PRINT
the Information Sheet
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PRINT
the Information Sheet
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important
points
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Postpartum hair loss is not permanent hair loss |
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Normally around 100,000 hairs grow in the scalp and usually 50-200 hairs are shed each day |
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The increased hormone levels during pregnancy make the hairs in the scalp grow more than normal |
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After giving birth the hormone levels return to normal and two to three months later there is increased hair shedding which lasts for two to three months |
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Hair growth will return to normal three to six months after the hair fall commenced |
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Postpartum hair loss may occur with each pregnancy |
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what
is it?
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Many
women will notice hair loss following pregnancy. The hormones that increase
during pregnancy lead to changes in the skin and many other parts of the body.
They tend to put all of the scalp hair into the growth phase of the hair cycle.
That means many women notice their hair seems to grow thicker during pregnancy.
After birth of the baby many of the hairs stop growing and move into the resting phase where they remain for two or three months. When the hair cycle begins again, the hairs move back into the growth phase and the old hairs are shed all at once. The amount of shedding will vary between individuals with some women noticing the hair loss more than others. If there is already a tendency to inherited hair thinning in the family, the hair loss may be even more noticeable following the birth of the child.
The postpartum
hair loss usually lasts for two to three months and then the hairs begin to
regrow. In most women, the hair returns to its pre-pregnancy state.
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how
is it treated?
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No treatment is necessary for postpartum hair loss. It is merely a temporary change in the hair growth cycle due to hormonal changes during pregnancy.
Excessive
brushing will remove the hairs easily and will accelerate the hair loss that
might otherwise have taken two or three months to fall out. If this happens
it will not damage the hair in any way. Taking vitamins or rubbing preparations
into the scalp will not make any difference. Some women notice that postpartum
hair loss occurs after each pregnancy.
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further
information
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Your
Maternal and Child Health nurse.
Your family doctor.
Your obstetrician.
© 2002, Department of Dermatology, St. Vincent’s
Hospital Melbourne, Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia.