Are you seeing your hair everywhere, in the unlikeliest places? Many women struggle with postpartum hair loss after birth. It can be quite distressing to deal with amid the many other challenges of motherhood. The good news is that postpartum hair loss is temporary and usually resolves on its own. Meanwhile, several supplements, dietary factors, and treatments are worth looking into.
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What is Postpartum Hair Loss?
Postpartum hair loss, also known as telogen effluvium, is a type of temporary hair loss that occurs after childbirth. It’s thought to be caused by a drop in estrogen levels, which disrupts the normal hair growth cycle, leading to an increase in hair shedding (Gizlenti & Ekmekci, 2014).
Typically, hair grows in a cycle that includes a growth phase, a resting phase, and a shedding phase. During pregnancy, increased levels of estrogen are purported to prolong the growth phase, resulting in thicker, fuller hair. After childbirth, estrogen levels drop, causing more hair to enter the shedding phase.
Lower progesterone levels after birth as well as higher prolactin levels in breastfeeding women also play in (Gizlenti & Ekmekci, 2014).
Other hormones and chemical mediators may also affect whether or not a woman will experience hair loss after birth. Scientists are still debating what the main factors are, with some even claiming that postpartum hair loss doesn’t even exist since it’s not well-defined and researched (Mirallas & Grimalt, 2016).
But for the women experiencing it, postpartum hair loss is very real and tangible.
Signs and Symptoms of Postpartum Hair Loss
The primary symptom of postpartum hair loss is excessive hair shedding, which usually starts around three months after childbirth. Hair loss may start as late as 6 months postpartum, though.
Women may notice more hair than usual on their hairbrush, in the shower drain, on their pillow… or in the unlikeliest places (baby diaper, anyone?).
Some women may also experience thinning of hair, particularly around the hairline.
Postpartum hair loss doesn’t lead to bald patches or complete baldness.
Managing Postpartum Hair Loss
Maintaining a Healthy Diet
A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients can help manage and reduce postpartum hair loss.
Particularly, foods rich in iron, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, biotin and other B vitamins are beneficial for hair health. These include lean meats, organ meats, fish, eggs, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and whole grains (Almohanna et al., 2019).
A systematic review also found that omegas 3 and 6 fatty acids with antioxidants are among the supplements with the highest evidence for reducing postpartum hair loss (Drake et al., 2023).
Omega 3s are abundant in fish and seafood while omega 3s are packed into nuts, seeds, and eggs.
Proper Hair Care
Adopting a gentle hair care routine can help minimize hair breakage and shedding. This includes using a wide-toothed comb to detangle hair, avoiding heat styling tools, and using mild, sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners.
You may even want to skip the shampoo altogether and look into the “no poo” method.
Other natural solutions for hair care include apple cider vinegar and nettle tea rinses and clay packages. Some wellness gurus mention using structured water or filters to remove heavy metals and toxins from the water you use.
Additionally, regular scalp massages can stimulate blood circulation and promote hair growth. Using hair products containing natural ingredients like aloe vera, coconut oil, and argan oil can also nourish the hair and scalp.
Rosemary essential oil may also be helpful. In one study of 100 people with hair loss, rosemary oil was as effective at increasing hair growth as minoxidil, the standard treatment. Rosemary oil also caused less scalp itching (Panahi et al., 2015).
Postpartum Hair Loss Supplements
The following supplements may offer benefits for postpartum hair loss with a high level of evidence (Drake et al., 2023):
- Viviscal
- Nourkrin
- Nutrafol
- Lamdapil
- Pantogar
- Capsaicin and isoflavone
- Omegas 3 and 6 with antioxidants
- Apple nutraceutical
- Total glucosides of paeony
- Compound glycyrrhizin tablets
- Zinc
- Tocotrienol
- Pumpkin seed oil
Low-quality evidence may also support the use of (Drake et al., 2023):
- Kimchi and cheonggukjang
- Vitamin D3
- Forti5
The following herbs also show effectiveness in reducing hair loss in general (Gasmi et al., 2023; Bassino et al., 2020):
- Nettle
- Hops
- Grape vine
- Saw palmetto
- Pygeum
- Red clover
- Panax ginseng
- Coffea arabica
- Garlic
- Green tea
- Kuntze
- Rosemary
- Chilly pepper
Medical Treatments for Postpartum Hair Loss
While postpartum hair loss usually resolves on its own, some women may seek medical treatments to manage the condition. These treatments aim to stimulate hair growth and reduce hair shedding.
Topical minoxidil is the only licensed treatment for postpartum hair loss. It’s thought to work by prolonging the growth phase of the hair cycle, thus reducing hair shedding.
One study found low- to moderate-quality evidence that topical minoxidil (2% and 5%) improves postpartum hair loss in the short term (Zuuren & Fedorowicz, 2017).
Despite its long-standing use, there are no long-term data available on the effectiveness of minoxidil. It also comes with possible side effects like redness, dizziness, heart palpitations, headaches, and changes in vision (Rushton, 1993).
Finasteride, another pharmaceutical that may be prescribed, was no more effective than placebo in studies (Zuuren & Fedorowicz, 2017).
Lasers may also help. They increased total hair count based on moderate- to low-quality evidence, but the study results were inconsistent (Zuuren & Fedorowicz, 2017).
Consult a healthcare provider before starting any new medication or treatment, especially if you’re breastfeeding.
A holistic healthcare provider may also recommend nutritional supplements to address any nutritional deficiencies that may be contributing to your hair loss (as mentioned in the previous section).
When to Seek Medical Help
While postpartum hair loss can be a normal part of the post-pregnancy process, consider seeking medical help if your hair loss is severe, persists for more than a year, or is accompanied by other symptoms such as skin rashes, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss. These could be signs of an underlying medical condition that requires treatment.
My personal experience with postpartum hair loss
Over the years, I’ve listened to women complain about postpartum hair loss while being blissfully ignorant of it personally. Until recently, that is. With my previous two pregnancies, I never experienced any significant hair loss after birth.
However, soon after having twins, my hair was falling out… a lot. Every time I would run my fingers through my hair, I’d be left with 3-4 hairs at least. Hairs were everywhere. I felt like a domestic animal shedding its fur (not a particularly good feeling postpartum!).
I’ve wondering if back-to-back pregnancies caused me certain nutritional deficiencies that made hair loss more likely this time around. I certainly think that’s possible and I’m focusing on keeping my diet nutrient-dense and my hair care natural.
I also feel that my hair loss is a sort of “resetting” of my body and that my new hair will be stronger. Until then, it’s a matter of having patience (a big lesson of motherhood!).
What is the bottom line?
For many postpartum moms, hair loss is common and usually temporary. In most cases, it goes away on its own. Aim to improve your diet to help regain hair strength with foods high in vitamins A, C, D, E, B, and minerals like zinc, iron, and selenium.
Supplements including omega 3s, nettle, garlic, glycyrrhizin, red clover, and plant antioxidants may also help. You might also want to nourish your hair by massaging coconut oil, castor oil, rosemary oil or other herbal oils into your scalp.
>>>> If you’re interested in nourishing herbs, be sure to read this herbal monograph about the safety and benefits of nettles in pregnancy and postpartum.
>>>>> If you want to know more about blood-building herbs, check out this herbal monograph about moringa in pregnancy and postpartum.
Did you experience postpartum hair loss? What helped and what didn’t?
Let me know about your experience in the comments and share this article if you found it useful!
The founder of Herbal Doula.
Home-birthing mama, independent scientist, natural pharmacist, doula, birthkeeper, and holistic health and birthrights advocate. Endlessly passionate about creating and sharing empowering health information and birth support. Ana has written 150+ and edited 800+ articles, some of which reached over 1 million people
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