Losing my hair??!!!!

Hey girls! i gave birth about 4 months ago and it seems that my hair is falling out in chunks i have heard that hair can fall out post partum and i was hoping it wouldnt happen to me! did this ever happen to anyone? and will it stop before i become bald? i know this isnt the biggest problem but my hair is EVERYWHERE!!!!

Thank  you

[chantal21]

It happened to me 5 months post partum. I have a LOT of hair, but was so scared at the amount of hair that would come out at once. I forget exactly why it happens, but I know it happens to a lot of women. After a couple of months I was fine and back to normal. Hopefully someone else can explain exactly why it happens.

[nutz19]

Oh believe me i thought it wouldn't happen to me. But it did.
Don't worry it does stop and before your bold.
Mine started around 4 months after i gave birth and lasted about 2 months.
My husband could have killed me lol with all my hair everywhere. I'm telling you it was worse than a english sheep dog molting. hehe.
Calm down it will stop unfortunatly there naught we can do about it, just have to wait for it to stop.
It's hard being a woman isn't it :)  

[nutz19]

i found this out for you, about the why it happens ~

All new moms experience hair loss, though some lose more than others.

Here's why it happens. During pregnancy, changes in your hormone levels cause your hair to stay in a resting phase for longer, so you lose less hair on a daily basis. (You may have noticed that your hair seemed thicker than usual.)

After you've given birth and your hormones have settled down — usually at about 12 weeks after delivery — more hair shifts into a shedding phase. You may be alarmed to find hair coming out by the handful.

Normally, you lose about 100 to 125 hairs a day, but after delivery, you may be losing about 500 a day. This can be very disturbing, but try not to worry too much — you won't go bald!

There's little you can do about the shedding, other than to be patient. The shedding tends to be most noticeable when you're shampooing or brushing your hair, so you may find that shampooing less frequently or letting your hair dry naturally instead of brushing and blow-drying helps slow the loss.

On the other hand, it's going to fall out at some point, and you might prefer that it happen in private. Regular washing and brushing may help you avoid leaving a trail of shedding hair behind you all day. Try using a thickening shampoo if you feel your locks are getting too thin.

You may notice fine "baby" hair growing along your hairline at the top of your forehead once the shedding phase has ended. Having bangs can do a lot to camouflage this wispy new growth while it's growing out.

Within another six months or so, your hair should be back to its normal pre-pregnancy thickness, but you may find that the texture of your hair is never exactly the same. It may be wavier or straighter or more dry or oily than it was before pregnancy. This is probably due to the hormonal upheaval you've just been through.

If the hair loss doesn't seem to be slowing and you're still losing lots of hair six or so months after delivery, check in with a dermatologist or your healthcare provider. It may be a sign that you're low on iron, which is not entirely uncommon for new moms.

[amy0013]

If you noticed when you were pregnant...you rarely shed at all!  I think once your horomones start to go back to normal you shed all of the excess hair you'd held onto for 9 months.  My hairdresser said it CAN take up to a year for it to all balance back out.  I was afraid I was going to go bald myself!  

[Lance06]

I am at 3 months post pardum and and realizing I am losing ALOT of hair...when i brush my hair in the morning and blow dry it..my hair is all over the sink and floor...i have to pick it up its so much.....and if i run my fingers through my hair....i have alteast 8-10 pieces in my hand!

i am hoping it stops soon!

[Michele, Katy, TX]

Unfortunatly, it is very normal after having a baby for this to happen.  It happens to me everytime.  I start losing it by the handfuls!!  But it eventually does stop.

[JoyRenee]

Yup, happened to me.

[Roz1977]

thank you girls i appreciate your input so much!!!!!!!

[Mumita]

Hey Roz- I lost a bunch of hair when I was taking BC pills and I am affraid that I will loose a lot more after I deliver.  However, a lot of the hair loss has to do with your hormone levels and thyroid.  
My hair grew back when I started taking Kelp (iodine) supplements and prenatal vitamins and I grew a ton of hair when I did that.  Iodine helps to maintain a balance in your thyroid.  I know this is a common thing after pregnancy but you can reduce the ammount of hair that you shed by taking supplements.  Also you may want to talk to your doctor and see if they can give you a thyroid level blood check because sometimes your thyroid slows down post partum and that hormone fluctuation can cause depression, mood swings, hair loss, weight gain and lethargy.  

[Roz1977]

thank you mumita i will def speak with my OB about taking a thyroid test...the mood swings and depression is sometimes out of control!