Rihanna Admits She "Didn't Expect" Postpartum Hair Loss to Affect Her Like It Did

Trust that she's found ways to get "more creative and clever" with her hairstyles since.

Rihanna wears short natural curls at a los angeles event
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Even Rihanna, Fenty Beauty mogul, multi-platinum artist, and fan of luxury dressing with a message, faces the most relatable of motherhood side-effects: postpartum hair loss.

Speaking to Refinery29 at the Fenty Hair launch party in Los Angeles on June 12, Rihanna admitted that shedding hair after becoming mother to sons Riza, 2, and Riot, 10 months, caught her by surprise. (Specifically, she said it was "not on the pamphlet" for pregnancy.)

“I didn’t expect it to happen in waves," Rihanna explained of the hair loss she experienced after giving birth. "I thought it would just happen and grow back."

Rihanna wears an extra oversize red leather jacket over a red skirt and pumps in front of a fenty step and repeat

Rihanna opened up about her postpartum hair loss while wearing her natural curls and a custom Khaite outfit to the Fenty Hair launch party.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The "Needed Me" singer noted that she lost hair in patches. “At that point you’re just like alright enough is enough," she said.

She was able to make the transformation work for her by experimenting with hairstyles in "more creative and clever" ways. She's dabbled in everything from blonde bangs and box braids to petal pink hair. Most recently, Rihanna debuted a pixie cut highlighting her short, natural curls—presumably to show off how hard her new hair care line works.

Rihanna officially launched Fenty Hair on Thursday, June 13. The line debuted with rapturous reviews from early testers, including Marie Claire beauty director Deena Campbell.

She test-drove the lineup of conditioning treatments and with help from Yusef Williams, Rihanna's longtime hair stylist. The verdict? "The products are effective; my hair felt healthy and stronger days after usage, and my blowout lasted an entire three weeks, even in the sweltering New York heat," Campbell said.

Rihanna designed Fenty Hair with the goal of supporting stronger, healthier hair through every style—and phase of life. "You know how much switching my hair up matters to me," she said in a statement. "I’ve had almost every texture, color, length, from weaves to braids to natural—so I am launching a flexible line of products for not only every hair want, but every single product is designed to strengthen and repair all types of hair, which is what we truly need!"

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Halie LeSavage
Senior Fashion & Beauty News Editor

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire. She is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, and emerging brands. In 8+ years as a journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from profiles on insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson to breaking brand collaboration news. She covers events like the Met Gala every year, and gets exclusive insight into red carpet looks through her column, The Close-Up.

Previously, Halie reported at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard College.