For the handfuls in the shower drain
Postpartum shedding is temporary.
If you're a few months past giving birth and your hair is falling out in fistfuls, I promise you this is normal, it's temporary, and there's something we can do to help you feel like yourself while it grows back.
- Cause
- Normal hormone shift
- Timing
- Usually temporary
- Bridge options
- Extensions, toppers
- Consultation
- Free, ~30 min
The shower drain scared you. It shouldn’t.
Somewhere around three or four months after your baby arrived, it probably started: hair coming out in handfuls, a wider part, little wisps at your hairline that won’t lie down. If you’ve been quietly panicking, let me be the first to reassure you: this is one of the most normal things a new mother’s body does.
You are not losing your hair for good. You’re shedding all at once what you would have shed slowly over nine months.
Why it happens
During pregnancy, a surge of hormones tells your hair to stay put. Strands that would normally cycle out and fall simply don’t, which is why so many women feel thicker and fuller while expecting. After birth, those hormones drop back to normal, and all that held-on hair lets go together over a few weeks.
It looks dramatic because it’s concentrated, not because anything is wrong. For most women, the shedding settles and the hair returns to its usual fullness within about a year.
This isn’t loss. It’s a reset, and it almost always comes back on its own.
Bridging the in-between
Knowing it’s temporary doesn’t make the mirror easier in the meantime, especially when you’re already running on no sleep. That’s the part I can help with: a gentle bridge to carry you through the regrowth without stressing hair that’s already in a fragile stretch.
- Lightweight tape-in extensions can restore volume and blend with your color, and they’re a forgiving option while your own hair recovers.
- A small topper can cover thinning right at the part or hairline where postpartum shedding shows most.
Everything I’d suggest here is chosen to be temporary and kind: nothing heavy, nothing that fights hair that’s already working hard to grow back.
Where I draw the honest line
Because postpartum hair almost always returns, my whole approach is about supporting it gently, not replacing it. If your regrowth is on track, we may only need a light touch for a season.
But I’ll also be honest if something looks off. If your shedding is patchy, comes with other symptoms, or stretches well past that first year, that’s worth a conversation with your doctor. Postpartum thyroid changes are real and treatable. And if your situation is really longer-term thinning rather than a postpartum phase, I’ll point you toward how I approach women’s hair loss more broadly.
You have enough on your plate
You didn’t sign up to worry about your hair on top of everything else a new baby brings. Come sit down for thirty minutes and let me take this one thing off your list: a free, no-pressure consultation to talk through where you are and what, if anything, would help.
Text Terri at (480) 209-2532 to book. And congratulations, by the way.
Let’s be honest about fit.
A great fit if you…
- Are a few months postpartum and shedding heavily
- See thinning at your hairline, temples, or part
- Want to feel like yourself again during regrowth
- Want a gentle, temporary bridge, not a permanent fix
We should talk first if you…
- Are shedding in patches or far beyond the typical postpartum window
- Have shedding with other symptoms you haven't discussed with a doctor
Not sure where you land? That’s exactly what the free consultation is for.
Common questions
Is postpartum hair loss normal?
Yes, it's one of the most common things new mothers experience. During pregnancy, hormones keep you from shedding the hair you'd normally lose, so after birth all of it lets go at once. It usually starts a couple of months postpartum and can feel alarming, but it's your body catching up, not something going wrong.
Will my hair grow back?
In the vast majority of cases, yes. Postpartum shedding is temporary, and most women see their hair return to its normal fullness within a year or so. What I offer is a way to feel like yourself during that stretch, not a permanent replacement for hair that isn't coming back.
What can you do to help while it grows back?
Gentle, temporary options that add coverage and volume without stressing your hair. Lightweight extensions can restore fullness, and a small topper can cover thinning at the part or hairline. Everything is chosen to be kind to hair that's already in a fragile phase.
When should I see a doctor instead?
If the shedding is patchy, comes with other symptoms, or drags on well past the first year, it's worth checking in with your doctor. Thyroid changes and other issues can surface after pregnancy too. I'll always tell you if what I'm seeing looks like it belongs in a doctor's office first.
Free consultation
The only way to know is to sit down with me.
Consultations are free, take about thirty minutes, and you leave knowing exactly what your options are, even if the answer is “not yet.”
Text (480) 209-2532 · By appointment at Altered Ego Salon, Tempe