7 Nutrients That Support Postpartum Hair Regrowth

One of the most unpredictable side effects of pregnancy is the way your hair reacts to hormone changes. Some women experience fuller, thicker hair, while others find their locks get a bit greasier than usual, and others deal with dry, brittle strands that are prone to breakage. We reached out to our audience last week to ask about how your hair reacted to pregnancy and postpartum, and 75% of women reported a noticeable change to their hair at this time. But the good news is, there are lots of nutrients that support postpartum hair growth.

Understanding how your hair works, and how it responds to changes in pregnancy and postpartum can help you learn how to best support it. Let’s get started by looking at the cyclical nature of hair growth that we all experience.

What are the 3 stages of hair growth?

We’ll start with the anagen phase, which is the period of time in which your hair grows. Your hair cells are rapidly dividing and creating new hair at the base of the follicle, and this is what contributes to the length and thickness of each strand. A hair follicle will remain in this phase for 3-5 years.

After that comes the catagen phase, a transitional period in which the hair reaches its maximum growing capacity and eventually stops getting longer, but remains attached to the root. This usually lasts for 2-3 weeks.

Next up is the telogen phase, also known as the resting and shedding period, and this is when your hair is fully formed and no further growth occurs. Your hair will fall out at some point in this stage (and sometimes it’s referred to as the exogen phase once the hair actually falls out). This usually lasts 3-4 months.

As soon as a hair follicle falls out, it begins the anagen phase again, leading to new hair growth. These stages can start and stop at different times depending on things like diet, stress, and illness. What’s more, every hair on your head is on its own timeline, which is the reason why we don’t grow all of our hair over 5 years and then shed it all at once — thankfully. That’s also why it’s normal to lose hair on a daily basis. In fact, it’s expected that most people lose 50-100 hairs per day, on average.

But can you guess what disrupts these regular cycles? Yep, hormones. Pregnancy hormones to be specific. So let’s look at what happens to your hair during pregnancy and postpartum.

What happens to my hair during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, most women notice that their hair gets fuller or feels thicker, and this is due to estrogen (which we can call the hair-friendly hormone). When estrogen levels are elevated that can delay the shedding phase of hair growth, keeping more hair follicles in the anagen or catagen phase for a longer period of time. Since you are losing less hair, it can result in your locks feeling fuller overall. It’s not actually that each hair follicle is getting thicker, it’s that you have more hair on your head.

As a side note, those pregnancy hormones can also modify your natural oil and sebum production, which can lead to changes in texture and hydration as well.

What happens to my hair after birth?

Estrogen and progesterone levels remain elevated immediately after birth, but they start to decline back to normal levels, especially after the first 3 months. What that means, however, is that all those hairs that didn’t shed during pregnancy will start falling out around that time.

This postpartum hair loss is just your hair resuming its normal hair growth cycle, but because you’ll have more hair enter that shedding phase all at once, it can feel like you’re losing a lot of hair. We know that can sound worrisome, but this doesn’t mean you’ll notice bald spots, just more of a general thinning of your hair overall. The bulk of postpartum hair loss starts 3 months after birth, but it should subside by month 6 postpartum. If you are concerned about the amount of hair you are losing, be sure to speak with your doctor.

What causes postpartum baby hairs?

This is a common question we get, as baby hairs are the mark of motherhood days. It all comes back to that hair growth cycle because as soon as you shed hair, a new follicle will start to grow in its place. Because you’re losing more hair in postpartum, that also means you’ll be growing more new hair, all at once. The hairs that grow at the hairline, sticking up like little tufts of baby hair, will be the most noticeable. Don’t worry, they will grow out over time and blend more naturally with the rest of your hair — so just hang on through this process!

How you I support postpartum hair regrowth?

The good news is, you are able to support healthy postpartum hair growth through your lifestyle habits! Regular exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress levels, and that can be really helpful when it comes to supporting healthy hair growth. Cortisol — one of our key stress hormones — also acts to interrupt the hair growth cycle and can lead to a premature end of hair follicle growth, and earlier shedding than normal. So the more you can manage cortisol levels, the healthier your hair will be. This is true during your pregnancy, while postpartum, and at all times in life.

Your diet also plays a huge role in healthy postpartum hair growth, as your hair relies on key nutrients to grow properly. When we reached out to our audience it was clear a lot of you turn to supplements to support the health of your hair. So today, we want to go through the top nutrients to get in your diet in order to support postpartum hair regrowth or the health of your hair in general. It’s always best to start with your diet and make efforts to increase your essential nutrient stores naturally, and then look to supplements to supplement those natural stores. Let’s dive in …

The top 7 nutrients that support postpartum hair growth and health:

Collagen / Vitamin C

Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, a protein that keeps hair strong (find out if collagen supplements actually work here!). It’s also an antioxidant and can help protect hair follicles from oxidative stress, which has been linked to signs of aging like hair loss or graying. This vitamin packs in the benefits and can really support postpartum hair growth!

Vitamin A

This hair-healthy vitamin is needed to make an oily substance called sebum, which moisturizes the scalp and helps keep our hair healthy. Research shows it also might help our hair grow quicker and thicker, so you’re likely to find it in your supplements.

Omega 3

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that have been shown to help improve hair growth. Although research on these is limited, this randomized, double-blind study looked at women with thinning hair and found supplements helped promote hair growth and limit hair loss.

Biotin

Biotin is a B-vitamin that’s essential for the production of keratin, a hair protein that keeps our hair healthy. This is why you’ll likely see this vitamin on supplements for hair growth. Research shows biotin can help hair growth in people not getting enough, however, most people consume enough of it through a balanced diet.

Zinc

As we mentioned, hair goes through cycles of growth and repair, and zinc helps support this process and keep the oil glands surrounding follicles healthy. Not consuming enough or too much of this mineral can lead to issues with hair loss, so it’s good to be mindful of how much you’re adding to your diet through supplements.

Folic Acid

Also known as folate, folic acid is critical for cell development so researchers are beginning to look into whether it can help promote hair growth and repair! One study in 2017 found deficiencies in folic acid (as well as other B-vitamins) in people with prematurely gray hair. However, more research is needed to understand the role of folic acid and hair growth.

Iron

This mineral helps red blood cells supply oxygen to all the cells in our bodies. Iron deficiency is common in women and ​​can cause hair loss, so it’s an important mineral for keeping hair healthy and strong. Read more on why iron is so important for women here!

Vitamin E

Since the 1950s, vitamin E has been used by dermatologists to protect our skin — so researchers started looking at how it can also help protect our hair. A small study in 2010 showed vitamin E supplements helped hair grow in people experiencing hair loss, but research isn’t yet clear about the benefits for hair health.

Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for our overall health and is needed for many bodily functions, including building proteins like our DNA. This may help support hair growth but unfortunately, about 50% of people in Western countries may not be getting enough.

Calcium

Calcium is known for its role in healthy bones and teeth, but it’s also critical in releasing hormones and enzymes that are involved in processes all over the body, like healthy hair growth!

So that’s it, the 7 key nutrients that can help with postpartum hair loss and regrowth. If you’ve tried supplements, hair-growth treatments, or home remedies before, what’s worked for you? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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