Is too much hair falling out in the shower? In this article, we’ll help you decide if it’s a normal amount or if real hair loss is occurring.
I know the feeling. You’re in the shower, singing your heart out while shampooing and you start to realize there’s a lot more hair gathering at the drain than usual.
You think “Is this what always happens in the shower and I just didn’t notice?” or you rationalize “Hmm, well I haven’t washed my hair in two days so that’s probably why...”
These are totally rational explanations and could explain seeing a surprising amount of hair falling out in the shower.
But, sometimes, too much hair falling out in the shower is an indication that something might be wrong. It’s important to figure out if there is something amiss or if it’s just normal shedding.
In this article, we’ll outline how much fall out is too much, and what to do if you think you’re dealing with excessive shedding.
Shedding hair every day is a part of a perfectly normal hair growth cycle. Generally, we all shed around 100 hairs per day according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.
However, some experts say that the “normal range” is close to 150 - 200 hairs per day.
We have hundreds of thousands of hair follicles on our heads. A portion of these hair follicles are in their growth process, another portion is in the resting phase and another bunch is entering their shedding phase.
This is a normal part of the lifecycle of your hair.
It’s a good thing that our hair follicles are all doing their own thing because otherwise, we’d shed everything all at once.
The hairs you see coming out in the shower have new hair already growing in their place. Normal shedding like this, (around 100-150 hairs a day) is perfectly normal.
It’s important to remember that the hair you see “falling out” in the shower is not being prematurely removed by your showering. It’s not really “falling out” it’s been naturally shed so that new hair can take its place.
So, in most cases, when you see hair in your hairbrush or in the shower floor, that hair was ready to go and it’s safe to assume you didn’t cause it.
There are some conditions that can cause hair to become more brittle than usual which can cause the breakage of hair. Broken hair doesn’t come out of the follicle, it snaps along the weakened shaft of the hair.
If your hair is on the drier side, be gentle while brushing your hair to avoid breakage.
One thing to consider when you see a lot of shedding during a shower is -- when is the last time you washed your hair.
It’s normal for some people to go a day in between washes, and for some hair types, it could be even longer. This is important to consider because shed hair from yesterday could still be lingering in your hair and it comes out in the drain with today’s shed hair, yesterdays hair, and the hair from the day before yesterday. This is especially true for those with very thick hair, wavy, curly, or dry hair.
So, if you’re concerned about shedding too much, wash your hair every day to get a good visual idea of what is really shedding from day-to-day.
Read Related: Ketoconazole Shampoo for Hair Loss: Does It Work and How To Use It
If you feel like you’re dealing with fall out that is far more than you normally see -- it could be what is called telogen effluvium or excessive shedding.
This condition of excessive hair shedding is common among those who have had significant physical or emotional stressors.
Often, with excessive shedding caused by stress, once the stressor has been removed, the hair growth process often returns to the normal baseline. If hair growth is sluggish after a stressful period, you might consider hair treatments to support new growth.
However, hair loss is different.
Also Read: What Kind of Doctor To See for Hair Loss? And What To Expect During the Visit
The biggest difference between hair loss and shedding is, in shedding, there is new hair growth already occurring. That new growth is what pushed the old hair out of the follicle. That new growth will take the place of what was shed.
In hair loss, hair is shed because of internal imbalances or genetics and new hair growth might not take the place of the recently shed hair.
If you’re noticing sparse areas in your hair, then new hair growth might be sluggish. If you notice areas of baldness, then the hair that has been shed has not been replaced by new growth. This is considered hair loss.
There are also many medications, conditions, or internal imbalances that may cause hair loss:
If you are worried about hair loss there are some hair loss treatments to consider.
Here at Strut Health, we utilize proven effective hair loss treatments like Finasteride and Dutasteride for male pattern hair loss, as well as growth-enhancing topical solution Minoxidil.
Worried about excessive shedding? Simply complete a questionnaire-based online doctor's consultation to see if our treatments are right for you.
If our doctors find this is a good fit for you, we’ll ship your prescription to your doorstep with free shipping.
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