Ah, an adorable bouncing baby. The gummy grin and wide eyes brighten my day.
What doesn't brighten my day? All the hair in my brush, shower drain, back of my white coat, and pillowcase. Yes, as a result of my little sweet bundle of joy, i now have telogen effluvium, which is a loss of hair that occurs a few months after pregnancy to 50% of women.
Hair grows in cycles. The growth phase is called anagen. The catagen phase is a transitional stage, and about 3% of hairs are in this stage at any given time. The resting phase is called telogen. Normally, 6-8% of all hairs are in this phase, and about 100 hairs a day are normally shed. And even though that's a normal number, it can still look like a lot of hair and be alarming.
During pregnancy, increased numbers of hair follicles stay in the anagen (growth) phase for longer periods of time, due to changes in hormones. This explains the lush, thick locks that so many women experience when they're pregnant.
But about 3-6 months after delivery, when the hormone levels drop, hair returns to the telogen phase. This causes an increase in hair loss called telogen effluvium. Other stressful events cause this as well, such as illness, new medications, etc. And it ain't fun.
The good news is that the loss is temporary and usually returns to normal between 6-12 months. Loose skin, stretch marks, wider hips, varicose veins, and hair loss... It's a trade-off, but that smile makes it all worthwhile.
