Does Breastfeeding Cause Postpartum Hair Loss?
By Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC Postpartum hair loss is a normal – and temporary – postpartum change that is unrelated to breastfeeding. Most women will return to their usual hair growth cycle between 6 and 12 months after birth. Many new moms notice hair loss – sometimes quite dramatic – around three months postpartum. This is a normal – and temporary – postpartum change that is unrelated to breastfeeding. Following is how the hair growth cycle works: All hair has a growth phase, termed anagen, and a resting phase, telogen. On the scalp, anagen lasts approximately 3 years, while telogen lasts roughly 3 months, although there can be wide variation in these times between individuals. During telogen, the resting hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by growth of a new anagen hair. — from Telogen Effluvium by Elizabeth CW Hughes, MD Normally, around 85-95% of your hair is in the growth phase at any point in time, but the hormonal changes during pregnancy stimulate an increase i
