How much shed is normal?

[Lutya]

I am new to all of this hair stuff so I'm sorry if this is a dumb question. Over the last 6 months or so, the amount of hair I lose in the shower has increased drastically. I had to start using a strainer in the drain to prevent clogs, so at least I can monitor the amount. It is about a 1" round loose wad each time I shower (every day or two). Is that normal or a lot? I saw an endocrinologist in the spring and had normal bloodwork more recently and everything was normal. I started taking an organic liquid multivitamin a couple months ago but haven't noticed any change from it yet. I haven't changed my hair habits either. Thanks!

[Cinnamon Hair]

Up to 100 hairs a day is normal. Something you might try is to not only count the hairs you pull from the drain cover but also check to see if they have a root bulb attached. If there's a root bulb then the hair shed naturally, but if not then it is a broken hair that has been damaged --from chemical coloring, straightening iron, rough handling, a comb with bad seams, etc.

You said that your shedding has increased lately. Did you start any new medications around the time the shed increased? It's also possible if you started reading LHC around that time you have just become more observant of your hair and before you didn't notice the amount. If you are really worried you should see a dermatologist about it so he/she can look for the cause.

[Miyani]

Sadly, I've been shedding alot too but I think it's b/c my hair is dry, although I wash it almost everyday with conditioner. I don't get the white bulbs so I think it's my comb...my evil comb! lol. How do you count the hairs? They're so tiny lol.

[AnneAdeline]

It also may seem like you're shedding more because the individual hairs are getting longer. Just think, hair twice as long will have twice as much mass. So you may just be noticing it more now.

[ktani]

I have read that between 130 to 150 hairs per day is normal. I am sure that it varies. I have not noticed any where near that amount for myself but I do not count shed hairs.

[Lutya]

Up to 100 hairs a day is normal. Something you might try is to not only count the hairs you pull from the drain cover but also check to see if they have a root bulb attached. If there's a root bulb then the hair shed naturally, but if not then it is a broken hair that has been damaged --from chemical coloring, straightening iron, rough handling, a comb with bad seams, etc.

I have never colored or used an iron, I only blowdry for about 2 minutes, and I use a wide toothed pick (no brush). No new medications recently. Overall, my hair seems very healthy. Next to no split ends, not dry, etc. I should say that I have a bad habit of picking my scalp - I know, it's an obvious cause of shedding hair, right? But I have been doing this for 5+ years and it is only in the last 6 months that the shedding has increased. I will try counting and see what that tells me. Thanks!

[~GypsyCurls~]

I've always heard that around 100 hairs a day is normal, but I've definitely noticed it more as my hair is growing longer. It's actually getting pretty difficult/annoying to collect all my lost hair after I'm done conditioning it...

[SimplyLonghair]

According to Dr. George Michael the amount of hair that you shed should decrease with the length of the hair. You should shed under 100 hair per day and according to him only about 2 at me length. Having said that he also talks about "sheds" times in a persons life when shedding is exagerated due to other factors such as age and hormones, but that these also are normal. Age 20 to 21 is one of the ages and then around 26 to 28, and then around 48 or 50 and then again later. These are approx ages as I don't remember exact ones. I find that if I put conditioner all of the way to my scalp that I lose more hair to shedding, and it isn't because of breakage, but the bulb is attached so I am not sure why, for me maybe allergies. I don't know. But when I stopped applying it that way I kept more hair.:D
Hope this helps.

[liz08]

Well, I would assume that times of stress or major change could cause greater shedding of hair. Hormonal changes probably affect it as well, just like how after you have a baby you shed great quantities of hair for a little while. So it could be due to something along those lines. You might just make sure you're taking a good multivitamin and getting the proper nutrition your body needs. I like to take a liquid multivitamin because they seem to absorb much better than the pills (no need for the body to break down the hard tablet and digest it). Hopefully it's just a normal phase.

[Sissy]

I don't count my shed hairs but I do shed a good amount everyday. I shed quite a bit when I do deep treatments or heavy overnight oilings.

[girlcat36]

I shed a alot. All the time. Easily 60-70 hairs during a wash. I have always been a heavy shedder. I have tried CO, Water only, poo bars, ACV rinse, biotin, MSM, iron, protein drinks, scalp massage, monistat, cone free/sulfate free. Not much helps, I always shed mass amounts. Not fair.
The idea of only shedding 5-10 hairs in the shower is completely foreign to me.
So, I don't have any advice for you, but you're not alone!

[bumblebums]

I have seen the 100/day number repeated in a lot of places.

Now, when I looked into the published research on the subject, I turned up the following article. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119341565/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

It cites 60/day as the *most* hairs shed, and that's during the period of most active seasonal shedding. During other periods, 30/day is about average, according to that study.

Here is one method for figuring out how much you shed. After washing your hair, let it air-dry, put it in a braid, and don't touch it for 24 hours. Then undo the braid, and massage your scalp with your fingertips as though you are washing it. Collect the hairs that fall out, and count them up, paying attention to the bulbs (as Cinnamon_Hair suggested). Then save whatever hairs fall out when you wash, and count them up too. That will give you a good estimate of your daily hair loss.

Any new hair products, shampoos, etc.? I find that some of them cause me to lose a lot more hair than others.

And don't pay attention to the size of the clump--I would imagine that just two hairs shed by someone with classic length hair would form a bigger clump than all the hairs I shed for the day.

[girlcat36]

I have seen the 100/day number repeated in a lot of places.

Now, when I looked into the published research on the subject, I turned up the following article. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119341565/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

It cites 60/day as the *most* hairs shed, and that's during the period of most active seasonal shedding. During other periods, 30/day is about average, according to that study.

Here is one method for figuring out how much you shed. After washing your hair, let it air-dry, put it in a braid, and don't touch it for 24 hours. Then undo the braid, and massage your scalp with your fingertips as though you are washing it. Collect the hairs that fall out, and count them up, paying attention to the bulbs (as Cinnamon_Hair suggested). Then save whatever hairs fall out when you wash, and count them up too. That will give you a good estimate of your daily hair loss.

Any new hair products, shampoos, etc.? I find that some of them cause me to lose a lot more hair than others.

And don't pay attention to the size of the clump--I would imagine that just two hairs shed by someone with classic length hair would form a bigger clump than all the hairs I shed for the day.

Good tip bumblebums!
I am going to do this, maybe next week.

[VJG]

I've been wondering the same thing. I have been experiencing a major shed, but I had blamed it on stress (due to starting graduate school) and diet change (less time to cook healthy food.) Could it just be the end of a growth cycle and the start of a normal shed?