After my second child was born, my hair fell out. Not all of it — postpartum hair loss is rarely that dramatic — but enough that I noticed it every time I washed my hair, every time I brushed it, every time I looked at the shower drain. The medical term is telogen effluvium: the hormonal changes of pregnancy and childbirth push a large proportion of hair follicles into the resting phase simultaneously, and when those follicles shed, you lose significantly more hair than usual over a period of several months.
I knew this was normal. I’d experienced a milder version after my first child. Knowing it was normal didn’t make watching my hair thin noticeably any easier, and by month four postpartum I decided to do something about it rather than just waiting for it to resolve on its own.
Why I Decided to Try a Supplement
Postpartum hair loss resolves on its own in most cases — the follicles return to the growth phase and hair density recovers over six to twelve months. The question is whether you can support that recovery process or whether you just have to wait it out.
The evidence for hair supplements is mixed, and I want to be honest about that. They’re not a cure for genetic hair loss or a replacement for addressing underlying deficiencies. But for hair loss driven by nutritional depletion — which postpartum hair loss often involves, because pregnancy and breastfeeding place significant demands on the body’s nutrient stores — a targeted supplement that supports hair follicle health can make a meaningful difference to the speed and quality of recovery.
I’d been breastfeeding for four months and my diet, while reasonable, was not optimal. I was tired, I was busy with a newborn and a toddler, and I wasn’t eating as well as I should have been. A supplement that specifically targeted hair follicle nutrition felt like a sensible addition to the recovery process.
Why Arkopharma Forcapil Specifically
Arkopharma is a French pharmaceutical company with a long history in plant-based health supplements. They’re not a wellness brand that uses “natural” as a marketing term — they’re a pharmaceutical company that applies rigorous formulation standards to their supplements. The Arkopharma Forcapil Anti-Hair Loss Supplement is their hair-specific formula, developed by their research team and formulated with a combination of vitamins, minerals, and plant-based extracts that target hair follicle health specifically.
The vitamin and mineral complex was the formulation detail I looked at carefully. Hair follicle health depends on adequate levels of several specific nutrients — biotin, zinc, iron, and B vitamins in particular. Postpartum women are often depleted in several of these, which is why postpartum hair loss can be more severe than the hormonal changes alone would explain. The Forcapil formula addresses these specific deficiencies rather than providing a generic multivitamin.
The plant-based extract integration was the additional component that distinguished Forcapil from simpler biotin supplements. The plant extracts support scalp health and microcirculation — the blood flow to the follicles that delivers the nutrients the supplement provides. Supplementing nutrients without supporting their delivery to the follicle is less effective than addressing both simultaneously.
I found it in the Hair Loss Treatments and Hair Care collections, and also in the broader Personal Care and Health & Beauty ranges. It arrived two days after ordering.
The First Three Months — What I Noticed
I took the Forcapil consistently for three months — the recommended course length for seeing meaningful results from a hair supplement. Hair growth is slow, and supplements that support the hair cycle need time to work through the cycle before the results are visible.
The first thing I noticed, at about six weeks, was that the shedding had reduced. Not stopped — some shedding is normal and healthy — but the excessive shedding that had been alarming me was less pronounced. The shower drain was less dramatic. The brush was less full.
At three months, I could see new growth at my hairline — the short, fine hairs that indicate follicles returning to the growth phase. My hair felt thicker when I ran my hands through it. The density, while not back to pre-pregnancy levels, was visibly improved from the worst point four months earlier.
Six Months On — The Honest Verdict
I’ve been taking Forcapil for six months, with a one-month break at month four to assess whether the improvement was continuing without supplementation (it was, more slowly). Here’s the honest report:
- The shedding is back to normal levels. The excessive postpartum shedding resolved by month three. My hair loss is now at the normal 50-100 hairs per day rather than the alarming quantities I was losing at peak shedding.
- The density has recovered significantly. Not fully — I’m honest about this. Postpartum hair recovery takes time regardless of supplementation. But the recovery has been faster and more complete than after my first child, when I didn’t supplement.
- My hair feels stronger. Less breakage, less brittleness, better overall condition. The vitamin and mineral complex is supporting the hair fibre as well as the follicle.
- The supplement is easy to take consistently. Consistency is the thing that makes any supplement effective, and Forcapil is straightforward to incorporate into a daily routine. I take it with breakfast and don’t think about it again.
- I would use it again after any future pregnancy. The comparison with my first postpartum experience — no supplementation, slower recovery — is the most honest evidence I have that Forcapil made a difference. I’d start it earlier next time.
The Difference It’s Made
My hair is recovering. That’s the honest summary. Postpartum hair loss is distressing in a way that’s hard to explain to people who haven’t experienced it — you know it’s temporary, you know it’s normal, and it’s still upsetting to watch your hair thin noticeably. Having a supplement that supported the recovery process — that reduced the shedding faster and improved the density more quickly than my first postpartum experience without supplementation — made a real difference to how I felt about the situation.
If you’re experiencing postpartum hair loss, or hair loss related to stress or nutritional depletion, the Arkopharma Forcapil Anti-Hair Loss Supplement is worth trying. Browse the full Hair Loss Treatments and Hair Care collections for more options.
Take it consistently. Give it three months. Compare the shedding at week one with the shedding at week twelve.
The difference will be visible before you finish the first course.
Priya Mehta is a pharmacist and mother of two based in Leicester. She has a professional understanding of supplement formulation, a personal experience of postpartum hair loss, and a hair that is considerably thicker than it was six months ago.
0 comments