During pregnancy, many women receive the blessing of thick, long, luscious hair, only to find out, it’s short-lived. So, why do we get beautiful hair, just to lose it to postpartum hair loss? One word: hormones. More specifically, estrogen.

We have two stages in our hair: the growing stage and the resting stage. Normally, 85 to 95 percent of our hair is in growing stage and 5 to 15 percent is in the resting stage. After the resting stage, our hair falls out. But, during pregnancy, increased levels of estrogen extend the growing stage, thus fewer hair falls out, leaving your hair full and luscious. However, after baby is born, the increased estrogen levels begin to decrease and more hair goes into resting stage, resulting in the shedding of hair. Shedding usually begins around three months, and you should have your normal hair back between six and twelve months.