Losing Hair - San Diego, CA

It happened to me with both my children. My youngest is 10 months and my hair has gotten back to where it used to be. It just takes a little time and good hairstyles.

It is normal for about 6+ months after you give birth. Don't worry too much it will get better. I have had 4 children and it has happened each time.

BIOTIN!!! I had the same problem. You can get Biotin in walmart or where ever in the vitamin section. After a few weeks i started seeing new baby hairs coming in. Trust me this really works! It saved me from going bald! lol

Go to your doctor and have your thyroid checked. Hypothyroidism will make your hair fall out like that.

It sounds like a natural hormonal change. I would not worry about it for now. If huge holes appear, than I would consult a doctor. I go through this every time with my pregnancies and I am number 4.
LM

My hair just started to NOT fall out about a month ago. My son is 16 months old now. Don't be too concerned. I have had a horrible time with getting my body and hormones back to normal after being pregnant not to mention all the drugs from our infertility treatments. I am on a natural hormone supplement to even my system out which could have helped my hair loss. If you think your hormones and body are healing fine then don't be concerned of hair loss. I understand from Doctors it can take nearly one year to get back to normal.

Hi N.;
After both of my pregnancies I lost LOADS of hair. It peaks when your baby is between 5-10 months old. My doctor said it was a result of the epidural and nothing to be concerned about. It will get better!!

The same exact thing happened to me. I had great hair during pregnancy...full and shiny, but about four months after giving birth to my son I started losing it in what seemed like fistfuls. I would wash my hair and freak out because of how much hair I was losing, I seriously thought I was going bald. Not to worry though, a year later and I still have my hair and a bunch of new growth. The only downside is that it is a weird inch and a half layer underneath all the rest of my hair and a slightly different texture. Go figure, but at least my other hair covers it for the most part. So don't worry, you're hair loss should stop over the next few months.

Oh N., I�m so glad you asked this! My son is almost five months old. I'm pulling out TONS of hair daily. (And if it keeps up at this rate, I KNOW I'm going to be completely bald in a matter of months!) I thought it was nerves or my age (36) because I just don't remember this kind of hair loss when I had my daughter four years ago (TOMORROW). Anyway, all of these answers have made me feel sooooooooo much better. Thanks everyone. I love this list!
K.

Hormones play a big roll in it. About 4-5 months after having my twins I started getting headaches, hairloss and weight gain. I was 35 when I had my twins. So it threw me into a Premenopause. You can check and see if your dr does saliva testing since this is the only way to get a true hormone reading. Or you can get your own at:
http://www.johnleemd.com/store/prod_stest.html#321
If your in your mid 30's or more I would also suggest you reading the book by Dr John Lee called "What your doctor may not tell you about premenopause"

Hi N. I had this same problem after i had my son, i even got a bald spot on the side of my head! I have never been one to constantly condition my hair or anything, just did the basics so it looked healthy! But after i got a bald spot i FREAKED out, so i went and I bought Inufusium 23 Shampoo, Conditioner, & Leave In Conditioner! They have a few to choose from so get the one for damaged hair. With in one month of doing this daily my hair started growing back. I continued to use it for a few months after just to be sure. Also if you are not still doing so and check with your pediatrician, take your prenatal viatmins or ask if there is another viatmin that might help! Good luck and hang in there, it will come back!
T.

Are you nursing? I am in the same boat as you (8 month old). My Dr. and hair dresser said it is just a fact of life while I am nursing. Let me know if you hear anything different.

N., I think this is pretty normal. The same thing happened to me and several other new mom's I know. As startling as it is it will pass. Make sure you are taking vitamins and that will help.

You are not alone in this though, it is common. Congratulations on your little Jack too!

I hope that you're feeling less alone and more normal! I had this happen too, my son is 7 months old now, and it's not as bad, but my OB/GYN told me to expect this for up to 9 months, due to hormonal changes. I keep one of those roller lent grabbers, travel size, in my diaper bag to get hair off of my shirt before I go in somewhere, it's inevitable! Good luck, and don't worry - it DOES get better!!! U know that dark line that some women get on their belly when pregnant, I had one, and my doctor told me hair loss should start to lessen when that went away, and she was right. Maybe that will help you out!

when you are preg you stop shedding hair...so a little while after having the baby you will start again and it will shed with a vengance....I have a 3 mth old son and I am going thru the same thing. Just keep cleaning out the drain and everything will be back to normal soon.

Mine did the same thing for while, so I got back on pre-natal vitamins and that seemed to help a little. It really needs to just run its course. Within a couple of months it will get better.

TOTALLY NORMAL, USUALLY THIS HAPPENS WHEN YOU STOP BREAST FEEDING IF THATS WHAT YOU DID? BUT I HAVE VERY THICK HAIR AS WELL AND YES IT TOO CAME OUT DRAMATICALLY WITH ALL THREE OF MY CHILDREN, NOW 5, 3, AND 1. YES IT DOES GROW BACK TOO.... SOO DON'T WORRY THIS IS NORMAL JUST YOUR HORMONES GOING CRAZY....

K.

That is very normal after pregnancy, since you don't loose hair while you are pregnant. Your hair will return to normal soon, there is no need to worry and keep cleaning the drains until it does :) hope that helps ease your worries!! :)

hi N., I know how it feels to lose hair, although I lost mine due to chemo therepy when I was a teen, is there any reason that you might be losing your hair? Maybe a medicine, birth controll?

Don't worry! This is a common post-pregnancy thing. I thought I was going bald for a while. Your hair may thin to the point you panic and then it suddenly stops and thickens again. I don't know why it happens but it is common.

Good luck!

Went through it as well-with all three.More so with my boys than with my daughter. My youngest is 3 months old and I have really started losing it now. Good news for me is that after I stopped breastfeeding my daughter and my first son, after they were a year old, my hair came back thicker and stronger. I was told to shampoo with baby shampoo and only use conditioner once or twice a week. Couldn't really tell if this helped or not-mainly I kept taking my vitamins and didn't treat my hair with hot irons, coloring,perms,etc. It is frustraing and bothersome-but look what you have to show for all that you have been through and are going through!! Good luck!!!

I understand your concern. It is just a normal hormonal response from being pregant and then having the baby. I wish we could have kept the beautiful hair, but nature just won't let it happen. My suggestion...buy a good drain hair catcher and your hair will eventually stop coming out. Here is a good website that talkes about it. Sorry I cannot have better news!
> http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/hairloss...

My hair is still coming out in clumps, 6 months later. It is due to a drop in progesterin (the increase in progesterin during pregnancy causes are hair to grow during pregnancy). So, now our hair is in a "dead" phase. It, too, will pass.

youre normal!

My son is 4 months old and mine comes out in waves....lol

just keep brushing it and cleaning the drains! :)

it stops eventually!

My hair did the same thing after birth and breastfeeding. I happens due to hormones and decrease in vitamins. I stayed on prenatal vitamins not sure what really helps but it will stop falling out.

M.

Mom with a 3 y.o. boy

The same thing happened with me after I had both of my children. My doctor said it was normal but should only last for about 3-6 months. My 2nd child is now almost 2 and it is still happening. I went back to the doctor because my whole body is out of whack, still, and he said it is because I turned 30!!! So you may just want to check with your doctor. Good Luck.

A lot of women lose their hair after childbirth. I think with the hormones that are flowing through the body during pregnancy it helps nails grow longer and hair too, but after you give birth, those hormones regulate and all that extra growth tends to start shedding. I wouldn't worry about it right now, but if is continues for another 2 months or so really bad, you may want to contact your doctor and make sure that you are not deficient in anything. I would suggest going on a good multivitamin, maybe even a prenatal, and help get your mineral and vitamins levels back up.

Hi N.....

Same here....I didn't lose much while pregnant but lost it in clumps a few months after my baby was born. Lucky for me I already had really thick hair so it was never noticeable. Hoping the same for you!

S.

N., the same thing happened to me with both of my kids. It is because of your hormones are still changing. Good news! It will stop falling out ! I think it was about a month or two for me.

As everyone has said, it's likely postpartum hormones causing the hair loss. Also, are you nursing? Lactation can make hair loss even worse. The good news is that it doesn't last forever! Good luck!

A.

N.,

I had the same problem, it started about when my daughter was about 3 1/2 months old. My regular doctors did blood work to see if I had thyroid problems but ruled that out and sent me to a great dermatologist. He assured me that it was very common for mothers to experience this after child birth and that the hair would grow back. The condition is called alopecia. It is where your hair goes through a longer resting stage than normal. The dermatologist told me to start taking the vitamin called Biotin you can get it from any health food store, drug store or even Walmart. Take the Biotin everyday and shampoo your hair with shampoo that has a high concentration of protein. His recommendation was a brand by Nexxus but I continued to use Pantene with amino proteins. It has been 2 months since my visit and I do see and improvement my hair isn't shedding as bad and the bald spots in the front are growing back. I am scheduled for a follow up visit on the 12th of September and I am hoping for very positive feedback. I hope this has helped you and if you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me.

Best Wishes
A.

I was losing my hair by the hand fulls just about 3 months ago. My son is now 9 months of age and I felt sure that I would be balded by the time he was a year old if I didn't do something quick! I went to my OBYGN and she actually put me on birth control to regulate my hormones. My hair stopped falling out and I started my menstrual cycle again,too. They always say that you lose hair after giving birth, but I was losing too much. You could actually see where I was trying to start new hair growth. Now everything is ok. Try talking to your doctor if you really feel you are losing too much hair.

Hey Nickole,
The EXACT thing happened to me. Take some iron pills, they REALLY helped me...and it was about the same time frame as you as well. Not to make you crazy, but it got worse when I stopped nursing...but then got better. My nails on the other hand, have yet to recover from the whole expierence :-)

Hello N., My Sister had the same problem after having her last child and at first they thought it might be a thyroid problem, so the ran a few tests and everything came back fine. The doctor told her it was probably the hormones in her body returning to normal after her pregnancy, and that her hair should start to grow back soon. Well now her daughter is a little over a year old, and her hair is finally growing back! Oh, by the way my sisters name is also N..

N.,

I wish you luck in finding out what the problem is. I have an energetic 2 1/2 yr. old on my lap, so I'll keep this short...

I experienced the same problem when my daughter was around six or so months. I had a high-risk pregnancy and lost my step father due to brain cancer when she was almost three weeks. Long story short, I thought the hair loss was due to the physical and mental stress that I had been under six months earlier....come to find out my thyroid had quit working. Sometimes due to the hormonal surge during pregnancy/birth/breast feeding/etc. your thyroid kicks into overdrive and sometimes, instead of returning to normal, it stops all together. (Hypothyroidism) I was placed on Synthroid when my daughter was 10 1/2 months old. After a few months of adjustments to the dosage, I was back to normal.

Some of the other symptoms are memory loss (which I was attributing to being a new mom), depression (which I thought was due to other things going on), and dry skin. I actually felt a little crazy, unable to complete sentences like an uneducated or unintelligent person!

The only reason my doctor found the problem with my thyroid is b/c I'm an insulin dependent diabetic, and he was doing routine labs. I never thought to put all of the symptoms that I was experiencing together, but after finding that it was my thyroid, and after researching it, it all made sense to me.

GOOD LUCK! Have your doctor do some lab work on you to check your TSH levels and T4 levels. Take care and enjoy every moment with Jack!

M.

N.,
I had/have the same problem! I have two daughters, almost 5 years and six months. With my first daughter, I flipped out when this happened and went to the doctor, they tested thyroid and it came back normal, so I was told it was hormones. Now my 2nd daughter is 6 months and I have been loosing clumps since four months as well. However, it seems to be slowing down now. I haven't gone to the doctor, I think it's just the hormones. Now I also noticed that I have a bunch of short new hairs growing in the front, must be starting to replace all that I've been loosing. My guess is that it's probably hormones, but if it doesn't slow down or you are really worried, it never hurts to check with your doctor.
Good luck!
P.

Unfortunately, I think you should just plan on cleaning out the drains. I lost a bunch of hair, too, about that time. It was so awful, too, since I never had thick hair before being pregnant :(. Sorry I don't have other advice! Basically you didn't lose much hair (or any) while you were pregnant, and now your body is making up for it.

Went through the same thing, too. I kept a roll of paper towels in the bathroom to clean the drain (and tub, and floors) each time I washed my hair. As if it's not enough that it comes out in wads as you shampoo, it comes out in wads as you comb, too! It seems I lost mine at the hairline as it receded, and it is now growing back in little wisps. Makes for an off-version of yourself in the mirror, and some awkward hair days. I figure it'll be back to normal by the time we have baby #2 in a couple years, if we're able to. ;) Hang in there!

Hey N.,
Im also a mom of a 4 1/2 month old son and for the past month or so im having the same issue. I consulted a doctor about it cause i was worried it was something more serious. He actually told me that since i am constantly now putting my hair up in pontails that could be the cause for it as well. He also said that it will continue for about another 3 months.. Another 3 months???? ill be bald by then.. But u wont.. Its not big deal.. nothing to worry about

Hello N.!
It is happening the same to me! I have a 5 mo old baby.
Just in case, you also can be tested for thyroid problems. After my first boy was born, I found out that I had hypotyroidism, and my hair was coming out a lot besides other things (dry hair, tiredeness more than normal, irritability, changes of mood; all of them very similar to a post partum condition)..This is tested with a blood test. But probably is just part of your hormones changes.!!!!

Good luck!

Alejandra

I have the same age son and my hair is doing the same. I have a good friend who is a OBGYN and she says its normal. Its just hormones and it will level out. I have to keep cleaning my drains too and take the clumps to my husband everytime and say"are you sure this is normal:)"

N., if you had an epidural during delivery of your baby, that can sometimes make you lose hair or get bald spots but they are temporary. I'm a grandma but I know of girls who had temporary baldness or loss of hair. I personally had a complete hysterectomy about 6 years ago, had an epidural in me for 5 days and then found a small bald spot around my occipital bone on the back of my head. The hair did come back. My doctor told me that epidurals do that some times.

Hi N.,

I had that same problem I started taking vitman B12 and it stoped. Before taking it make sure it is ok wit6h your Doctor.
Good Luck
K.

N.,
You need to have your thyroid levels checked. Women are especially succeptible to Thyroid problems after birth. Mine came 5 years after I had my daughter but I had a friend who was diagnosed soon after the birth of her first child.

Good Luck!!

Losing your hair after having a baby is totally normal. I had a baby in June and my hair was amazing when I was pregnant. It's definately thinner now but it hasn't come out in clumps. However, hair loss may also be indicative of a thyroid problem. If this persists I would suggest going to your doc and having your thyroid checked. It could be normal or it may be something else. Good Luck.

This is so frustrating! It happened to me with my son too. But I think for me part of the problem might have been the Depo Provera shot I received after he was born. My hair just came out in clumps. It eventually stopped and thankfully I'm not bald. :) Try Dove Intense Therapy shampoo....and conditioner. Sounds weird but after a couple of weeks your hair will be stronger and I think you will notice less falling out.

I had the exact same problem!! my hair is generally thick, and when I am pregnant, it is just beautiful, but after both my kids, my hair fell out in clumps. I was worried with my first, until I was told by other moms that it had happened to them and it was normal. Im not sure, but I think it has something to do with hormones, and losing the hormones. Anyway- I did it with both my kids, and it lasted for a good 6 months or more, and then my hair went pretty much back to normal....
hope this helps!
trish

Have you had your thyroid checked? Losing hair could be an indicator of Thyroid problems (underactive) Hairloss caused by decreased thyroid function is usually due to breakage from being dry/ brittle. Is your skin dry? You might want to get your thyroid level checked. Also, sometime when you take prenatal vitamins while pregnant and then stop, your hair may start falling out because it is shedding the older hairs that were replaced by newer, stronger, more nourished hairs. Either way, I'd get checked out just to be on the safe side. Hope this helps. M.

i dont know if anyone specificaly told you this but people should loose about 80 hairs a day. durring pregnancy and sometimes the postpardom period your body will stop shedding the hair. once this time period is over your body has to catch up and loose those 80 hairs a day for nine months. it should pass.

N.,

Its normal to be losing your hair about this time after the baby is born. After your pregnant new hair comes in and the old falls out. I can't explain it but my hairdresser told me that my body was just doing what its supposed to do naturally. Don't worry, it won't all fall out.

R.

My hair started coming out in like that when my daughter was about 4 months. I was freaking out! I didnt think it would ever stop, and I was sure I would have no hair left. Luckily, about 2 months later it stopped. I can tell know it is thinner, but the worst part is new hair is growing back so I look like I have frizzy hair all the time because of the new hair growing in. :)

Giving birth to my son triggered my thyroid to over produce. I ignored the systems for a long time, but eventually the hair loss became very scary. I also had significant gradual weight loss. I started treatment for my hyperthyroidism last October and just now is my hair starting to grow back to it's normal thickness. Here is a link of the other symptoms of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
www.endocrineweb.com/hypo1.html www.endocrineweb.com/hyper1.html
Both can lead to hair loss. One is to much thyroid and the other is not enough. I ignored the fatigue and tiredness just assuming it was because I was a first time mom. I would check it out with your family doctor, my obgyn missed the signs. Good luck.

N.,

Same thing happened to me after the birth of my twins. I lost alot of my hair. I believe they were about 3 months old when mine started coming out.
I, of course, freaked out! I went to the doctor and she said it was due to hormonal changes and should eventually stop. It did! It lasted for about four months..then gradually, my hair began to thicken up again.

You should probably talk to your doctor about it. It might be a good idea to have your hormone levels checked.
Oh...and also, if you have long hair..keeping it pulled back in a ponytail too much can actually cause your hair to fall out. I know with a baby, it's impossible to keep your hair down all the time..but try using a large clip and bundle it loosely atop your head.

Good Luck!

C.

Hey, the same thing happened to me. Just let it runs it course. It will stop once your hormones start to regulate again. Mine started falling out at about 3 1/2 months after i had my son... it'll stop.... but your hair will never be the same. Trust me. I want my nice full head of hair back again. Now somehow i have curly fine hair. ha

I am in the same boat but my son in 16mths old and I've had family members look at me and ask what's going on with my hair. I have super thick hair..and it is falling out by the handfulls. Not only that, the top of my head is almost completely gray (i'm 27 by the way). If you find anything that helps, please let me know. Thanks

Keep cleaning, sister! I lost hunks and hunks until about 8 months after my girls were born....

Sorry, but it is totally normal!

hey my name is N. too i do hair Q#1 are you stressed that is the number one reason peoples hair starts falling out or any new kind of medication and the fact you had your baby is this your first child?

It's called the "Three month fall out"! I had the same problem when I had both of my children, especially with my first! I went on the Depo shot after my first and that just sparked it. I know it's hard to go into the shower and pull out strand after strand of hair, but it will get better. I too have always had thick hair, but when I had the kids it was thin for quite awhile. Talk to the doctor too. Sometimes they'll recommend some form of prescription shampoo or something for the thinning of the hair. I hope this helped! Good luck and God bless!

I was freaking out too about my hair loss a few months after my son's birth. It was falling out a lot in the front around my hairline. My son is now almost 8 months and I have just noticed it growing back- it's about an inch long now growing back in around the hairline. There's hope...just hang in there a few months.

Hi N.,

You can relax. My hairdresser told me (and my OB confirmed) that this is totally normal. You do not lose hair (like you normally do) while you are pregnant. Then, due to hormonal changes, you start losing it again around the time your baby is 4 months old. So you are right on schedule. ;)

This happened to me after the birth of all three of my kids. For me it lasted about 6-8 weeks. If it were me, I would see a doctor to rule out other issues if it lasts more than 3 or 4 months.

Hope that helps!