Hair loss after pregnancy

Hair loss after pregnancy is a concern for many women. Some have already experienced it after becoming pregnant, while others worry about it before trying to conceive. However, all women should know that postpartum hair loss is a relatively normal phenomenon with a well-known explanation. Discover why hair falls out after childbirth in this article.

Hair Loss After Childbirth

The cause of hair loss after pregnancy is a hormone called prolactin. This is the hormone responsible for stimulating breast milk production, but it also contributes to hair loss because it interferes with the natural hair growth cycle.

This type of hair loss is known as postpartum telogen effluvium and should not be confused with other forms of female alopecia. It may accelerate an existing form of alopecia, but these conditions should not be considered the same.

More Factors Behind Hair Loss After Pregnancy

In addition to the production of prolactin, there are other factors that contribute to hair loss during this period, including stress, hormonal changes, iron deficiency, and anaemia. Not only can hair fall out, but hair density may also decrease.

In any of these cases, it is important to understand that this hair loss is temporary and will resolve once prolactin levels return to normal. This is assuming there is no stronger-than-normal hereditary predisposition to alopecia, in which case it would generally have appeared beforehand.

Hair Loss in Women: Female Alopecia

Postpartum telogen effluvium is reversible, but it can also serve as a warning sign of other forms of female alopecia, such as alopecia areata or frontal fibrosing alopecia, which affect more women than many people realise. In Spain, around one in four women experiences hair loss or reduced hair density, conditions for which we can provide treatment at Instituto Médico del Prado.

The most common treatments for female hair loss include Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), Mesotherapy, and Carboxytherapy, although in some cases a hair transplant is also a common option.

Dr. Espinosa Custodio works at Instituto Médico del Prado, his hair clinic in Madrid, and performs hair transplants in Mexico, twice a year. If you would like to make an appointment, you can contact us on +34 912 468 664, on WhatsApp +34 627 396 322 or on the contact page of our website. From Mexico you can contact us at +52 55 4590 9909.