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Hair problem
It is very common and usually temporary: after childbirth, the hair that pregnancy kept growing falls out almost all at once. Here we explain what is normal, when it is worth having it assessed and what the clinic can offer, taking into account whether you are breastfeeding.
Reviewed by Dr Michelle Campagnoli, clinical director
How to recognise it
Hair loss after childbirth is common and follows a pattern of its own. What matters is when it starts, where it is noticeable and whether there are signs that the hair is coming back.
Tick what you recognise
Tick the signs you recognise in your hair. This is not a diagnosis; it only gives you an idea.
You recognise some of these signs. It may be normal postpartum hair loss or it may have another cause. Only a medical assessment can say for certain.
Several signs match postpartum hair loss. It is common and usually passes, but an assessment is worthwhile to confirm it and to see whether anything needs correcting. Only a medical assessment can confirm it.
Book an assessment consultationOnly a medical assessment can confirm it. Extreme tiredness, palpitations, hair loss in patches or loss lasting more than a year should be checked without delay, as there may be another cause.
Forehead and temples. This is where postpartum hair loss is most noticeable, with the hairline receding at the corners.
New baby hairs. Short, upright strands near the forehead: a sign that the hair is starting to grow back.
Parting. It may look wider because hair is falling out all over the scalp, and it usually improves as the hair recovers.
Why it happens
Postpartum hair loss has one main cause and several things that can make it worse. Choose one to see what aggravates it and what helps.
During pregnancy, high oestrogen levels keep hairs in the growth phase for longer. After delivery they drop quickly and many hairs enter the shedding phase together, which shows a few months later.
A sudden hormonal drop and a body that is still adjusting to a new stage.
Give the hair cycle time and assess whether the loss continues beyond six to twelve months.
Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding use up iron, protein and vitamins. If reserves run low, hair, which is not a priority for the body, weakens and falls out more.
Blood loss at delivery, crash diets and skipped meals.
A complete diet and, if the doctor thinks it useful, blood tests for iron and vitamins.
Some women have thyroid changes in the months after delivery, which can increase hair loss, tiredness and mood swings.
Extreme tiredness, palpitations, or hair loss that does not ease.
Talk to your doctor: a simple blood test helps to establish whether the thyroid is involved.
Poor nights and tiredness affect the hair cycle and recovery. They are not the main cause, but they can delay improvement.
Prolonged lack of sleep, constant worry and little time for yourself.
Accept help, rest whenever you can and do not demand perfection of yourself.
Breastfeeding does not cause hair loss in itself, but it uses up nutrients and keeps the body in a different hormonal balance. In many women, hair loss and breastfeeding coincide.
Low fluid and energy intake while breastfeeding.
Drink and eat well, and ask the doctor what can be done at this stage.
Normal or to be assessed
Most hair loss after childbirth is temporary. These signs help to tell the expected kind from the kind that deserves a consultation.
What it looks like. More hair falls out in the shower and on the brush, especially at the forehead and temples, about two to four months after delivery.
When it passes. It usually eases after a few months, and the hair recovers over the course of the first year.
What the clinic does. The doctor confirms that it is the expected pattern and explains what to do.
At home. A complete diet, as much rest as possible and gentle hair care.
What it looks like. The loss does not ease, lasts more than a year or leaves bare areas with the scalp showing.
Warning signs. Extreme tiredness, palpitations, very dry skin or hair loss in patches call for an assessment.
What the clinic does. The doctor looks for other causes, such as the thyroid or iron deficiency, and proposes a plan.
Tell us at the consultation. If you are breastfeeding, when you gave birth and what medication you take.
Are you breastfeeding or thinking about it? Tell us when booking, so that the doctor proposes only what is suitable at this stage.
Book an assessment consultationWhat the clinic can do
In most cases, postpartum hair loss resolves on its own. When it does not, or when it weighs too heavily, these are the treatments the doctor may propose, always after seeing your case.
Regeneration
Platelet-rich plasma, obtained from your own blood and applied to the scalp, to stimulate the follicle. The doctor first assesses whether it is suitable at this stage.
Suitable when
the hair loss continues and the doctor considers PRP suitable, taking breastfeeding into account.
Find out more→
Regeneration
Vitamins, amino acids and hyaluronic acid to nourish a tired scalp, after a pregnancy that used up many reserves.
Suitable when
the hair is weak and the doctor considers scalp nutrition suitable at this stage.
Find out more→
Technology
Low-intensity LED light, without needles, that stimulates the follicle and the circulation of the scalp.
Suitable when
you prefer a needle-free treatment and the doctor considers it suitable.
Find out more→What about oral therapy? It may form part of the plan, especially when there are deficiencies, and it is always chosen by the doctor after the assessment. Results are gradual and depend on the stage you are at.
What the journey looks like
No treatment starts without an assessment consultation with the doctor. This is how it works.
The doctor asks when you gave birth, whether you are breastfeeding, what you eat and what medication you take, examines the scalp and confirms the pattern.
If useful, she requests blood tests to check iron, vitamins and the thyroid, and explains what to expect and how long it may take.
If the hair loss justifies treatment, she chooses with you what is suitable at this stage and gives simple instructions for home.
We look at the hair again after a few months and adjust the plan, because recovery is slow and appears gradually.
Day to day
After childbirth, time is short. These are the simple measures that matter most for your hair.
The golden rule
Hair takes a while to recover because its cycle is slow. Looking after yourself, eating and resting whenever possible helps more than changing product every week.
Hair needs protein, iron and vitamins, even more so if you are breastfeeding.
In practice: keep simple meals and snacks with protein, fruit and nuts ready.
Weaker hair breaks easily.
In practice: use a soft-bristle brush and detangle from the ends towards the root.
Sleep affects the hair cycle and its recovery.
In practice: accept help at night and rest when the baby sleeps.
Having an idea of the timeline reduces anxiety.
In practice: hair loss usually starts two to four months after delivery; if it does not ease, book an assessment.
Cutting calories and protein worsens hair loss and tires the body.
In practice: lose weight slowly and talk to the doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Pulling weakened hair can worsen hair loss at the hairline.
In practice: prefer loose hairstyles and soft hair ties.
A very hot hairdryer, straighteners and dyes weaken strands that are already fragile.
In practice: space out dyeing and use moderate heat.
Taking several supplements on your own may not help and may not be suitable for women who breastfeed.
In practice: talk to the doctor before taking supplements.
Who will look after you
At Luxmed, the first step is always an assessment consultation with Dra. Michelle Campagnoli. She confirms that the hair loss is postpartum, looks for other causes if necessary and designs the plan with you, taking into account whether you are breastfeeding.
Hair medicine
When it starts, how long it lasts and when to ask for help.
Read the article →
Hair medicine
What can be done for your hair while breastfeeding and what is left for later.
Read the article →
Hair medicine
Which deficiencies can affect the hair and when blood tests help.
Read the article →Other hair problems
Book a consultation
Choose how you prefer to get in touch. We will arrange the assessment consultation with Dr Michelle Campagnoli.
New Life Miraflores, Algés · Office Center, R. Santa Teresa do Menino Jesus n.º 6, 9.º C, 1495-048
Your details are used only for this contact. Any treatment depends on a prior medical assessment.
During pregnancy, hormones keep many hairs in the growth phase. After delivery these hormones drop and those hairs enter the shedding phase at the same time. That is why it seems that a lot falls out all at once.
It usually starts about two to four months after delivery and eases over the following months, with the hair recovering during the first year. Every woman has her own pace.
It is very common and, in most cases, expected. It is a cause for concern when the loss does not ease, lasts more than a year, leaves bare patches or comes with extreme tiredness, palpitations or other signs.
In postpartum hair loss, as a rule yes, because the follicles are not damaged. New hair first appears as short baby hairs near the forehead. If it does not recover, it is worth assessing whether there is another cause.
Not all of them. Some treatments are not indicated during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Tell the doctor that you are breastfeeding, so that she proposes only what is suitable at this stage.
Depending on the case, hair PRP, hair NCTF, photobiodynamic therapy and oral therapy. The doctor defines the plan after the assessment and takes into account whether you are breastfeeding.
When the hair loss does not ease after a few months, lasts more than a year, leaves bare patches or comes with extreme tiredness, palpitations or very dry skin. Hair loss in patches should be seen without delay.
Not always. When the doctor considers it useful, she requests blood tests to check iron, vitamins and the thyroid, which can affect the hair after childbirth.
Breastfeeding does not cause hair loss in itself, but it uses up nutrients and maintains a different hormonal balance, and hair loss tends to coincide with this stage. Eating and drinking well helps.
They can help when there is a deficiency, but taken without guidance they do not solve the problem and may not be suitable for women who breastfeed. It is best to talk to the doctor before taking them.
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The assistant does not give diagnoses or replace a consultation. The plan and cost of any treatment are set at the medical assessment.