fact is, it is extremely difficult to do so these days.

Losing hair is "usually" a sign of not enough of the right kind of protein. Hair is protein. You'll see a difference in your baby when you begin to add more protein. But I eat right you say...... That is what I mean, even though you are eating well, the food doesn't have all you need.

Supplementing is extrememly necessary, and getting the right source. IN addition a complete vitamin program with all the tocpherals, bioflavanoids, and all the B's are also essentioal.

I have a new product being released in the next few days that is clinically proven to effect 80 different biomarkers of the body, has 12 patents and 2 patent pendings. It is rated the #1 Natural Nutrition company of the U.S. Want to know more, contact me back.

There is a saying in the computer world, junk in, junk out. Our bodies work the same way and the bad side effects tell us that we aren't getting all that our own personal body requires.

Losing hair 4-6 months after giving birth is very common. I would hold on or contact your ob/gyn. Also, be sure you are still taking vitamins of some sort. Vitamin E, I found, helps with hair/nail growth. You also might want to have your thyroid checked. But personally, I would hold off with any hair treatments. Good luck.

I have a 5 month old, and I'm still losing tons of hair. My OB said that the first wave of hair loss starts aaround 3 months post-partum. The second starts when you decrease/stop nursing. Unfortunately for me, with this child breastfeeding wasn't going so well and we stopped nursing right at the 3 month mark. Well, guess what -- double the hair loss. Falling out in huge clumps, and like someone else said, mostly at the temples. I think it is starting to re-grow finally because I'm getting a lot of funny looking fuzz at the temples now. But, it looks really bad in a pony tail because the temples really show. Also, I had to start wearing a hat in the sun for the first time ever because my hair thinnned so much that I actually got sunburn on my scalp for the first time ever. I think its totally normal. Good luck!

Congratulations on your new baby! I have three kids and have major hair loss that usually starts when the babies are about 3 months old and goes on until their about a year, although it steadily declines. Mine falls out around the temples. The worst part for me is that when it starts growing back it makes me look like I have a little halo of hairs sticking up around my forehead! With the third, I just accepted that it's going to happen and is part of the way my body changes with pregnancies. Yay. However, if you're truly concerned, it certainly wouldn't hurt to get checked out by an endocronologist or dermatologist. I saw a dermatologist after my first baby because I was sure the hair loss was not related to pregnancy. I was wrong, and it was reassuring to have the doctor let me know that all was normal. Enjoy your baby. I'm so happy for you!

It's probably your thyroid. I had the same problem post partum and saw an endocrinologist and it fixed itself without any meds and now I'm pregnant again and having the same issue. It's totally normal and you don't actually have to do anything about it but synthroid might make you feel better. Your milk supply on the other hand probably has more to do with the starting of solids than anything. When my daughter started solids my supply went down and then evened itself off. She's 17 months old and still nursing and I still have enough for her even pregnant so don't let that deter you from breastfeeding. Good luck.

Hi M.,

I see already have lots of responses. I went through the same exact thing. I breastfed until my daughter was 4.5 months (now 9.5). Soon after I stopped, my hair was falling out in CLUMPS. In the shower I would have handfuls of hair. I have allot of hair to begin with so I didn't really notice the thinning out. Now it's growing back. I have side burns and didn't realize how much fell out around my hairline. I went to get my hair highlited a few eeks ago for the first time since she was as born and I have little hairs all over my head. My advice to you.....wait a while. You will see little hairs (bangs) popping up all over, but it does come back.

Good luck.

Hey M.! I'm ALWAYS posting about thyroid issues...just check my history! :) Hair loss was one of the MAJOR symptoms of the thyroid condition (hypothyroidism) I was diagnosed with when my middle child was 1. I know that your thyroid "shuts down" or slows down when you're pregnant, and after birth, it either revs back up again, or "forgets" to start back up. Sometimes it operates on overdrive or it can be sluggish. To make a long story short, thyroid issues after pregnancy is really common, and hair loss asoociated with a thyroid issue is extra-common, as well. Good luck!

It's totally normal. I lost hair with all three of my kids, all around 4-6 months. Your don't lose as much hair when you are pregnant, so at about 4-6 months, you lose the hair you would of normally. This explains it in further detail: http://babyparenting.about.com/od/postpartum/f/pphairloss...

Don't worry, it will stop soon - my third is 8 months, and my hair loss is normal.

You know....you might want to have your thyroid tested. After having my first child my thyroid went crazy...hyper thyroid. Hair starting falling out, etc.....Just a simple blood test would let you know.

Thanks for asking the question, I am 5 months post partum and keep pulling clumps of hair out every morning in the shower. I had heard this was normal but it was nice to read it from fellow posters here. I guess we just wait it out.

Totally normal to lose lot of hair months after birth, as you are pg you don't lose your hair as you normally would, so later after giving birth your body starts losing the hormones (not sure if it's progesterone or estrogen or what that makes us keep our hairs in our heads :), and your body starts to lose the extra hair. I was losing handsful of mine about 6 months after birth, i thought it wouldn't end either, about month went by before it stopped, and no baldyhead :) I wouldn't worry unless you actually do start going bald. cheers!

When your pregnant your body holds onto hair you would normally shed... the enventually it all comes out. Mine lasted for about 6 months. I would have little clumbs of maybe 4-10 hairs but if you are looseing HUGE chuncks i'd talk to doc, otherwise wait 5-6 mo. Its normal.

M. -

I had the same thing happen. I lost TONS of hair for the first 8-9 months after my son's birth in Sept of 06. I thought for sure I would end up bald. But then one day, I just stopped losing it and now I have TONS of new hair growth all over my head!

S.

Hi M.,

I am almost 2 months pregnant and I am also loosing allot of hair. This is what I am doing for my hair to stop falling and for me to grow new hair.

I crush my prenatal pills and put it in my shampoo bottle. When I apply it to my hair I massage my scalp with the shampoo. My sister in-law is always loosing hair and this is what she does all the time it really works for her hopefully it does for me also Good Luck.

From what I hear from other moms...and my own experience...this is really common. While you are pregnant the hair growth is really stimulated and it is really common to shed this extra hair starting around 6 months. Talk to your doctor, but as long as you're not getting lots of bald patches, I just let it run its course. It stopped for me after a couple months..maybe less...It was really freaky though!!

this is very normal but i would reccomend that you try a shampoo and conditioner called nioxin, use number 2. if you walk into a salon or ulta they will know what you are talking about if you tell them you want the number 2 nioxin

i did not lose any hair until 9 months post-partum and i only breastfed for 5 weeks.

my stylist re-assured me that it was just the extra hair that i was losing.

i got a haircut with more layers and you can not even tell.

i thought i was going bald!

i am also blonde and i would see my hairs everywhere, but it only lasted a few weeks.

hopefully this is the case for you too!

I was having the same problem, but I was pretty much pregnant for the last 2 years...I have twins that are 6 and then I have an 18 month old and a 5 month old...between my last two I had not stopped taking my prenatals...after my last one I stopped taking them and my hair was just falling out so I asked my ob just to write me another script for the prenatals...I tried the OTC ones and they did not work...Good Luck!

It's totally normal to loose hair after birth. You don't loose any while you're prego so it all catches up after delivery.

Totally normal. Don't take any meds. Also, check in with a lactation consultant about the Adderol, you may not need to pump and dump. Good luck.

As the other posters have said, this is totally normal. It is not related to breastfeeding because it also affects non-breastfeeding moms. It does take awhile for it all to come back in as full as it was before so be patient! Just think of how much faster it will be to wash your hair :-)
Congrats on being a new mom! Great job bf'ing, keep it up!

i did the same thing and now my kids are bigger and im still loosing hair like crazy but my doc told me that its cause of stress. sometimes its not bad but others i swear i loose a bucket full lol.

normal. I lost a ton from like month6 to month 12. Surprised I had hair left