Hair loss during pregnancy

When Ashlee Simpson recently expressed concern about losing her hair during pregnancy, it brought to light an issue that affects 40 to 50 percent of women. Debra Messing, Cate Blanchette and Gwyneth Paltrow have all publicly experienced postpartum hair loss, but for everyday women without a team of hair stylists to mask the effects, it can be an upsetting situation.

While hair is at its best during pregnancy, the stress and delivery of a child and the tremendous hormone fluctuations associated with this process may cause significant hair loss. The rise in hormones during pregnancy keeps a woman from losing her hair, but after delivery the normal hair loss that was delayed during pregnancy occurs in a short period of time. Postpartum hair loss, called telogen effluvium, is a temporary condition that normally spans 3-4 months. Once hormones stabilize, new mothers can expect their hair to re-grow over another span of 3-4 months.

Telogen effluvium does not cause permanent hair loss. If, however, a woman has female pattern hair loss, I often observe that once the hair grows back after the telogen effluvium, the overall hair density is less than it was before the pregnancy. Many women, in fact, report that they first noticed their hair becoming thin “after my first child was born.” I recommend laser therapy, Rogaine, and hair transplantation to effectively treat female pattern hair loss.

New mothers experiencing postpartum hair loss suffer added psychological stress during an already stressful situation. Fortunately, the most effective treatments for telogen effluvium are time and emotional support. When it comes to pregnancy, it doesn’t matter whether the woman is a celebrity or not. Every new mom needs the support of loved ones to get through this period of adjustment!

-Doc