Postpartum alopecia is best described as

• A. Permanent hair thinning.
• B. Temporary hair loss after pregnancy.
• C. Autoimmune disease causing sudden hair loss.
• D. Hair color change.

Answer: (B)

This describes a temporary response of the hair growth cycle to hormonal changes after pregnancy. During pregnancy, high estrogen levels extend the growth phase of hair, so shedding is reduced and hair can appear thicker. After delivery, estrogen levels drop, causing more hairs to shift into the shedding (telogen) phase and then shed over the next few months. This postpartum shedding is usually temporary, and hair typically regrows as the cycles normalize over the following months. It’s not permanent thinning, not an autoimmune patchy loss, and it isn’t related to a change in hair color. That combination makes postpartum hair loss the best description.