for about a week now, i've been noticing more hair than normal in the bottom of the tub during showers, or i'm having to clean out my hair brush on about a daily basis. so i'm wondering how long this lasted for you ladies after pregnancy??
I'd say my major hir loss lasted for somewhere between 2 and 4 months. Now I'm dealing with all the "baby hairs" growing back in. They stick straight up and drive me crazy!
H.,
For me it was worse with each pregnancy. After Baby #3, it was about a year. Looking back, I think it seemed much worse because I get so hairy during the pregnancies. I had a thick hair while I was pregnant but I have thinner (not thin) normally.
I agree with the post about finding bald spots. See a doctor if that occurs.
Good luck.
~K.
For me it seemed like a major shed fest for quite awhile. It seemed to slow down after about 3 months and then it took about 6 months for my hair to seem bounce back a bit.
They way I heard it explained:
You normally lose a certain amount of hair every day, but it's small enough you don't notice it. While you are pregnant, the hormones keep you from shedding most if not all of it for pretty much the whole nine months, so your hair feels very thick and full. Then you give birth, your hormones do a flip, and all the hair you should have shed starts coming out all at once. Sometimes it seems like handfuls of it. Just gently brush your hair several times of day and before bath/shower so you catch it in your brush. My hair was clogging up our drain repeatedly it was shedding so bad. A typical hair follicle will rest for several months after a hair has been shed (this also varies per person) and then a new hair begins growth and will grow for several years before the cycle repeats. Typical rate of growth is 1/2 inch per month or 6 inches per year.
The shedding didn't last more than 6 months for me, it's the re-growth that seems to take forever. 6 years after my last one and the spots on either sides of my temples have finally started to fill back in. I wore my hair down a lot.
It is normal to lose hair after prenancy. The immune system is "shut-down" in certain areas to prevent the body rejecting the baby and so once this mechanism is no longer needed the full-head of hair you have been enjoying because you probably lost very little hair during the pregnancy, has now got to come out. Not all of it of course, but a little bit. So do not panic, please.
However, if you start to notice any patches where you no longer have ANY hair, even fingernail size. Please go to your doctor of choice and talk with them about it.
Very normal.... I am going through this right now too! With my first baby, the hair loss lasted about 3 months. So far, I've been going about 4 months with the hair loss. My baby is 6 months old....I hope this ends soon!
The same thing happened to me for almost a year. Hang in there!
Hi H., mine was much worse after pregnancy and much of it was the hair framing my face. Imagine trying to wear a ponytail! I felt horrendous. It's still improving and isn't quite there yet and my baby is 11months. My hairdresser recommended a leave-in cream by Kerastase - Cement Thermique to strengthen my hair. I've definitely noticed an improvement. "It's a 10" is also a leave-in cream that I've used and it's amazing. The salon just ran out of it so I got the Kerastase which I don't mind because it's been working for me. Good luck to you!
Just a thought..this happened to me after my second child, along with some other symptoms...I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (underactive) and I never had it before the pregnancy.
Hair is often a good signal for your health, tell your doctor what is happening, he/she might have some ideas to help you.
Still going stong with my third now 5 months old, lasted about 11 months with my second and don't remember with my first. I hate it, I guess I don't mind the acutual thinning of the hair that part is actually nice, I just hate constantly pulling hair off of everything and everyone..lol
Seems like mine lasted about six months or so where it was really bad. Baby just turned one, and I think the hair loss is less than or at least back to pre-pregnancy. Like some others said, I lost a lot around my face, and it is still growing back in:)
Yup so normal hormones are shifting once again..Time to get a good hair cut & enjoy it...
