Postpartum Alopecia

The document reviewed the effectiveness of treatments for postpartum alopecia, a condition characterized by diffuse hair shedding occurring 2 to 5 months after childbirth. The study analyzed clinical literature from various databases up to the year 2000. It found that treatments such as thyroid supplementation, topical progesterone and estradiol lotions, and oral contraceptives had been studied, but all available studies had significant limitations, including small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and subjective treatment response measurements. Non-drug therapies, focusing on education about hair cycles and reassurance, were recommended to reduce anxiety. The conclusion was that no specific treatment had been studied well enough to be recommended as effective for postpartum alopecia.