My sister-in-law had a baby four months ago. She has been breastfeeding since then. She has been losing a lot of hair through brushing, washing her hair, or even running her fingers through her hair. Is this related to the pregnancy or to the breastfeeding?

Peg

A thick head of shining hair is one of the perks of pregnancy -- and having it fall out in the months after delivery is common. Pregnancy can trigger hair to get in a growth phase all at the same time, rather than the usual pattern of some hair always growing while others are being shed. All these hairs then enter the shedding phase all at once, leading to the disturbing sight of a hundred hairs in the brush.

Rest assured, the vast majority of the time, this lost hair grows back. The normal growth patterns return and only a few dozen -- instead of a few hundred -- hairs are lost each day. Most of the time the drastic hair loss only lasts for three to six months. If it persists, a doctor visit is in order to rule out conditions such as thyroid abnormalities or scalp problems. In the meantime, avoid traumatizing the hair further -- use conditioners and gently comb instead of brushing; forgo blow drying; don't pull the hair back into tight ponytails.