Ashley Graham Gives Fans an Update On Her Postpartum Hair Loss

Ashley Graham is showing off her "growing" baby hairs.

In a new Instagram post, the supermodel shares five selfies that are surely relatable for new moms everywhere. The pictures feature Graham's changing postpartum hair, which includes short baby hairs. In some shots, the baby hairs appear curly and in others, they're pin straight and sticking up.

Whether her hair is pulled up in a messy bun or styled down, the baby hairs are visible. And Graham doesn't seem to be shy about calling them out and approaching this element of motherhood with a sense of humor.

"I mean, at least it’s growing #postpartumhairloss," Graham captions her latest post.

The 35-year-old mom of three has been open about experiencing postpartum hair loss since having her first child, Isaac, in 2020. Months after giving birth to twins in 2022, Graham is giving regular updates about her hair regrowth journey.

"The best nights end with letting the baby hairs run free...and a glass of wine," wrote Graham in the caption of a post from November 2022.

"Swipe to see my hairline coming in," Graham captioned a series of photos on Instagram in August, giving followers a close-up view of her hairline.

Graham shared much of her initial hair loss experience after having her twins on her Instagram Stories. And after she had her first child, her "whole hairline fell out," according to a 2021 interview with Parents. "That was more traumatic than even birth because I was like, 'My hair's falling out in clumps — what am I doing?'" she said at the time.

While Graham was seemingly startled by hair thinning after giving birth the first time around, postpartum hair loss is a normal, common condition for new moms in the first few months after having a baby, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). It's caused by falling estrogen levels and is considered "excessive shedding," rather than true hair loss.

It's normal to shed up to 100 hairs a day, but when you're pregnant, you may lose as few as 15 hairs a day. That's thanks to increased estrogen levels that keep hair in its "grow" phase longer than usual, Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist and brand president at Philip Kingsley, previously told Shape.

Once you give birth, hormones shift rapidly, and the drop in estrogen puts hair into a "resting" phase, causing hair shedding, explained Shani Francis, M.D., a dermatologist and chief wellness officer of Ashira Dermatology in Gurnee, IL. That's why it's normal to lose more hair after having a baby, but there's no need to panic.

"You will not lose more than 50 percent of your hair," said Dr. Francis. "So even though it seems that you will go bald at any moment, you won't."

Postpartum hair loss is temporary, but there are methods you can use to deal with it in the meantime. You can use volumizing shampoo and conditioners formulated for fine hair, and you can focus on applying conditioner to the ends of your hair, rather than on your scalp, which can weigh down hair, according to the AAD.

Graham also has a go-to product for coping with postpartum hair loss. She used a scalp and hair serum from Kérastase Initialiste, the model shared on Instagram in 2020.

While it's unclear if she's been using the same serum after her most recent pregnancy, Graham seems to be accepting her changing her in stride, likely making other new moms feel less alone.