When I was washing my hair, I found an enormous clump in my fingers! Shocked, disturbed, and confused, it took me a few minutes to understand that I’d entered the notorious phase of hair loss after pregnancy.
This is known as post-partum alopecia. It’s a completely normal phenomenon caused by the sudden drop in pregnancy hormones, the oestrogens that help the hair grow by extending the growth phase. As a new mum, this recent, massive loss of hair was exacerbated by my fatigue, stress, different pace of life, and new responsibilities.
However, I knew that I didn’t need to worry because I’d read that this hair loss is both temporary and reversible1.