Hair Loss During Pregnancy: All You Need To Know

First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy!

One of the major changes during pregnancy is change with the hair, like other parts of the body. So your hair could thin or fall out, or it could also thicken. Therefore, there is need to understand why hair loss during pregnancy or hair loss after pregnancy happens. Additionally, there is need to understand what you can do to help the problem. This will help in fighting the thinning and loss of your hair, as well as in improving extra hair growth during and after pregnancy.

One of the most interesting things about pregnancy is the way it affects a woman’s hair. During pregnancy, the hair becomes fuller. That is because the follicles don’t release hair at the same rate as when the body is not pregnant.

Perhaps, you have heard that hair becomes lustrous and thick during pregnancy. This is true for some women. The reason for this is increase in the levels of estrogen during pregnancy which slows hair shedding.

So, hair loss during pregnancy is not very common, and hair will usually fall out less than when a woman is not pregnant.

Hair loss during pregnancy

Thinning or hair loss during pregnancy may take two to four months to be obvious. So, it does not happen right away. The process of shedding or thinning can be dramatic if it is related to hormonal imbalance and lack of essential vitamins.  

The following are the possible causes of hair loss during pregnancy

Thyroid disorders

Hyperthyroidism or too much thyroid hormone, and hypothyroidism or too little thyroid hormone may not be spotted easily during pregnancy.

Hypothyroidism is more common, affecting about 3 in 100 pregnant women. Hair loss is a symptom of hypothyroidism, along with exhaustion, muscle cramps and constipation.

About 1 in 20 women may have thyroid issues after childbirth (known as postpartum thyroiditis). A blood test can be used to diagnose thyroid issues.

Stress or shock

Some women may experience hair thinning and shedding due to stress, a condition known as telogen effluvium. This condition may also occurs during pregnancy.

The first trimester may be really stressful as hormonal balance adjusts in support of the growing baby.

During pregnancy, stress may affect 30% or more of your scalp hairs leading to a hair loss of 300 hairs instead of an average of 100 hairs per day.

Poor intake of essential nutrients

If your hair falls out during pregnancy, it’s also because of not receiving the nutrients your body needs. Without those essential nutrients, your body is unable to produce the amount of estrogen it needs.

One of the things to be aware of therefore is if your hair falls out during your pregnancy. If this occurs, it is also likely a result of not receiving enough nutrients for your body to produce the right amounts of estrogen.

This is especially a problem within the first trimester because of morning sickness and nausea. It is important to make sure that you are getting the right amounts of nutrients during this time to allow your body to stay balanced.

Knowing what changes your body goes through during pregnancy will help you adjust your hair routine to keep it healthy. Additional vitamins and other supplements will help your hair and scalp to be healthy and your hair beautiful.

Iron deficiency

Iron deficiency occurs when you lack enough red blood cells to get oxygen to the body tissues. It can cause hair thinning, and hair loss during pregnancy.

Pregnant women have a high risk of iron deficiency anemia. This may occur in closely spaced pregnancies, multiple pregnancies, or due to severe morning sickness.

Hormonal effects on your hair during pregnancy

1. What about hair growth during pregnancy?

Hormones affect many parts of the body, including hair, nails, milk production, ovulation, moods, and menstruation.

Hormones have lot of effects on your hair. The main reason your hair will change during pregnancy is the change in hormones. Estrogen plays a large part in the way that your hair is shaped.

Usually, men and women lose about 50 to 100 hairs each day. However, during pregnancy, rising estrogen levels slow down the natural cycle of hair follicle shedding.

For example, if your hair begins to grow faster and becomes thicker, it is most likely because there is an increased amount of estrogen that is moving through your body. Estrogen moves to the hair follicles in your body to increase the growth rate.

Also, estrogen increase provides extra nutrients in the body which may increase hair growth. This is usually a result of the estrogen allowing the metabolism to move faster, which then supplies extra nutrients throughout the body.

However, some mums-to-be experience thinning hair or hair loss either during pregnancy or in the months immediately following birth.

2. What about change in your hair style?

Another change that you may notice during pregnancy is a change in the style of your hair. Your hair may not only be fuller or thinner, but may also change from straight to curly pattern, or have the opposite effect.

Hair that was normally straight might suddenly begin to grow in curlier pattern than ever during pregnancy. Or, hair that was curly may get straighter and straighter as a pregnancy progresses.

The change in your hair style is usually attributed to the hormone changes as well. The hormone increase that you experience will automatically move into the cortex, where hair begins to grow and add the texture to it. Usually, this will not change back until the hormones return to normal after pregnancy.

It can take a year for hair to readjust to its normal thickness and straight or wavy state after the baby is born.

3. What about hair loss after pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a whole body experience. It may include early pregnancy discharge, lifestyle change, exercise. hair loss and early pregnancy spotting, among others. After the baby is born, the mother’s body has a lot of things to do in order to return to its usual non-pregnant state.

The hormonal effects also occur after your baby is born. You may realize that your hair is thinning or falling out.

Usually, the first three to six months after pregnancy will cause a change in your hair. This should be expected and is normal after a pregnancy. This usually occurs because the estrogen levels are able to move back to normal and slow down the nutrients that are moving through your body.

A mother who is nursing will have a longer period of readjustment than one who is not. Still, always remember, nine and a half months up, at least the same amount of time down!

Causes of hair loss after pregnancy

Release of extra hair after pregnancy

Telogen effluvium

After the baby is born the extra hair is gradually released. Hair loss after pregnancy is much more pronounced than it was before or during pregnancy.

Release of extra hair is a result of your hormones gradually readjusting to their normal pre-pregnancy state.

Many women experience hair loss within a few months of childbirth, peaking about four months following childbirth. This is excessive hair shedding due to a drop in estrogen, not a true hair loss.

You may shed about 300 or more hairs each day but this type of hair loss resolves on its own. It is considered as telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium is uniform thinning.

It can be startling to see such an increase in hair loss after pregnancy. You may find clumps of hair on the drain, or in your brush. You won’t see thin patches on your head, so don’t worry about that. You are simply releasing hair that was extra during your pregnancy.

This is normal, so do not worry about it. It could take up to a year for the hair to return to its normal rate of falling out, a few strands at a time.

Patches or balding may be due to other issues including genetic and autoimmune conditions.

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is a patchy, scalp hair loss. It also occurs on other parts of the body. You may see hair loss and regrowth of hair. This may be cyclical or unpredictable. Alopecia areata has no cure but certain treatments may help stop hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth.

Androgenic alopecia

Androgenic alopecia is also known as female pattern baldness. It occurs due to the shortening of the growth phase of hair follicles and lengthening of the time between shedding hair and new growth.

It is important to note that you may have one of these conditions during or after pregnancy.

Traction alopecia

Traction alopecia is a hair loss due to tight hairstyles, certain beauty treatments or rough hair treatments. So, it may have nothing to do with genetic conditions or pregnancy.

If your hair follicles are inflamed, you may have hair shedding and hair loss. In some cases your follicles may scar leading to permanent loss of hair.

Treatment of hair loss during and after pregnancy

There may be no special treatment for hair loss during pregnancy or after pregnancy. It may resolve on its own over time.

However, your doctor may recommend you take minoxidil (Rogaine) to help your hair growth return to previous levels. But do not use during pregnancy because it is not a safe pregnancy drug.

For hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism or iron deficiency anemia, your doctor will help you with some safe medications or vitamin supplements. These medicines will improve your levels of thyroid hormone and red blood cells. Additionally, they will return your hair growth levels to normal over time.

Treatment for conditions like androgenic alopecia is not safe during pregnancy. Instead of medications, your doctor may recommend low-level laser treatment. This uses red light waves to stimulate hair growth.

After giving birth, some medications such as Rogaine are still not safe, particularly if you are breastfeeding. You can only take Rogaine, for example, when you are done with nursing.

In all of this, speak with your doctor who will provide you with treatment options and help you make safe decisions.

Prevention of hair loss during and after pregnancy

Depending on the cause of your hair loss, you may or not be able to prevent shedding or hair loss during pregnancy.

You can try the following:

• Eat a healthy diet. Get enough iron, protein and other nutrients. Your doctor will help you with the best prenatal vitamins.
• Wash your hair gently and use a wide-toothed comb. By so doing, you avoid pulling your hair too hard while detangling.
• Let your hair rest by avoiding harsh treatments such as the use of curling irons, hot rollers, hot oil or resort to permanent treatments.
• Skip tight braids, ponytails, buns and other hairstyles that may be pulling at your hair. Do not twist, pull or rub your hair.
• Speak with your doctor to help determine the cause of your hair loss. Most cases of hair loss during pregnancy are temporary. However, some situations may require treatment by either regulating your hormone levels or boosting your vitamin levels.
• Ask your doctor if any supplements or medications you are taking may contribute to your hair loss.
• Try volumizing shampoos and conditioners if you have already lost some hairs. Do not use heavy formulas to avoid weighing down your hair. When conditioning, focus on the ends of hair for more lift.
• Go for haircut styles such as a short bob to enable your hair look fuller as it grows back.

Conclusion

Hair loss during pregnancy is not especially common. However, it may occur in certain situations. It is related to hormone changes or certain health conditions. Normally, your hair should grow back over time or following treatment for the underlying cause.

Shedding of your hair after pregnancy peaks around four months following childbirth. You know what? You are likely to have a return of normal hair growth within 6 to 9 months postpartum.

It is important to note that poor skin and hair care may cause acne vulgaris which is a chronic disorder of the hair follicles. So if you notice other symptoms or your hair loss continues, contact your doctor immediately.

Your doctor will help you determine other possible causes of your skin and hair problems, including hair loss due to androgenic alopecia or alopecia areata.

Finally, after confirming your pregnancy, aim at preventing instead of treating hair loss during and after pregnancy. Remember that prevention is better than cure.

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