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Is it normal to lose hair after giving birth?

Due to the hormonal changes during pregnancy, your hair goes through a longer “resting” phase than normal. This means it doesn't fall out as soon as before. Your hair will feel thicker during pregnancy. After your baby has arrived, your hormones change again and start returning to normal levels. This happens after about 12 weeks. The result of the sudden change is that the dormant hair begins to fall out and is a lot more noticeable due to the “backlog” of hair that has built up.
 
It is not unusual to notice a handful of hair being lost at a time. The normal rate of hair loss is between 50 and 100 hairs per day. After pregnancy, this jumps to a staggering 500 hairs per day. Although it is slightly unpleasant to experience this, it does not mean that you stand the risk of going completely bald.
 
There is not much you can do about the hair loss other than wait it out until your body normalises again. The loss will be most apparent when you wash, dry and brush your hair. You can try letting your dry without towelling, or shampooing less often, until the shedding phase is over. While this does not eliminate the shedding, it does spread it out over the whole day. You may prefer to just deal with it alone rather than worry about hair ending up on everything where ever you go during the day.
 
If you are concerned about your hair looking too thin you can bulk it up a bit with conditioner. You will notice fine “baby” hair growing along your hairline. You can change your style to disguise this growth, if needs be. After six months or so, your hair loss and growth rate will go back to normal. You may notice that your hair is permanently different in moisture and texture. This is due to the extreme changes in your body caused by the pregnancy hormones. Continued hair loss after six months may indicate that you are low on iron. Have a dermatologist or doctor test you for abnormalities.

More questions

Yes, breastfeeding has a direct effect on the size of your uterus.
The general consensus among healthcare providers is that it is safe to have a nice warm bath straight after delivery.
The effects of pregnancy on your body are visible for weeks and months after you've given birth, which is why maternity clothing isn't just for when you are pregnant.
Exercise is definitely a part of dropping post baby weight, along with a healthy diet. However, there are limits to how much you can do and how soon you can start.
Some doctors, and many women as well, have reported that applying raw, cooled, cabbaged leaves to the breasts helps to reduce milk production and the discomfort that comes with having engorged breasts as well.
It is not a good idea to use tampons until you are completely healed after giving birth. If you become infected because of a tampon, it only means more pain and a longer time to recover after giving birth.
What took your body nine months to develop, takes a matter of weeks to transform you back to the woman you were before your pregnancy. It is no wonder that most women feel totally exhausted after giving birth. Your brand new baby is of course, your amazing reward.
It is more than likely that you will be able to wear most of your pre-pregnancy clothing again – but do not expect to do so too soon after having your baby.
Losing baby weight is a priority for many new mums, and as long as you’re eating sensibly and exercising moderately, breastfeeding can help you to do just that.
There are many factors that can influence changes in your skin's natural moisture and oil content.

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