How Common Is Hair Loss after Childbirth?

Postpartum hair loss is a typical acute resting phase hair loss, with an incubation period of 8-13 weeks, but it can also start after 7 months postpartum. Generally, the more parities, the more severe hair loss.

Basic Information

Visiting department: Department of Endocrinology, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Multiple groups: Postpartum women

Common causes: Hormonal levels, mental factors, imbalanced diet
Common symptoms: Hair loss

Causes of postpartum exfoliation

Hormone level

Hormone levels in the body during pregnancy are unstable. The level of hormones in the body directly affects the rate of hair replacement. Estrogen increases and the rate of hair loss decreases. Estrogen decreases and the rate of hair loss increases. Postpartum is in the recovery stage, estrogen secretion is significantly reduced, causing hair loss.

2. Mental factors

Mental factors are closely related to hair. Before and after childbirth, there are various reasons for emotional instability or excessive mental stress, which leads to disorders of the body's metabolism and insufficient nutrition, resulting in hair loss.

3. Unbalanced diet

During pregnancy, vomiting, anorexia, etc. affect eating due to pregnancy reactions, and diet control during lactation, resulting in a lack of protein, vitamins, inorganic salts and trace elements, which affects the normal growth and metabolism of hair and causes hair loss.

Clinical manifestations of postpartum alopecia

1. Hair breaks easily

Pulling on any part of the scalp can easily pull out hair without pain.

2. Nutrition metabolism

Nutritional metabolic diseases such as iron deficiency, iron-deficiency erythropoietic alopecia.

Postpartum hair loss check

Examination of sex hormone levels has certain clinical significance for postpartum hair loss, menopausal hair loss and hair loss caused by oral contraceptives. The serum TSH test is most valuable for the diagnosis of hypothyroidism.