Postpartum Hair Loss: What’s actually happening in the body?

If you’ve recently had a baby and you’re noticing more hair in the shower or on your brush, you’re definitely not alone. Postpartum hair loss is incredibly common and something I get asked about a lot.

The good news is it’s usually a completely normal and temporary part of the body adjusting after pregnancy.

Let’s look at what’s actually happening.

What Happens to Hair During Pregnancy

Your hair naturally moves through a cycle of growth, rest and shedding. Normally, we lose around 50 to 100 hairs each day as part of this process.

During pregnancy, oestrogen levels rise significantly. This hormone keeps more hair in the growth phase for longer than usual. Fewer hairs enter the shedding phase, which is why many women notice their hair feels thicker and fuller while they’re pregnant.

Why Hair Sheds After Birth

After your baby is born, hormone levels shift quickly, and oestrogen drops back to normal levels. This signals many of those hairs that were held in the growth phase to move into the resting phase at the same time.

A few months later, those hairs begin to shed. This is known as telogen effluvium.

It can feel quite dramatic because it often starts around three to four months postpartum, and more hair falls out at once. In reality, it’s often the hair that would normally have shed gradually during pregnancy.

Your body is simply catching up.

Supporting Healthy Hair After Pregnancy

While postpartum hair loss is a normal hormonal shift, your body has also been through a huge season of change. Pregnancy, birth and caring for a newborn can place extra demands on your nutrient stores.

Hair health relies on key nutrients that support protein structure, scalp health and collagen production.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and provides important amino acids that help support the structure of hair, skin and connective tissue. Nutrients involved in collagen production, including vitamin C and zinc, also play an important role in supporting healthy hair.

Supporting hair from the inside out

Supporting your body with nourishing foods and targeted nutrients can help give your body the building blocks it needs during postpartum recovery.

Our Collagen Beauty blend combines bioavailable collagen peptides with vitamin C and zinc to help support collagen formation and healthy hair, skin and nails.

While postpartum shedding is a natural phase your body moves through, focusing on nourishment can help support healthy hair as your body adjusts.

Postpartum hair loss is a normal part of the hormonal shift after pregnancy, and most women see their hair return to its usual fullness within six to twelve months.

In the meantime, nourishing your body and supporting collagen production can help support healthy hair as your body finds its new balance.