Short answer: if your hair started coming out in handfuls quite suddenly, and especially if it began roughly three months after having a baby, an illness, an operation, a period of heavy stress or a significant weight change, what you are almost certainly seeing is telogen effluvium. It looks alarming because it is diffuse and fast, but it is a shedding phase rather than permanent loss, and in most cases it stops on its own and regrows. The main reasons to see a trichologist in Merton are to confirm that is what it is, to rule out the things it can be confused with, and to avoid making it worse in the meantime.

What is telogen effluvium, in plain terms?

At any moment around 85 to 90 percent of your scalp hair is in its growing phase and roughly 10 to 15 percent is resting, waiting to be shed and replaced. That balance is what keeps your density steady.

A significant physical or emotional shock can push far more follicles than usual into the resting phase all at once. They then sit there quietly for around three months before releasing. That delay is the single most important thing to understand, because it explains why the shedding feels like it came out of nowhere. By the time you notice it, the event that caused it is a season in the past and often no longer on your mind.

The most common triggers we hear described:

• Childbirth, which is the classic one.
• A high fever or a significant infection.
• Surgery or a general anaesthetic.
• Rapid or substantial weight loss, including crash dieting and appetite loss.
• Severe or prolonged emotional stress, bereavement, or a period of poor sleep.
• Stopping or starting certain medications, including hormonal contraception.
• Iron deficiency or a thyroid problem developing.

Our fuller explainer on the triggers, timeline and recovery of telogen effluvium walks through the cycle in more detail if you want the mechanism.

Postpartum shedding: the timeline nobody warns you about

During pregnancy, raised oestrogen holds hairs in the growing phase for longer than usual. Very little is shed, which is why so many people describe their pregnancy hair as the best it has ever been. After birth those levels drop, all the hairs that were held back move into the resting phase together, and around three months later they let go at the same time.

That halo of short hairs around the hairline is not damage or breakage. It is regrowth, and it is the sign you are looking for. If your shedding is still heavy beyond twelve months, or your density has clearly not recovered, that is worth investigating properly rather than waiting it out further. Our guide to postpartum hair loss and how long it lasts covers the recovery side in more depth.

Shedding or breakage? Tell them apart before you spend money

This distinction changes what you should do, and it takes thirty seconds to check. Pick up a few of the hairs you have lost and look at the end that came from your scalp.

Many new parents have both at once, because tied-back hair, less time and interrupted sleep all push in the same direction. Working out which is dominant tells you whether to focus on the underlying trigger or on how you are handling your hair.

What can a trichologist in Merton actually do about it?

A trichologist cannot speed up a hair cycle, and anyone who says otherwise is overselling. What a good one does is more useful than that.

• Confirm the pattern. Diffuse shedding across the whole scalp with a preserved hairline looks quite different under magnification to early pattern loss, where hair diameters vary within a small area.
• Establish a baseline. Photographs and density measurements now mean that in six months you will be comparing images rather than arguing with your memory.
• Spot the second problem. Telogen effluvium can be the thing that reveals an underlying pattern loss that was already quietly progressing. Two things can be true at once.
• Tell you what to stop doing. Tight styles, aggressive brushing of wet hair and heat on already fragile hair all add breakage on top of shedding.
• Send you to a GP when needed. Trichologists are not doctors and cannot prescribe or order NHS tests. A good one refers early and says so plainly.

Expect £50 to £150 for a first private consultation in the Merton, Wimbledon, Mitcham and Morden area, with follow ups lower. Check the practitioner by name on the Institute of Trichologists or Trichological Society register, since trichologist is not a protected title in the UK.

What to ask your GP for

Sudden diffuse shedding is a reasonable thing to see your GP about, and there are specific tests worth asking for. All of these are ordinary primary care requests.

• Ferritin. Your iron stores, which can be low while a standard full blood count still reads normal. Especially relevant after childbirth or with heavy periods. Ask for the number.
• Thyroid function. Postpartum thyroiditis is not rare and hair loss is a common feature. Thyroid problems in general are a frequent cause of diffuse shedding.
• Vitamin D and B12. Common, easily corrected if low.
• Full blood count. To pick up anaemia and general markers.
• A medication review. If shedding began within six months of starting or stopping something, including hormonal contraception, say so. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

If you are breastfeeding, mention it, because it affects both nutritional needs and what is appropriate to take. Do not start high-dose supplements while pregnant or breastfeeding without checking with your GP, midwife or health visitor first.

What actually helps while you wait it out

The honest answer is that time does most of the work. These are the things that genuinely support the process rather than just feeling productive.

• Eat enough. This matters more than any single nutrient. Hair is metabolically expensive and the body deprioritises it when energy intake drops. Prioritise protein and iron rich foods, and be wary of aggressive post-baby dieting, which can restart the whole cycle.
• Handle wet hair gently. Hair is at its most fragile wet. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb from the ends upwards, and blot rather than rub.
• Loosen everything. Tied-back hair is the practical reality with a baby, but keep it low tension, vary where the tie sits and use a soft coil rather than a tight elastic. Constant pull at the same spot causes its own separate, and sometimes permanent, loss.
• Do not stop washing. Washing does not cause shedding. It reveals hairs that were already loose. Skipping washes just moves the loss to a bigger, more frightening pile later, and leaves the scalp less comfortable.
• Photograph monthly. Same spot, same light. This is the only reliable way to see recovery, which is far too gradual to notice day to day.
• Cut yourself some slack on sleep and stress. Easier said than done with a newborn, and still worth naming, since ongoing stress can extend the shedding phase. If you are struggling more broadly, tell your health visitor or GP.

If you are not sure the postpartum explanation fits your situation, our walkthrough on working out why your hair is thinning helps you narrow it down, and our piece on stress and hair loss covers the non-pregnancy triggers.

On the product side, keep expectations proportionate. Nothing you put on your scalp shortens a hair cycle. What good cosmetic care does is protect the hair you still have from breaking while the new growth comes through, which is a real and useful job during a shed.

Grow Me® Hair Growth Shampoo (£14.95)

A sulphate-free daily cleanse with biotin, caffeine, rosemary and niacinamide. Gentle enough to keep washing normally through a shed, and formulated to leave hair looking fuller. Cosmetic hair care, not a treatment for hair loss.

Condition Me® Hair Growth Conditioner (£13.95)

The pairing that matters most during a shed, because easier detangling means fewer hairs lost to snapping on top of the ones you are already losing. Shea butter, glycerin and hydrolysed lupine protein for slip and breakage defence.

Frequently asked questions

How long does postpartum hair loss last?

Shedding usually begins two to four months after birth, peaks around month four, and eases by nine to twelve months. Regrowth appears as short hairs standing up around the hairline. If heavy shedding continues past twelve months, or density has not recovered, get it looked at properly.

Is it normal to lose this much hair?

Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, and during a telogen effluvium it can be several times that for a few months. It looks worse on wash days because you are seeing several days of loss at once. Frightening, but usually not permanent.

Should I stop washing my hair to lose less?

No. Washing does not cause the loss, it only reveals hairs that had already detached. Skipping washes simply moves the shedding to a larger clump later and leaves your scalp less comfortable in the meantime.

Will my hair grow back the same?

In most cases of telogen effluvium yes, density returns to roughly where it was. Regrowth can come in with a slightly different texture at first, which usually settles. If an underlying pattern loss was already developing, that part continues on its own course and is worth assessing separately.

Can I take hair supplements while breastfeeding?

Check with your GP, midwife or health visitor before starting anything, including hair supplements. Some nutrients are not appropriate at high doses while breastfeeding, and biotin in particular can interfere with certain blood test results. Eating enough is the more reliable priority.

Is a trichologist or a GP the right first call?

If shedding began after an identifiable trigger and your scalp looks and feels normal, the GP is the better first step, because blood tests are the useful thing here. If your bloods have come back fine and you want a proper look at your scalp and a plan, that is where a trichologist earns their fee.

When is sudden shedding a red flag?

See a doctor rather than a clinic if you have smooth round bald patches, a painful, burning or scaly scalp, hair loss with a rash, shedding that has continued beyond a year, or shedding alongside exhaustion, weight change or heavy bleeding.

Does breastfeeding cause hair loss?

Breastfeeding is not the cause. The shedding follows the drop in pregnancy hormones after birth and happens whether or not you breastfeed. What does matter is eating and drinking enough, since demands are higher during this period.

Where to start

Work out your trigger date by looking three months before the shedding started. Book your GP and ask for ferritin, thyroid function, vitamin D and B12 with the actual numbers. Take a photograph of your parting today so you have a baseline. Then be gentle with your hair and give it time, because for the great majority of people this resolves on its own.

Watermans is a family-run British brand, vegan and made in the UK, with over 5 million bottles sold since 2012. Our products are cosmetic hair care and are not a substitute for medical advice. If you are worried about your hair, your recovery after birth or your mood, please speak to your GP or health visitor.