How Much Hair Fall Is Normal | When Does Hair Loss Become A Problem
We all notice some strands of hair on your towel or fingers when you take a shower. But how much hair fall is normal? Read on to find out!
Hair loss is a common phenomenon that everyone goes through.
A lot of people get worried when they see their hair fall off but it is actually a very normal thing to happen.
Related: How Much Hair Loss Is Normal When Washing Hair Male
You do not have to worry about hair fall if you lose less than 100 strands a day as that is the normal amount.
But if you feel like you are losing a lot more than that, then maybe it is time to go to your dermatologist.
How Much Hair Fall Is Normal 2021
According to studies, a healthy adult loses about 50-100 strands of hair per day.
One test to check if your hair fall is too much is to run your fingers through your hair. If you see about 5-8 strands of hair falling off, it’s completely normal.
If you find about 10-20 strands of hair shedding after running your fingers through your locks, it might indicate a hair loss problem.
How Much Hair Fall Is Normal During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, your hormones go haywire, but some studies claim that this might be beneficial for your hair.
The increased estrogen levels during pregnancy cuts short the natural hair loss cycle of your hair follicles.
This means the hair remains in the growth stage for a longer time and doesn’t shed quickly.
The result? You might find your hair looking thicker and longer. Also, some women experience reduced hair fall during pregnancy.
I must add, however, that this isn’t the case for everybody.
How Much Hair Fall Is Normal While Oiling
Ideally, you shouldn’t lose more than the normal 50-100 strands of hair per day, even when you're oiling your hair.
But the increased friction from your fingertips can cause a few more strands to fall off. This number can shoot up dramatically if you’re very rough while massaging your head.
This is why you need to be very gentle while applying oil to your scalp.
Hair fall is caused by a lot of reasons and you might be unconsciously contributing to it.
Let us take an in-depth look into the various reasons why your hair might be shedding.
How Much Hair Fall Is Normal While Hair Wash
Just like with oil, you need to be extra careful while shampooing and rinsing your hair as increased friction and rough handling might increase hair fall.
Hair is also more fragile when it’s wet. So during hair wash, you might lose 150-200 strands.
Why do you have hair fall - Causes and Triggers
Some of your hair could contribute to your hair fall and small changes in your lifestyle could make a huge difference. Some of the most common reasons for hair fall are:
Hereditary hair loss
This is one of the most common reasons why people have hair fall. Hereditary hair fall is also known as male pattern baldness in men and female pattern hair loss in women.
This type of hair fall is caused by factors that are beyond your control. This type of hair fall is caused by your genetic condition and your family members likely have it too.
When you have this condition your hair only grows for a lesser amount of time which means that you will experience an early onset of baldness.
This can be passed on from any of your parents.
Every time it falls, your hair gets finer and thinner and eventually stops growing. If you are sensitive to the hormone dihydrotestosterone, you will likely develop this condition.
There is no actual cure for this condition since it is already wired in your genes, but you can do a few things to fight it.
The most important thing is to have a balanced diet that provides you with the necessary nutrients.
Although this might not be able to completely stop the process, it can make sure that you have healthy hair.
If you have any nutrient deficiency, especially biotin, Vitamin B, Vitamin A, etc, it could cause an early onset of this condition.
When your hair starts falling, you have to be extremely careful. Avoid tying your hair uptight or exerting pressure on it. Use gentle products on your hair and try to let it loose.
You should also take good care of your scalp and make sure that it is free of any irritations. Make sure to not leave any residue on your hair and use gentle hair care and styling products.
There are also certain medications like Minoxidil or Finasteride that can help in dealing with hereditary hair loss.
Hormonal changes
It is normal to experience hormonal changes in your life. This usually happens when you are in your teenage years and when women are about to hit their menopause.
Women may also experience some amount of hair fall during childbirth. Such imbalances can affect your hair growth but thankfully, it is reversible although one can never be sure when it will grow back.
If you think that you might have hair fall due to hormonal changes, you should first get your hormones tested.
You can prevent this by following a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Stress
Stress is a major contributor to hair fall, especially in young adults. Stress can also be a result of the mood swings that happen during hormonal imbalances.
If you have gone through a significant life event or trauma that has caused emotional stress in you, you will likely experience hair fall.
If you feel like you have been experiencing hair fall due to stress, try engaging yourself in activities like meditation, yoga, therapy, exercise, etc which will help in bringing down your stress levels.
Diet
If you do not have a balanced diet, you might face a deficiency in certain nutrients that support hair growth. This will lead to hair loss, breakage, and thinning.
Some of the most important nutrients like Vitamin D, Zinc, Iron, etc are crucial for healthy hair.
You will also experience some hair fall if you have suddenly changed your diet.
Hairstyles and treatments
A lot of hair procedures like rebonding, straightening, keratin treatment, etc. can take a toll on your hair.
Especially if you are someone who does it often. These procedures involve a lot of harsh chemicals that can adversely affect your hair and scalp.
If you constantly tie your hair up in certain updos that apply too much pressure on your hair like a tight ponytail or a buns, you might suffer from hair fall.
Alopecia Areata
This is a health condition that will make your hair fall off. This auto-immune disorder affects different people differently.
Some might lose their hair in chunks and some people experience a lot of hair fall.
Your hair might or might not grow back in this situation. Sometimes the hair grows back but it starts falling off from another spot.
If you notice a bald patch that keeps growing, you might want to get it checked.
Although this condition cannot be completely treated, there are ways to make your hair grow back using certain medications.
When Does Hair Fall Become Too Much?
Although some amount of hair fall is completely alright, I’m sure you must be thinking if your hair fall is normal or not.
You do not have to panic when you see some strands of hair on your hairbrush or towel. You can check if your hair fall is normal or not by taking a closer look into the signs and symptoms.
The number of hair falling
Hair fall is a natural process that happens to everyone. People lose around 50 to 100 strands of hair per day.
If you are someone who does not wash your hair every day, you might notice a lot of hair falling on your towel or bathroom floor.
Got short hair? You might not notice a lot of hair fall but for people with long hair, it is hard to ignore.
If you feel like you are losing more than 100 strands of hair a day, then maybe it's time to make that appointment with a dermatologist to figure out what is wrong.
Hair thinning on top of the head
Baldness is one of the most common types of hair fall in both men and women. Hair thinning on top of the head is a major symptom in men who are developing baldness.
They also experience thinning of the hair around the temples and a receding hairline.
For females, hair thinning usually starts at the partition of their hair. Women also experience an overall thinning of hair around the head.
Older women start developing a receding hairline as they start to bald.
Circular and patchy bald spots
If you feel like your hair has been falling off in chunks or patches, you probably need to take things seriously.
This is a major sign among people suffering from androgenic alopecia and early intervention is important in this case.
Scalp irritation
Scalp irritations can come in many forms including itching, dryness, flaky skin, pimples, and other inflammations.
This could be caused by a bad reaction to hair products or even scalp issues like dandruff, psoriasis, ringworm, etc.
These can also be followed by redness, swelling, and even oozing of liquids. If you have any scalp issues, it is important to consult a dermatologist and resolve it.
Otherwise, it would cause your hair to fall off by damaging the scalp and weakening the hair follicles.
Sudden loosening of hair
If you notice a lot of hair getting stuck to your comb or your fingers when you brush through them, it is time to intervene.
This type of hair fall is very common among people who are extremely stressed in life or among people who have experienced some mental trauma.
Although this is a temporary situation, you tend to lose a lot of hair in these circumstances.
If you think that you might be suffering from this type of hair fall, you can resort to practices like meditation, yoga, exercise, or even seek the help of a therapist who can help you bring down your stress levels.
Unusual changes in your body
If your hair fall is accompanied by unusual symptoms like sudden weight changes, unusual fever, excessive hair grown in other parts of the body, burning sensation or oozing of liquids from the scalp, itchiness or swelling in the scalp, you should definitely get it checked by a medical practitioner.
These are some of the most common reasons and signs of hair fall.
But there are other reasons like using certain types of medications or going through certain treatments like radiation therapy that could also induce hair fall.
In such cases, you will notice your hair falling off from all over your body. But the best part is that your hair always almost grows back to its original shape.
You have to accept that hair fall and balding is completely normal and should not panic when you notice shedding. This can add to your stress and worsen the situation.
Also Read:
How to prevent premature grey hair
