Hair loss occurs naturally when some hair follicles on the scalp enter a resting phase and shed hair. This cycle typically leads to 50–100 hairs being shed daily. This is normal and allows fresh, healthy hair to grow. The total amount of hair remains constant due to shedding.
What causes excessive hair shedding?
Shedding over 100–150 hairs daily is excessive. Common causes include:
– Hormonal changes from menopause, childbirth, or stopping birth control
– High stress
– Nutrient deficiencies like low iron, zinc or B vitamins
– Medications like cholesterol drugs, antidepressants, and blood thinners
– Conditions like thyroid disorders
– Hair treatments that damage hair like coloring, bleaching and relaxers
– Immune system disorders
When the trigger is addressed, the shedding is often diffuse across the scalp and temporary.
What is hair loss?
Hair loss refers to the progressive thinning and disappearance of hair on the scalp, either completely or in patches. Alopecia is the medical term. It happens when hair growth cycle is disrupted or hair follicles reduce over time, preventing new hair.
What causes hair loss?
Hair loss can occur due to:
– Male/female pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia, is the most common hair loss caused by hormones, aging and genetics. It can begin as early as puberty.
– Patchy loss from autoimmune condition Alopecia areata
– Traction alopecia caused by tight hairstyles that pull on follicles like braids or buns
– Scalp ringworm infection
– Skin condition Lichen planus
– Lupus
– Nutrient deficiencies like low protein or iron
– Medications like antidepressants and blood thinners
– Illnesses like diabetes, lupus and thyroid disorders
If not treated promptly, hair loss progresses steadily, starting in spots then potentially spreading.
What’s the difference between excessive shedding and hair loss?
| Excessive Shedding | Hair Loss |
|---|---|
| No visible thinning or bald patches | Localized to specific areas like temples and crown |
| Temporary triggers like stress | Thinning persists long term |
| No increase in daily hair fall | Daily hair fall continues |
| Lasts briefly | New hair doesn’t regrow |
| New hair regrows normally | Thinning over time |
Is my hair falling out or just shedding?
It can be tricky differentiating shedding from ongoing loss. Ways to determine:
- Examine hair roots – opaque/white suggests normal shedding; black/dark means hair was pulled out indicating loss.
- Note hair texture – shed hair is thinner/coarser while loss shows larger strands falling out.
- Check hairline – receding temples indicate loss while new growth along hairline means shedding.
- Track hair loss – shedding stops quickly while daily loss persists.
- Style hair as usual – hair can be styled normally during shedding while loss makes regular styling difficult.
Does hair shedding mean regrowth?
Yes, minimal shedding signals hair follicles are self-renewing. New hair grows in 6-8 weeks as old hair falls out. So appropriate shedding indicates a healthy scalp system. Caution is needed only if shedding over 200 hairs daily continuously.
How to prevent hair loss and excessive shedding?
To reduce excessive shedding and hair loss:
– Identify triggers causing it and address them – this can stop shedding.
– Massage scalp daily with essential oils to improve blood flow to follicles feeding them.
– Use a wide-tooth comb instead of regular brush to prevent mechanical damage to fragile strands.
– Wash hair only 1-2 times per week – excessive washing depletes hair lipids causing shedding.
– Minimize hot styling tools to protect hair from heat damage.
– Manage stress better – severe stress highly correlates with excessive shedding. Try yoga, meditation or music therapy to reduce stress.
– Ensure diet has adequate lean protein, iron, zinc and omega-3 fats plus vitamins A, B and D – nutrient-rich diet promotes strong follicles.
– Seek treatment for any autoimmune or fungal scalp disorders causing your loss.
– See a trichologist at first signs of loss or excessive shedding to prevent more serious damage.
How many hairs are considered shedding?
While shedding levels vary individually, standards for assessment are:
- Baseline shedding – count hairs lost in a typical 24 hour period to determine your normal shedding, often 50-150.
- Alarming levels – even for thick hair, daily shedding over 200-300 hairs is regarded as high, suggesting prompt medical checkup.
- Chronic high shedding – losing over 150-200 hairs daily for months merits investigating potential causes.
- Visible thinning – if hair volume is noticeably thinning due to shedding, treatment should be sought right away.
How to treat excessive shedding and hair loss?
Excessive Shedding Treatment:
– Medication – steroids for autoimmune alopecia areata, antifungals for infection-induced shedding. Anti-inflammatories reduce swelling damaging hair follicles.
– Supplements – biotin, amino acids, saw palmetto, vitamin B-complex, iron and zinc support hair health.
– Topical lotions – over-the-counter minoxidil lotions containing minoxidil stimulate hair follicle growth phase to reduce shedding. Use consistently for best results.
– Alternative therapy – aromatherapy and acupuncture can promote hair growth and reduce stress.
– Platelet-rich plasma – injecting patient’s own plasma into scalp can stimulate follicles in cases of severe shedding.
Hair Loss Treatment:
– Medications – Anti-androgens like finasteride and spironolactone block DHT hormones that miniaturize follicles causing pattern baldness. More effective for early intervention.
– Minoxidil lotion – lifetime use required for maximum benefit; helps regrow hair in androgenetic alopecia.
– Low level laser therapy – wearable laser devices release light energy, stimulating follicles.
– Microneedling – Dermarolling procedure manually creates micro-punctures in scalp to improve lotion penetration, improving outcomes.
– Hair transplant – surgically removing hair follicles from back of scalp and redistributing to replace thinning areas. Expensive yet long-lasting solution.
– Platelet rich plasma injections – PRP made from patient’s blood contains growth factors promoting hair growth. Requires multiple sessions.
– Supplements – vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids in supplements promote hair growth.
Both temporary shedding and permanent loss can be managed by monitoring condition over time, identifying causes and pursuing specialized treatments. I hope you like reading on Normal Hair Shedding vs Serious Hair Loss difference.
