As your due date draws near, you’re probably looking forward to finally meeting your little one. But there’s one thing you may not look forward to losing: your thick, shiny pregnancy locks.
It’s not your imagination — most women find that pregnancy makes their hair thicker. And it’s not the stress of having a newborn that’s making your hair fall out. Here’s what’s happening to your hair during pregnancy, what to expect postnatally, and what you can do about it.
How your hormones change during pregnancy and postnatally
During pregnancy, your hormones change dramatically.
One of the first to spike is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Pregnancy also causes several other hormone levels to rise, including oestrogen, progesterone, oxytocin and prolactin. Your blood volume increases too — up to 50% more than normal by your due date.
Immediately after birth, several hormone levels drop quickly, including oestrogen and progesterone. These return to near‑normal within 24 hours, although prolactin stays high while breastfeeding.
Your blood volume also decreases gradually, returning to normal a few weeks after your baby arrives.
How hormones affect your hair
Hormones are the biggest reason for pregnancy hair changes and postnatal hair loss.
During pregnancy, high oestrogen levels prevent your usual rate of hair shedding. Normally, you lose small amounts of hair daily — but during pregnancy, shedding slows dramatically. Increased blood volume and circulation also reduce hair loss.
After your baby arrives and hormone levels drop, your hair “makes up for lost time” by shedding more than usual. The total amount isn’t more than you would have lost over nine months — it just happens all at once.
Postnatal hair loss can begin any time after birth and may continue for up to a year. It usually peaks around the four‑month mark.
Postnatal hair treatments to try
It’s normal for your hair to thin after pregnancy. If it doesn’t bother you, you don’t need to treat it — and nothing has been proven to prevent postpartum hair loss. But if you’d like your hair to appear fuller, here are some options.
Skip the styling
Heat styling with dryers or curling irons can make hair look thinner. Try air‑drying until shedding slows.
Brushing too hard can also increase shedding, so be gentle and avoid brushing more than once a day.
Eat well
A varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins helps ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs.
Foods often recommended for hair health include dark leafy greens (iron and vitamin C), sweet potatoes and carrots (beta carotene), eggs (vitamin D), and fish (omega‑3s and magnesium).
Take your vitamins
Vitamins shouldn’t replace a varied diet, especially when caring for a newborn, but they can help if your diet isn’t well‑balanced. While no specific vitamins have been proven to affect hair loss, they support overall health.
It’s often recommended to continue prenatal vitamins after birth, especially if breastfeeding. Our Optipreg product contains 21 vitamins and minerals beneficial during and after pregnancy, and we also offer two Biotin supplements.
Optipreg Pregnancy Plus
Biotin Coconut Melts
Biotin 10,000µg Tablets