What to do if hair falls seriously during breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is an important stage for mothers, but many mothers experience severe hair loss during this period. Not only does this affect appearance, it can also cause anxiety and uneasiness. This article will give you a detailed analysis of the causes of hair loss during breastfeeding and provide practical solutions.
1. Causes of hair loss during breastfeeding

Hair loss during breastfeeding is mainly due to the following reasons:
| Reason | Description |
|---|---|
| Hormone changes | Estrogen levels rise during pregnancy and plummet after childbirth, causing hair to enter the resting phase. |
| Nutrient loss | Breastfeeding mothers need to provide a large amount of nutrients to their babies, resulting in their own nutritional deficiencies. |
| lack of sleep | Caring for a newborn results in poor sleep quality and affects the hair growth cycle. |
| psychological stress | Postpartum mood swings and parenting stress can exacerbate hair loss problems. |
2. How to alleviate hair loss during breastfeeding
To address the problem of hair loss during breastfeeding, you can start from the following aspects:
| Solution | specific measures |
|---|---|
| balanced diet | Eat more foods rich in protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B and vitamin E. |
| Appropriate nutritional supplements | You can take pregnancy vitamins or specialized hair nutritional supplements under the guidance of a doctor. |
| Gentle hair care | Use mild shampoo, avoid frequent perming and dyeing, and reduce chemical damage to your hair. |
| scalp massage | Gently massage your scalp for 5-10 minutes every day to promote blood circulation. |
| ensure sleep | Try to rest at the same time as your baby to get more sleep time. |
| Reduce stress | Relieve stress through meditation, yoga, etc., and seek professional help if necessary. |
3. Common misunderstandings about hair loss during breastfeeding
Regarding hair loss during breastfeeding, there are some common misunderstandings that need to be clarified:
| Misunderstanding | facts |
|---|---|
| Hair loss will continue throughout breastfeeding | It usually starts 3-4 months after delivery and will gradually return to normal in 6-12 months. |
| Cutting your hair short can reduce hair loss | Cutting your hair short only makes hair loss less noticeable, but does not actually reduce the amount of hair loss. |
| Breastfeeding can cause permanent hair loss | Breastfeeding hair loss is usually temporary and gets better as hormone levels stabilize. |
| All hair loss requires treatment | Physiological hair loss does not require special treatment, only pathological hair loss requires medical treatment. |
4. When Do You Need Medical Treatment?
Although hair loss during breastfeeding is mostly a normal physiological phenomenon, you should seek medical attention promptly when the following conditions occur:
| Symptoms | Possible reasons |
|---|---|
| Extreme hair loss | Losing more than 100 hairs per day for several weeks |
| Alopecia areata occurs | Obvious circular areas of hair loss on the scalp |
| accompanied by other symptoms | Such as fatigue, dizziness, dry skin, etc. |
| Continues after lactation is over | No improvement after more than 1 year |
5. Expert advice
Based on recent expert discussions and hot topics on the Internet, we have compiled the following professional suggestions:
1. Professor Li from the Department of Dermatology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital said: "Hair loss during lactation is a normal physiological phenomenon, and mothers do not need to be overly anxious. The most important thing is to maintain balanced nutrition and a good attitude."
2. Dr. Wang, a well-known parenting expert, suggests: "Breastfeeding mothers can eat more black sesame seeds, walnuts, deep-sea fish and other foods, which are helpful for hair health."
3. In the recent Weibo hot topic #Postpartum Hair Loss Self-Rescue Guide, many mothers shared their experience of using ginger water to wash their hair, consuming donkey hide gelatin and other traditional methods. However, experts remind that the effects of these methods vary from person to person.
4. Xiaohongshu’s popular notes show that the use of physical therapies such as laser hair growth caps is popular among some groups of mothers, but doctors should be consulted before use.
6. Summary
Severe hair loss during breastfeeding, although disturbing, is usually a temporary physiological phenomenon. With reasonable dietary adjustments, proper care, and good lifestyle habits, most mothers can successfully get through this stage. The important thing is to stay patient and positive, and seek medical advice promptly if something unusual happens. Remember, a healthy mother can take better care of her baby. Don't put too much pressure on yourself because of hair loss.
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