How much hair loss is normal when washing hair Female

Q: How do I know if Im losing too much hair?

Its normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day. When the body sheds significantly more hairs every day, a person has excessive hair shedding.

How much hair loss is normal

Table of Contents Show

How Much Hair Loss Is Normal?
What Causes Hair Loss In The First Place?
What Is The Best Treatment For Hair Loss?
Why does my hair fall out when I wash it female?
How do I know if I'm losing too much hair?

Hair with plenty of volume, movement, and shine is what most people consider healthy. So when you look down at the drain and see a clump of lost hair strands, it’s easy to assume that there’s a health problem causing hair loss. But some hair loss is normal for everyone and at every age.

When you wash your hair thoroughly in the shower, hairs that are already loose or disconnected from your scalp congregate near the drain. While it might look like a lot, you’re probably seeing normal hair shedding.

If you’re experiencing hair loss that’s unusual for you, including bald spots, patchiness, and clumps of hair falling out, you should see your primary care physician or dermatologist. Keep reading to find out if you are shedding a normal amount of hair each day.

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, it’s normal to lose anywhere from 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. For people with longer hair strands, losing them may be more noticeable. Since there are 100,000 hair follicles — or more — on each person’s scalp, the loss of 100 or so hair strands a day doesn’t make a big difference in appearance.

Women tend to lose more hair strands per day than men. There’s no way to measure the difference objectively, because daily heat styling and frequent hair coloring plays a big part in how much of your hair sheds. Approximately 40 percent of women lose extra hair every day because of the way they style it. Women are also more likely than men to experience periods of increased hair shedding due to life events like pregnancy and menopause.

There are hundreds of thousands of hairs on your head, and every single one them is at a different stage of its two- to five-year lifespan. Hair grows and dies in phases, and nutrition, stress, hygiene, and daily styling all play a role in how much hair you lose daily.

The phase in which a hair strand is growing is called the “anagen” phase, and 90 percent of the hair strands you have are currently in that phase. Hair grows about 1 centimeter per month during the anagen phase. When something stops your hair from growing, it’s called anagen effluvium. Anagen effluvium is what you would typically think of when you think of “hair loss.”

The catagen phase comes next. Only about 1 to 2 percent of your hairs are in the catagen phase at any given time. This phase lasts two to three weeks. During the catagen phase, the hair strand stops growing.

The last phase of hair growth is the telogen phase. Hairs in the telogen phase are also called “club hairs.” During this phase, a hair strand will be at rest as it prepares to detach from your scalp. About 8 to 9 percent of your hair is in this phase at any given time.

Telogen effluvium describes having more than 10 percent of your hair in the telogen phase. Telogen effluvium is temporary, but more hair will fall out while you have it. Stress, surgery, or even having a fever for a few days can bring on telogen effluvium, but your hair will probably be back to normal within six months.

Some daily hair loss is normal. Increased hair loss can be a result of stress or a health condition. Other potential causes of hair loss include:

alopecia
female pattern hair loss
thyroid conditions
lupus
nutritional deficiencies

Excessive washing, bleaching, brushing, and heat styling can also have an impact on how much of your hair falls out every day. Once your hair follicle has been stretched or split as a result of a cosmetic hair treatment, the structure of the hair follicle is compromised.

You can perform a “pull test” on your hair at home. Start with a small area of clean, dry hair, and run your fingers through it, tugging gently once you get to the ends of your hair strands. If more than two or three hairs are left in your hand after each tug, you may be experiencing telogen or anagen effluvium. No more than 10 hairs per 100 strands being tugged should be coming out. You’ll need a doctor to determine the cause.

See your doctor if you’re concerned about how much hair you are losing every day. A gradual thinning on the top of your head, the appearance of patchy or bald spots on your scalp, and full-body hair loss are signs that there may be an underlying health condition. A doctor will be able to assess whether your hair loss is normal shedding.

It’s not unusual to lose hair strands every day. But if you’re worried about clumps of hair in your hairbrush or in the shower drain, talk to your doctor. Factors like stress, medication, and underlying medical conditions can all aggravate hair loss. A professional assessment can put your mind at ease.

Have you ever noticed an alarming amount of hair in your drain while showering? It's possible you could have accidentally scrubbed your scalp too hard and caused your hair follicles to freak out, but what if this sign of hair loss means something more?

The truth is, it's completely natural to lose hair every day. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, it's normal to lose between 50 to 100 strands of hair a day. But if you begin to notice that your hair is falling out more for weeks on end (i.e. in your shower drain or after brushing your hair), then it might be worth investigating why this new occurrence is happening and how to remedy it.

To better understand why changes in hair loss occur and how to possibly fix it, we talked with two trichologists. Here's what they had to say.

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How Much Hair Loss Is Normal?

While the average person loses about 50 to 100 strands per day, salon trichologist, Penny James, tells InStyle anything over 150 strands is not normal. And because this is a hard thing to count, it's important to pay attention to the amount of hair that is left in your hands after you shampoo, in your brush, or on the bottom of the bathroom floor.

"What happens is the natural growth cycle that our hair goes through is complex," explains James. In total, there are three different stages your hair can be in. "The growing stage is known as anagen, [which is where] 85 percent of our hair is in the cycle at one time; this can last up to six years," she states. The next stage is the resting stage, AKA catagen, in which "5 percent of your hair will be in this phase and last for up to three weeks." Lastly, the falling out stage is called telogen. This includes about 10 percent of your hair that is ready to naturally fall out of the head and grow new hair. "Our hair continues to work in this cycle for our lifetime," says James.

BosleyMD certified trichologist, Gretchen Friese, adds that there are other phases we often go through where we will shed more than normal. For instance, one of these times is called "seasonal shedding," which is when a temperature change triggers your follicles to enter a shedding phase. However, "If you feel like you're losing excess hair for more than a month, then you may want to look into a remedy," Friese stresses.

What Causes Hair Loss In The First Place?

"Hair loss can be caused by stress, hormonal changes, childbirth, thyroid issues, medications, vitamin deficiencies, excessive weight loss, and some autoimmune disorders," says Friese.

If you believe your hair has been shedding more for longer than three months, James provided a checklist to consider before calling your doctor.

In the last three months:

Did you change your medication? Did you go on a new medication?
Did you have food poisoning?
Have you been on a strict diet, or have you stopped eating protein?
Are you very stressed?
Are you menopausal?
Have you been ill?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions or believe that something more serious might be off with your body (i.e. thyroid issues or an autoimmune disorder), it's important to connect with a medical professional or trichologist to find out what's going on. "Make sure you get some blood work done to rule out any underlining condition," says James. "Speaking with a trichologist can be very helpful to determine what blood work might be needed."

The good news is, once the issue has been identified and a remedy has been provided, excess shedding will correct itself most of the time, says James. Just keep in mind that it will take around three months to correct, as hair grows in a three-month cycle.

"When there's extra shedding, the hair's natural cycle has been disturbed and the hair is prematurely being pushed into the telogen stage," says James. "Once you have corrected your diet and health, and recovered from an illness, your hair will return to its normal growth pattern. This will take from three to six months to see the new growth."

What Is The Best Treatment For Hair Loss?

Since there are a lot of reasons why one might experience hair loss, it's important to consult with a doctor to find a personal anecdote. However, James says that most trichologists recommend people to do the below every day to maintain a healthy scalp and follicles:

Have a well-balanced diet.
Take vitamins B, 6, and 12, and vitamin D.
Make sure you're washing your hair regularly at least three times a week (for natural, curly hair, once a week).
If you're wearing your hair out, then wash your hair twice a week.

"Scalp health is extremely important," says Friese. "Keeping a healthy environment for hair to grow is key. Make sure you wash your hair and scalp regularly to avoid any build-up of oils, sweat, products, and debris. Most people do not clean their scalp enough."

Also, be mindful of how you're managing your hair. "Don't wear tight hairstyles like buns, ponytails, and tight braids," Friese explains. "The tension on the follicle can cause hair loss. Gently brush your hair. Use a detangler if needed so there isn't too much tension while brushing."

However, try not to depend on hair products that promise to grow your hair back, says James, as it's often misleading. "Our hair is the tiniest organ in our body; it is very complex. Our hair is a fiber that needs to be nourished and taken care of." That's why she recommends connecting with a trichologist to get to the bottom of the hair loss issue so an expert can recommend the kind of hair treatment you'll need.

However, if connecting with a trichologist isn't in the cards right now, James suggests finding out what your hair type is and investing in high-quality shampoo and conditioner. "Or you can give your hair and scalp treatments with natural oils like lavender, rosemary, jojoba, almond, and avocado oil. These can be mixed together and used as a scalp and hair treatment by applying directly onto the scalp and hair, leaving on for 20 mins, and shampooing out very well. (This treatment should not be used if you have a naturally oily scalp.)"

Nevertheless, it's important to remember that there is a reason why your hair is falling out in the first place — and an at-home remedy might not do the trick. "Find out why then take action," says James. "If you keep blind aiding with lots of products but have no idea why your hair is falling out, it will continue to fall out."

Why does my hair fall out when I wash it female?

Hair often falls out in the shower because you stimulate your scalp when you shampoo or condition your hair. Your hairs that were already destined to fall out get the nudge they need from shampooing, and your hair comes off your head.