How to Manage Postpartum Hair Loss Using a Holistic Approach
At the time of writing, I am 5 months postpartum with my fourth child, which means I am in the dregs of postpartum hair loss. Every day I lose clumps of hair and every time I look in the mirror I worry that my hair will never grow back. So if you’re wondering if postpartum hair loss is normal, I am right there with you!
As I dove into the research for this article I was praying I would find something that said “This isn’t normal, you don’t have to live with postpartum hair loss.” Unfortunately, that’s not what I found.
Postpartum hair loss is widespread with some research saying upwards of 90% of women experience some sort of hair loss after having a baby. Outside of the postpartum period, hair loss is seen as a health concern. But, strictly speaking, postpartum hair loss is part of the physiological design.
It’s hard for me to understand why hair loss is required but here we are. The good news is that you can do a few simple things to support your body through postpartum. I’d love to share what postpartum hair loss is and how to help mitigate the symptoms. I hope you find this as helpful as I did.
Grab your notepad and let’s dive in!
Normal Hair Growth
I would venture to say that most of us don’t think about hair growth and loss regularly. So when postpartum comes it can be shocking to see your hair shedding like a cat in the spring.
We all have three stages of hair growth:
The Anagen Phase is the hair growth phase where around 90% of hair follicles operate. It lasts 2 to 7 years and is responsible for your hair length.
The Catagen Phase is a short period where the individual follicles decrease in size, slowly cutting off the blood supply, only about 1% of hair follicles are in this stage at any given time. This lasts about 2-3 weeks.
The Telogen Phase is the resting phase when the hair is fully grown. The old hair remains in the follicle while the new grows beneath. After 3-4 months the old hair falls out and the new replaces it (some sources call this the exogen phase).
We know that the majority of hair follicles stay in the anagen phase during pregnancy and then resume regular cycles postpartum. So it makes sense that postpartum hair loss usually starts around 3-4 months postpartum because of the telogen phase. Losing your hair postpartum isn’t a sign of a deficiency if it’s within 2-6 months postpartum. And you certainly don’t need to buy supplements or serums to avoid it because you can’t!
Hair Growth During Pregnancy
Hair growth isn’t isolated to just your scalp. Our bodies are a cohesive unit so what you eat, how you live your life, how you rest, etc. all influence your hair growth — and other aspects of your health.
Your hormones, in particular, play a key role in hair growth. When you’re pregnant, progesterone, estrogen, thyroid hormone, and secondary androgen hormones increase to support your growing baby. This causes your hair follicles to stay in the anagen phase and only about 5% of hairs are in the telogen phase — this explains the gorgeous pregnancy hair!
Then once you have your baby, your hormone levels normalize within the first week, which allows the hair cycle to resume as it would pre-pregnancy. But, now you have about 35% of your hair transitioning to the telogen phase because of the extended growth they had in pregnancy.
It can be shocking to look in the mirror and see a receding temple line or clumps coming out in the shower but truly this is within normal limits if you’re 2-5 months postpartum.
How to Encourage Postpartum Hair Regrowth
While there isn’t anything you can do to avoid hair loss postpartum there are ways to support your body in the postpartum period. Your body has a lot of recovery to do! Whether you had a completely normal physiological birth or an emergency cesarean section, your body works hard to recover.
Hormones, nutrition, stress, and emotional support all influence your recovery. All of these pieces work together. Hormone health is related to nutrition and stress. Stress is related to emotional support and nutrition. Emotional support impacts hormone health and stress… Do you see where I’m going here?
With all the changes happening postpartum, it’s no wonder your body's top priority isn’t maintaining gorgeous hair. Normal hair growth patterns must resume and that brings the increased hair loss.
But take heart, you can support your body to manage this time optimally.
Support Hormone Health
I love supporting my hormone health with my nutrition, managing stress, and drinking a few different types of herbal teas. Certain teas and supplements can help your body fill in gaps that have been depleted in pregnancy.
Nettle Tea is a powerhouse for postpartum. It’s packed with vitamin B, zinc, selenium, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Nettle helps decrease inflammation, builds energy without caffeine, helps the adrenal glands, and supports a healthy milk supply. I try to drink a cup every day in the immediate postpartum and then every few days as it sounds good.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea is not just for pregnancy! It turns out that it’s also great for postpartum hormone health and recovery. Outside of being a uterine tonic and anti-inflammatory, it’s also packed with nutrients such as calcium, zinc, potassium, vitamin C, iron, and B vitamins.
Milk Thistle Tea is a new one for me. I’ve personally not had it but I’ve read wonderful things about it. It’s not directly related to hair growth but it supports the liver which is where hormones are metabolized. So by drinking milk thistle tea, you support your overall hormone health.
Supporting your hormones postpartum is essential to your recovery and long-term health.
Improve Nutrition
You can’t support your recovery and hormone health without proper nutrition. Eating a well-rounded diet full of protein, vitamins, and minerals will support your hormone health and encourage hair growth. Hair is made of keratin, which is a protein. So you want to eat whole foods high in animal proteins whenever possible since they’re the easiest to digest; plus fruits, vegetables, and properly prepared grains.
Try not to fall into the trap of calorie restriction postpartum because you want to lose baby weight, especially if you’re breastfeeding! We need more calories to recover and nourish our bodies and our babies.
But remember, calories from processed foods are not equal to nutrient-dense foods. Lily Nichols, RDN recommends continuing with a good prenatal vitamin as an insurance policy to fill in the gaps your nutrition can’t. You can also eat liver if you can get it from a good source.
Listen, I know how hard postpartum is, especially when the exhaustion hits but if you want to feel and look your best, don’t skimp on your nutrition.
Manage Stress
Even if you had the most beautiful and physiological birth, as I did with my fourth birth, your body still goes under tremendous stress and needs help recovering. Stress is a normal part of life! But there are measures you can take to manage your stress healthily.
Try to increase the following to see a decrease in your stress.
Prayer
Communication
Community
Rest
Nutrition
And take heart, this is a season. The more you prepare for a restful and nourished postpartum, the better you will be able to manage your stress and hopefully manage your expectations of hair loss postpartum.
When Is Postpartum Hair Loss Too Much?
Hair loss postpartum can be shocking, especially after months of luscious locks. But if you find yourself 6+ months postpartum and don’t see any new hair growth — look along your temples — then you may have a deeper cause for concern.
Anemia and poor thyroid health are two common causes of hair loss in women. If you’re concerned that your hair loss is outside the normal amount you can ask your provider for blood work.
I recommend a functional medicine blood panel because you get a better picture of full health with a functional medicine provider than with a general practitioner (GP). But if you only have access to a GP, you can ask for the following blood work to assess your situation.
Comprehensive Sex Hormones
Thyroid Panel
Cortisol Testing
Micronutrients
Hair Test
Once you have blood work results, you can create a personalized plan to address your hair loss situation.
Take Heart, Your Hair Will Grow Again!
I know just how jarring it is to see your hair fall out. But if you rest, nourish your body, and lean into a support system, you’ll see your hair growing before you know it. Instead of buying products and vitamins for hair regrowth, think more:
More prayer
More protein
More vitamins and minerals
More emotional support
More rest
Most women don’t realize just how long it takes to recover postpartum. Be gentle to yourself and try to understand that your body just went through a massive change. There is a reason the Church gives us 40 days postpartum to rest and recover. As jarring as it is to lose hair postpartum, there is a physiological reason for it and we should do our best to support our bodies, mind, and soul through it.
What would you add? What has your experience been with postpartum hair loss? Don’t forget to comment below and share this article with your mom-friends!
