Postpartum hair shedding
- The timing catches people off guard. It usually begins around two to four months after birth, often just as life is settling.
- It is a hormonal catch up. Pregnancy oestrogen keeps more hair in its growth phase. Afterwards, those hairs shed together.
- It usually resolves on its own. For most women it settles by around twelve months. The follicles are resting, not lost.
- Some situations are worth checking. If it has not settled by around a year, or the thinning follows a pattern rather than being diffuse.
- Reassurance is a reasonable reason to come in. A scan shows whether your shed is settling as expected. The consultation is complimentary.
If your hair started coming out in handfuls a few months after having your baby, you are not losing your hair for good. This is one of the most common and most alarming sheds there is, and it almost always settles on its own.
The timing that catches everyone off guard
Postpartum shedding usually begins around two to four months after birth, which is often just as life is finding a rhythm again. It can feel dramatic: clumps in the shower, hair around the house, a thinner hairline at the temples. The intensity is frightening, but the timing is textbook.
Why it happens
During pregnancy, high oestrogen keeps more of your hair in its growth phase than usual, which is why hair often feels thick and full. After birth, oestrogen drops, and all of those hairs that were held in growth shift into the resting phase together and shed a few months later. It is a hormonal reset, not damage, and it is a form of telogen effluvium.
A quick, calm read either way
If you want reassurance, a scan shows whether your shed is settling as expected or worth a closer look. No pressure, no upsell. The consultation is complimentary.
Book a complimentary consultationIt usually resolves on its own
For most women, postpartum shedding settles by around twelve months as the hair cycle rebalances. The follicles are resting, not lost. Gentle care and patience are usually all that is needed, and we will happily tell you that rather than sell you something you do not require.
When a scan is worth it
It is worth an assessment if the shedding has not settled by around a year, if the thinning is following a pattern rather than being diffuse, or if you have a family history of hair loss. Occasionally a postpartum shed can reveal an underlying pattern tendency, and that is worth catching early rather than waiting.
Crystal, Registered Nurse
Crystal is the founder of Scalp Series and a registered nurse who works exclusively in hair and scalp restoration. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Cosmetic Nursing and Injectables and a Master of Nursing Science, is currently studying toward certification as a trichologist with the International Association of Trichologists, and personally performs every treatment at the studio.
Medically reviewed before publication.
Postpartum shedding, answered
Is postpartum hair loss permanent?
Should I be worried?
If you want reassurance, come and see.
A baseline scan and a calm conversation will tell you whether your shed is settling as expected. The consultation is complimentary, with no pressure to book treatment.
Complimentary · around 45 minutes · includes your baseline scan · no obligation
Book a complimentary consultationStudio 10, 149 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East
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