Question: Hi, I would like to visit you to follow one of your treatments, although I am planning to get pregnant in 6 to 8 months' time. Will the treatment affect the pregnancy afterwards? Thanks.
Answer: Hi Cristina. There is some very straightforward advice for women who want to seek treatment for hair loss but also plan to start a family. I have provided an overview below but you may also be interested in the links at the end of this answer for further information.
It is fine to use minoxidil treatments (the medically-proven, topical hair loss formulations used to treat female hair loss) whilst trying for a baby, given you have a 6 to 8 month window beforehand. However, once you have conceived, you should cease minoxidil use immediately and for the duration of your pregnancy. This is due to the risk of possible birth defects, as shown in animal trials where minoxidil was absorbed through the skin, although there is only one such case study that we are aware of for humans.
Once you stop using hair loss medications you would generally expect shedding to resume, however, due to some of the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy affecting women's hair, it is likely that hair loss during this time will not be noticeable, even without using minoxidil.
After giving birth, your hormone levels will return to normal, causing a greater number of hairs than usual to enter the resting (telogen) stage of the growth cycle. This means a higher number of hairs - those that remained on the head during pregnancy due to pre-natal hormones - which would otherwise have shed, will fall out. This shedding often appears as diffuse thinning or patchy hair loss and is known as post-partum hair loss, or postpartum alopecia. Whilst a significant amount of hair can be lost during this time, your hair should return to its pre-baby thickness within a year.
If you decide to breast feed or express milk for your baby, you will need to wait until you have finished this phase before starting to take minoxidil again.
If you would like to make an appointment to come in to one of our Central London hair loss clinics for a tricho-check, your specialist will explain the whole process to you in detail at your free consultation. They will also recommend the most appropriate comprehensive hair loss treatment programme for your condition, which would include constant support during your treatment journey so you can ask any questions that may arise as a result of your family situation. To book, simply send us a message or call 020 7730 6666. Or, if you are unable to visit our London locations, you can complete our online consultation form instead.
Visit our full photographic Hair Loss Success Stories gallery to browse our constantly updated collection of over 1,000 male and female patients’ progress images, alongside their feedback. If you are worried about hair loss and would like to speak to one of our experts, call us now on 020 7730 6666 or send us a message to book your free, discreet one-on-one consultation at either of our Central London clinics. Alternatively, if you are based outside London or the UK and unable to visit us, you can complete our Online Consultation Form instead.
The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.
View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.