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Breastfeeding and Postpartum Hair Loss: What the Science Actually Shows | roots²
- Dr Heng Jiacheng
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
Written by Dr Heng Jiacheng, MBBS, Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine (AAAM)Associate Member, ISHRS · Member, AAHRS. Insights from a Singapore-based hair-loss physician
If you're a new mother watching clumps of hair come out in the shower, you've probably wondered whether breastfeeding is to blame. It's one of the common misconceptions I hear from time to time. The short answer is no. But understanding why not, and what is actually happening, can make a real difference to how you approach recovery.
Does breastfeeding cause hairloss? TLDR:
Breastfeeding does not cause postpartum hair loss.
The hair loss after childbirth is driven by the sudden drop in oestrogen after delivery - not by lactation. In fact, research suggests breastfeeding may offer a modest protective effect on hair in the early postpartum months.
❌ Myth | ✓ Fact |
"Breastfeeding drains your body of nutrients and causes your hair to fall out." | A study of 116 women found breastfeeding mothers had a higher hair growth rate at 4 months postpartum compared to non-breastfeeding mothers (p = 0.014). By one year postpartum, there was no difference in hair cycle between the two groups - meaning breastfeeding neither causes nor prolongs postpartum hair loss over the long term. |
What actually causes postpartum hair loss
The real culprit is a condition called postpartum telogen effluvium, a normal, temporary disruption of the hair growth cycle triggered by the hormonal changes of pregnancy and delivery.
| High oestrogen levels prolong the anagen (growth) phase. Only ~10% of hairs are in the resting phase, compared to the normal 10–15%. Hair feels thicker and fuller. |
| The sudden hormonal shift triggers a synchronised wave of follicles entering the telogen (resting) phase. By 9 weeks postpartum, approximately 30% of hairs are in telogen. |
| Telogen lasts 3–5 months before shedding occurs. This is why the hair loss appears weeks after delivery, not immediately. The shed hairs are not "lost" prematurely, they are the extra hairs retained during pregnancy. |
| For most women, the hair cycle returns to baseline by one year postpartum. The shedding is self-limiting as long as no compounding factors (nutritional deficiencies, thyroid issues) are present. |
The common myth - and what the evidence actually shows
The study worth knowing about
Key research - Gizlenti & Ekmekci, 2014
A study of 116 postpartum women assessed hair cycle parameters at 4 months and 12 months after delivery. At 4 months, breastfeeding mothers had a significantly higher anagen (growth phase) rate and lower telogen (resting phase) rate compared to non-breastfeeding mothers (p = 0.014). By 12 months postpartum, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.
Gizlenti S, Ekmekci TR. The Changes in the Hair Cycle During Gestation and the Post-Partum Period. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2014. PMID: 23682615
This finding is clinically significant - and vastly underreported. It tells us that not only is breastfeeding not the cause, but that women who are breastfeeding appear to retain more hair in the growth phase in the critical early months. The mechanism most likely involves prolactin.
Why prolactin probably matters for your hair:
The topic on prolactin itself probably deserves multiple articles to dissect, however this is a mega simplified version to explain:
Prolactin receptors on hair follicles
Prolactin receptors are expressed on hair follicle keratinocytes and dermal papilla cells - the cells that regulate hair growth. In vitro studies show prolactin can directly influence the hair cycle. At physiological levels, it appears to support anagen maintenance. During active breastfeeding, prolactin levels remain 10–20 times above baseline, which may sustain a partial growth-promoting signal at the follicle level.
How this buffers the postpartum hormonal crash
After delivery, oestrogen drops sharply. This is the primary trigger for postpartum telogen effluvium - it causes a synchronised wave of follicles shifting from growth to resting phase. Breastfeeding does not prevent this oestrogen drop. But elevated prolactin may partially counteract the telogen-promoting effect of falling oestrogen at the follicle level, resulting in a slower or less synchronised shift into telogen in the early months.
Why it resolves by 12 months regardless
By 12 months postpartum, most women have weaned or prolactin has declined significantly even in those still breastfeeding. The protective effect wanes, and the hair cycle normalises through its own intrinsic mechanisms. This explains why the Gizlenti study found no difference at one year - the delay offered by breastfeeding had run its course.
Closing note and a pattern I've observed in clinics:
A small number of breastfeeding mothers have come to me concerned that their hair loss seems "late" - appearing at 5–6 months postpartum when they expected it to be winding down by now. In my experience, this delayed presentation is more common in women who are breastfeeding, though I want to be clear: this is a clinical observation from a small number of patients, not a controlled study.
That said, it is entirely consistent with what the prolactin research would predict. If breastfeeding partially delays the synchronised telogen shift in the early months, the peak shedding phase would simply arrive later. Not worse. Not a sign that something has gone wrong, but just coming slightly later.
This matters because the distress these patients feel is often compounded by timing. They've read that postpartum hair loss peaks at 3–4 months and improves by 6. When their hair starts falling out at exactly the point it was supposed to be recovering, they assume something is seriously wrong. In most cases, they are simply on a delayed timeline and understanding why makes an enormous difference.
If you are breastfeeding and your hair loss feels atypical, this may be why. It does not mean you should stop breastfeeding. And if shedding is still significant beyond 9–10 months, that is when I would recommend a proper evaluation to rule out compounding factors like iron deficiency or thyroid dysfunction.
How Roots² approaches postpartum hair loss.
The postpartum formula is built around the deficiency patterns most commonly seen in postpartum patients in a clinical setting:
Iron Ferritin depletion is extremely common after childbirth, particularly after significant blood loss. Low ferritin independently prolongs telogen effluvium and is frequently missed.
Vitamin D Deficiency is widespread in Singapore and worsens postpartum. Confinement periods are a cultural norm as well, worsening the vitamin D deficienc given the lack of sunlight exposure.
Zinc Supports follicle cell proliferation and immune regulation. Postpartum demands on the body and breastfeeding can deplete zinc stores.
B vitamins Particularly B7 (biotin) and B12, which support keratin production and cell energy metabolism in rapidly dividing follicle cells.
Amino acids Hair is primarily protein. Adequate dietary protein and key amino acids are essential for the anagen re-entry phase.
Roots² does not treat three types of hair loss with the same formula. The postpartum formula is distinct from the androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and stress-related shedding (TE) formulas, because the underlying biology is different, and what your follicles need to recover is different.
Not sure if what you're experiencing is postpartum telogen effluvium?
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References:
BioMed Research International. 2013. Piérard-Franchimont C, Piérard GE.
American Family Physician. 2024. Dakkak M, Forde KM, Lanney H.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV. 2014. Gizlenti S, Ekmekci TR.
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