Unlocking the Mystery of Hair Shedding: Understanding and Managing the Causes
Hair Shedding is a major concern among women, and I get asked daily why the hair may shed more than usual. In this blog I am going to explain how often our hair sheds, and why it may be shedding.
Out hair naturally sheds about 50-100 hairs per day! Even when you are not washing your hair every day, there will still be hair in your brush and in your drains If you are not washing every day or every other...you will have more in your drain and brush. This is because your hair will not shed as much on its own and will shed more when washing, conditioning, and brushing. This is especially for hair past chin length. Your hair won’t naturally shed as much as it needs to especially when it’s past chin length. Hair shedding is very normal, and it may shed a little more when you give it a break from washing, so do not be scared when you have a palm filled of your hair in the shower.
Seasonal Shedding
When bears, dogs, cats, or any animal with fur goes through seasons, their fur sheds. This is especially in the warmer weather when animals need to shed some of their coat to prepare for the spring and summer seasons. Humans also experience shedding like this in their hair cycle phase, known as telogen. The telogen phase is the hair's resting phase. The resting phase is when the hair follicles become inactive, and the hair is secured by a white bulb of keratin (protein) until it is ready to shed. This ultimately starts a new hair growth phase.
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There have been many reports of hair shedding 3-4 months after having COVID and even hair loss. COVID has many effects on the body depending on how bad you are sick, but possibly the illness and the stress of it has caused major hair shedding.
Scalp Health
The health of our scalp ultimately results in the health of our hair. If there is product buildup in the scalp, the hair follicles iwll clog and irritate the scalp. Clogged follicles will also prevent more hair growth and pause the growth phase, then the hair will naturally shed overtime, but the hair will be thinned due to blockage of new follicles. Avoiding product buildup is super important to avoid any excess shedding or thinning of the hair. The best things to do is to use a scalp scrub to exfoliate weekly, and even use a good scalp shampoo if scalp tends to be irritated.
Stress
Stress is a key factor of hair shedding. Having an excessive amount of stress is going to add to your daily and seasonal shedding. This means you will lose more hair than expected, and it will stress you out more! Avoiding stress will help aid in less hair shedding, and also is better for your mental and physical health.
Hormones
Hormones are another major factor of hair shedding or hair loss. Our hormones are always changing though each phase of our life whether it is pregnancy or menopause. The body can become stressed in these stages of life and ultimately cause excessive hair loss. For assistance of post-partum hair loss or dealing with menopause, it may be best to find a dermatologist in your area.
Natural Shedding
Out hair naturally sheds about 50-100 hairs per day! Even when you are not washing your hair every day, there will still be hair in your brush and in your drains If you are not washing every day or every other...you will have more in your drain and brush. This is because your hair will not shed as much on its own and will shed more when washing, conditioning, and brushing. This is especially for hair past chin length. Your hair won’t naturally shed as much as it needs to especially when it’s past chin length. Hair shedding is very normal, and it may shed a little more when you give it a break from washing, so do not be scared when you have a palm filled of your hair in the shower.
Seasonal Shedding
When bears, dogs, cats, or any animal with fur goes through seasons, their fur sheds. This is especially in the warmer weather when animals need to shed some of their coat to prepare for the spring and summer seasons. Humans also experience shedding like this in their hair cycle phase, known as telogen. The telogen phase is the hair's resting phase. The resting phase is when the hair follicles become inactive, and the hair is secured by a white bulb of keratin (protein) until it is ready to shed. This ultimately starts a new hair growth phase.
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COVID Hair Loss
There have been many reports of hair shedding 3-4 months after having COVID and even hair loss. COVID has many effects on the body depending on how bad you are sick, but possibly the illness and the stress of it has caused major hair shedding.
Scalp Health
The health of our scalp ultimately results in the health of our hair. If there is product buildup in the scalp, the hair follicles iwll clog and irritate the scalp. Clogged follicles will also prevent more hair growth and pause the growth phase, then the hair will naturally shed overtime, but the hair will be thinned due to blockage of new follicles. Avoiding product buildup is super important to avoid any excess shedding or thinning of the hair. The best things to do is to use a scalp scrub to exfoliate weekly, and even use a good scalp shampoo if scalp tends to be irritated. Stress
Stress is a key factor of hair shedding. Having an excessive amount of stress is going to add to your daily and seasonal shedding. This means you will lose more hair than expected, and it will stress you out more! Avoiding stress will help aid in less hair shedding, and also is better for your mental and physical health.
Hormones
Hormones are another major factor of hair shedding or hair loss. Our hormones are always changing though each phase of our life whether it is pregnancy or menopause. The body can become stressed in these stages of life and ultimately cause excessive hair loss. For assistance of post-partum hair loss or dealing with menopause, it may be best to find a dermatologist in your area.
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Brianna Thompson
About the Author
Brianna Thompson
Brianna is a highly skilled and licensed cosmetologist, stylist, and color expert at Studio 360 Salon in Chatham, NJ. She possesses a thorough understanding of hair products and the science behind hair and hairstyling.
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