Healthy Hair During Pregnancy

Post-baby hair loss.

[Q] What causes hair loss after pregnancy?

“Up to 50 percent of women experience hair loss between the second and seventh month after pregnancy,” says Philip Kingsley, a New York-based trichologist (hair and scalp specialist). During pregnancy, hair loss decreases as a result of increased estrogen levels. After you give birth, hormone levels return to normal, causing hair loss to resume. Breastfeeding will delay the process, but your hair will fall out when you stop nursing. “There’s not much you can do to prevent it,” says Kingsley. “But taking care of your hair and scalp will help make the hair that is there healthy and strong.”