Understanding Postnatal Hair Loss: Why It Happens and How to Support Your Recovery

Understanding Postnatal Hair Loss: Why It Happens and How to Support Your Recovery

Because you’re not “losing” yourself — your body’s just recalibrating.

If you’ve noticed extra strands collecting in your brush, clogging the shower drain, or shedding across your clothes, you’re not imagining it — and you’re certainly not alone.

Postnatal hair loss (or postpartum alopecia) is a completely normal part of the recovery process after pregnancy. It can feel alarming, but it’s temporary — and understanding why it happens can help you feel more in control and confident through the changes.

Why Does Postnatal Hair Loss Happen?

During pregnancy, your body is flooded with hormones — especially oestrogen and progesterone — which prolong the growth phase of your hair cycle.
That’s why so many expectant mums notice their hair looking thicker, fuller, and shinier while pregnant.

But after birth, hormone levels drop rapidly as your body begins to return to its pre-pregnancy state. This hormonal shift pushes more hairs than usual into the shedding phase (known as telogen effluvium).

The result? Hair starts falling out — often around 3 to 4 months postpartum, sometimes lasting up to a year.

It’s most noticeable around your temples, hairline, or parting — and while it can feel like you’re losing handfuls, it’s usually just your body catching up after nine months of not shedding much at all.

 Other Contributing Factors

Hormones aren’t the only player here — a few other things can make postnatal hair loss more noticeable:

• Nutrient depletion — Pregnancy and breastfeeding can drain your stores of iron, zinc, vitamin D, and biotin — all key nutrients for healthy hair growth.

• Stress and sleep deprivation — The emotional and physical demands of new motherhood can increase cortisol levels, which may affect the hair growth cycle.

• Thyroid changes — In some cases, postpartum thyroid imbalances can contribute to increased shedding.

How to Support Hair Recovery Naturally

While you can’t completely prevent postnatal shedding, you can support regrowth and strengthen your hair from within.

Here’s how:

1. Feed your follicles — Focus on a nutrient-rich diet with plenty of protein, leafy greens, eggs, nuts, and oily fish.

2. Supplement smartly — A targeted postnatal hair supplement (like The Mom Club Hair Recovery Formula) can help replenish essential nutrients such as biotin, zinc, selenium, and iron.

3. Be gentle — Avoid tight hairstyles, harsh brushing, or overusing heated tools while your hair is fragile.

4. Massage your scalp — Stimulates blood flow and encourages new growth.

5. Stay patient — Most women notice new baby hairs sprouting by 6–12 months postpartum.

Remember — This Is Temporary

It can be hard to feel like yourself when your hair feels thinner or different, especially in a time when so much else is changing. But this is a phase — one that nearly all mothers go through — and your hair will recover.

In the meantime, nourish your body, give yourself grace, and know that every strand lost is a sign of your body healing and resetting after everything it’s achieved.

✨ You’re not falling apart — you’re growing back stronger.