How To Deal With Postpartum Hair Loss After Having A Baby

Why does postpartum hair loss occur? And is there anything we can do to boost regrowth when it does? Both are questions that come up time and time again and Ashley Graham added a comic flavour to the conversation this week when she shared a picture of the regrowth of fine hairs around her hairline over a year after giving birth to her baby Isaac, likening her new look to that of a Bond villain (see below).

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Needless to say if you're experiencing hair loss after giving birth to a baby don't panic. Postpartum hair loss is perfectly normal and, as Ashley James makes very clear, regrowth is on the way. Still got questions? We've asked Anabel Kingsley, renowned trichologist at Philip Kingsley, and hair guru Michael Van Clarke as many as we could muster so you don't have to:

Why does hair get thicker during pregnancy?

'During pregnancy, raised oestrogen levels keep strands in the anagen (growth) phase for longer,' says Anabel, 'this means that fewer hairs are shed. As a result, many women find their hair gets thicker during pregnancy, especially at the roots and mid-lengths.'

Michael adds 'in the normal hair growth cycle, 50-100 hairs are lost every day. This is normal. Generally, around 80-90% of your hair is in the growth phase of its life cycle at one time, but the hormonal changes during pregnancy hold even more hairs in that growth or resting phase of the hair cycle for longer. As a result, most women enjoy thicker hair during pregnancy, because the shedding part of the cycle (the telogen phase) is delayed.'

Why does hair loss occur after having a baby and how long does it last?

'During pregnancy, raised oestrogen levels keep hairs in their anagen (growth) phase for longer than usual. After giving birth, or stopping to breast-feed, these levels drop, returning to normal,' explains Anabel, 'this can cause hairs retained during pregnancy to shed in a short period of time, resulting in a type hair shedding called postpartum hair fall.'

'In a study we conducted, we found that approximately 50% of women experience postpartum hair fall. We do not know why some women experience it and others do not. It is impossible to predict and it can also occur after one pregnancy, but not another.'

'Due to the nature of the hair growth cycle, postpartum hair fall usually occurs 6-12 weeks after giving birth.'

Michael elaborates 'Hair loss usually starts around three months after birth. This corresponds to the length of the resting phase of hair growth (between 1 and 5 months). The degree of hair loss can seem more extreme if your hair grew much thicker during pregnancy, or if you have long hair. The normal hair growth cycle usually returns 6 to 12 months after birth.'

Can anything be done to prevent hair loss after giving birth?

'Unfortunately, no.' Says Anabel. 'If postpartum hair fall is going to occur, it must be left to run its course but try not to worry, the loss is only temporary and all hairs lost should grow back as usual. It can be made worse by certain factors or continue for longer than it should – but these factors can often be avoided.'

How long does it take for hair to grow back after postpartum hair loss?

'While the overall thickness of the hair can drastically decrease, postpartum hair loss is temporary; the shedding should stop and growth resume as usual within a few months.' Reassures Anabel.

'Eating a healthy diet and managing stress levels can help the hair to recover as fast as possible.'

What can we do to boost hair regrowth after postpartum hair loss?

'During pregnancy, oils glands on the scalp tend to be less active – and this can cause hair to appear quite dry,' explains Anabel. 'To combat this, use a weekly pre-shampoo conditioning treatment. You may also want to temporarily swap out your shampoo and conditioner for a more moisturising one.'

'A growing foetus requires a huge amount of energy to grow, and being the second fastest tissue the body produces - so does your hair. However, unlike your baby your hair is non-essential tissue. This means your body will never prioritise its needs and if you don’t in-take sufficient amounts of energy in your diet your hair is likely to suffer. Energy to form hair cells drops four hours after eating a meal, so snack on a complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain toast, crackers or granola to keep energy levels to hair cells sustained. Follow your doctor’s orders and take any pre-natal vitamins and minerals they prescribe.'

''What you are able to do too is to give follicles the internal support they need in order to re-grow at their optimal rate. Eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in protein and iron. Taking a daily protein supplement and a multi-vitamin containing iron, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D can also be of great help. As hair is non-essential tissue, it often needs some extra nutritional support.'

'To immediately give your hair the appearance of more body and volume, use a thickening and strengthening protein spray when you style. To help encourage new and healthy hair growth, target the scalp with stimulating anti-androgenic scalp drops. These should be applied to your scalp on a daily basis for best results.'

Shop: The Products The Pros Recommend To Promote Growth After Postpartum Hair Loss

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