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The Healthy Way

Read Dr. Elena Krasnov's Weekly Column in the Health & Fitness section of the 24 Hours Magazine
Look for new articles every week!

Monday, May 05, 2008

Hair Loss After Pregnancy

Q: Dear Elena: I recently had a baby and during my pregnancy I started to lose my hair. Now the baby is 5 months old and I am still losing my hair. What is wrong with me? How can I stop this?

A: For most women hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy actually make your hair appear healthier. It is more common to see hair loss after delivery rather then during pregnancy. Unless you are suffering from some nutritional or vitamin deficiency during pregnancy you should have better then usual hair not hair loss. During pregnancy, an increased number of hairs go into the resting phase, which is part of the normal hair loss cycle. This condition is usually not serious to cause permanent hair loss, and should begin to improve 3-4 months after the baby is born.

Approximately 90% of your hair is growing at any time while the other 10% enter a resting phase. Every 2-3 months the resting hair falls out and allows new hair growth in its place. Telogen effluvium is the excessive shedding of hair that occurs one to five months following pregnancy This is quiet common, affecting 40-50% of women and like most changes during pregnancy, it is temporary.

If hair loss is a significant concern to you 5 months after pregnancy, I would suggest first to do a full medical screen including all hormone levels, especially thyroid hormone. Malfunctioning thyroid gland can be a cause of hair loss not necessarily associated with being pregnant. You should also rule out a fungal infection of the scalp as well as iron deficiency.

Generally safe and effective supplements to take to supplement both hair and nails include B complex with biotin, Vitamins E and C, as well as Zinc. If all else fails you can also try and do some mesotherapy treatments on the scalp. It has been done in Europe and the US with good results.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online at 24hrs.ca

Co-written by Miranda Tallon