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| First Time Moms |
| Public online group |
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| My son is 9 months old and at about 4 1/2 months I started losing a ton of hair. My hair dresser said it was normal and that the hormone change causes women to lose their hair after pregnancy. It's been 5 months now, and it is still falling out all over the place. Does anyone know about this and how long it lasts? |
| Posted by Charlene on 05/20/2007 12:49 PM
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Charlene, even before pregnancy it is normal to lose about 80-100 hairs a day from what my hairdresser tells me. During pregnancy this slows down significantly due to hormones and prenatal vitamins. After pregnancy, the extra hair starts to come out and will eventually slow back down to the usual 80-100 per day. I'm not sure how long this takes, but it is at least until your hair gets back to the way it was before. It may seem very thin compared to the way it was during pregnancy, but don't worry, it's normal.
Marcia |
| posted by Marcia on 05/20/2007 04:51 PM
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| I thought I was the only one! Handfuls of my hair has been coming out for months as well. I was starting to really worry. Thank you so much for sharing your story, Charlene! |
| posted by Dawn on 05/20/2007 05:35 PM
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| My hair dresser did say your body holds onto hair during pregnancy and lets go of all of the extra post pregnancy. It just doesn't seem to be stopping. I was getting worried. Thanks for the notes. It helps to know others are going through this and it has been months for you as well. |
| posted by Charlene on 05/20/2007 07:20 PM
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I was pretty freaked out when this started happening to me as well. But here's what I found that calmed me down...
Many new moms are surprised to find themselves shedding more hair than usual in the first few months after giving birth, but it's perfectly normal. And there's no need to panic: You won't go bald. In fact, your hair should be back to normal by your baby's first birthday.
Here's what's going on. Normally, about 85 to 95 percent of the hair on your head is growing and the other 5 to 15 percent is in a resting stage. After the resting period, this hair falls out — often while you're brushing or shampooing it — and is replaced by new growth. An average woman sheds about 100 hairs a day.
During pregnancy, increased levels of estrogen prolong the growing stage. There are fewer hairs in the resting stage and fewer falling out each day, so you have thicker, more luxuriant tresses.
After you give birth, your estrogen levels take a tumble and a lot more hair follicles enter the resting stage. Soon you'll have more hair coming out in the shower or on the brush. This unusual shedding will taper off and your hair will be back to its pre-pregnancy thickness about six to 12 months after you give birth.
By the way, not all women notice dramatic changes in their hair during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Among those who do, it tends to be more obvious among women with longer hair. |
| posted by Melissa on 05/20/2007 10:36 PM
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| Thank you so much for the information. It helps to understand what is going on. I do have long hair too. Hopefully it will end soon. I feel like I am going bald. |
| posted by Charlene on 05/21/2007 08:48 PM
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