3 Hair and Scalp Problems New Moms Should Know About

If your hair started coming out in handfuls a few months after giving birth, you are not going bald. Postpartum hair loss is one of the changes mums in Singapore ask us about most, and for the large majority it settles on its own. Here is what is actually happening, what helps, and the point at which it is worth seeing a doctor.

What postpartum hair loss actually is

The medical name is telogen effluvium: a temporary shedding phase that happens when an unusually large group of hairs leaves the growth phase and enters the resting phase at the same time, then falls out together a few months later (StatPearls, Telogen Effluvium). During pregnancy, higher oestrogen keeps more hairs growing for longer, which is why your hair may have felt unusually thick. After birth those levels drop and the shedding that was postponed arrives all at once.

The American Academy of Dermatology describes this shedding as typically most noticeable around four months after delivery, with most women seeing their hair back to its usual fullness by their child's first birthday (AAD, Hair loss in new moms). It is a delay in normal shedding, not damage to your hair.

Postpartum shedding looks dramatic, but it is an accumulation of normal hair loss that was paused during pregnancy, not a sign something is wrong.

Why your scalp deserves the same attention as your skin

As the scalp is an extension of the facial skin, the skin on top of your head is just as important to take care of as the skin on the rest of your body. Your hair follicles receive valuable nutrients from your blood supply to the scalp, so your scalp health is directly correlated to maintaining healthy hair.

A healthy scalp ensures a good cell renewal process and that hair follicles get the nutrients they need to maintain healthy-looking hair, promote growth, and prevent loss. In order for your scalp to function properly, it needs that little bit more of TLC during and after pregnancy.

Three hair and scalp conditions to look out for

What actually helps

There is no product that stops telogen effluvium early, because the shedding is already scheduled by the time you notice it. What you can do is protect the hair you have and support the regrowth underneath:

• Be gentle with wet hair. Wet hair stretches and snaps more easily. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb from the ends upward rather than brushing from the roots.
• Ease off tight styles. Tight ponytails, buns and braids add tension at the hairline, which is already the area most likely to look sparse.
• Turn the heat down. Limit straighteners, curling tongs and hot dryers while shedding is at its peak.
• Keep eating properly. Hair growth is one of the first things the body deprioritises when you are running short on iron or protein, and new mums are frequently short on both. Ask your doctor before starting any supplement, including iron.
• Give it time. Regrowth is often short, fine and sticks up around the hairline before it blends back in. That is a sign it is working.

How BMB supports your postnatal recovery

Hair shedding is one visible part of a much broader recovery, and it usually arrives in the same window as fatigue, feeding challenges and a body that still feels unfamiliar. Our postnatal work focuses on that whole picture: postnatal massage for circulation and muscular recovery, lactation massage if feeding is painful or supply is a worry, and the BMB Recovery Package if you would rather have the first weeks planned for you, largely in your own home. If you are not sure what you need, our lactation clinic and consultation team will talk it through with you first.

When to see a doctor

Postpartum shedding is expected. These are the signs worth getting looked at rather than waiting out:

• Hair is still shedding heavily beyond 12 months after birth.
• You are losing hair in distinct patches rather than diffusely across the scalp.
• The scalp is painful, scaling, or visibly inflamed, or there is scarring.
• Shedding comes with symptoms such as persistent exhaustion, palpitations or unexplained weight change, which can point to thyroid or iron issues worth testing.

A GP, dermatologist or trichologist can confirm whether this is ordinary postpartum shedding or something that needs treating. The NHS hair loss guidance is a useful plain-English overview of the wider causes.

Postpartum hair loss in Singapore: common questions