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Is your hair falling out more than normal? You brush your hair and notice more stands than usual in the bristles. You wash your hair and the drain seems to collect enough to make a tiny wig.
While hair shedding is normal, around 50 to 100 hairs a day, it’s worrisome when your hair looks and feels noticeably thinner.
The good news is that hair loss isn’t always permanent and identifying the underlying cause is the first step towards getting your healthy hair back.
Your hair naturally goes through a three-phase growth cycle: growing, resting, and shedding. Since each strand is on its own schedule, daily hair loss is expected.
However, it may be time to investigate your hair health if you notice:
If these changes continue for weeks or months, don’t wait any longer to schedule an evaluation with a dermatologist.
For most people, there isn’t a single factor that’s causing their hair to fall out. Instead, it’s usually a combination of things.
Stress is often a bigger culprit than most people think. The body reacts to physical and emotional stress in surprising ways, including shedding hair.
Major life events like surgery, illness, childbirth, losing a loved one, and even starting a demanding job can trigger a condition known as telogen effluvium, which causes more hairs than usual to enter the shedding phase.
The frustrating part is that hair loss doesn’t often begin until two to three months after the stressful events, which makes it much harder to connect the dots.
Healthy hair requires proper nutrition. When your body isn’t getting enough essential nutrients, your hair is often one of the first places to show it.
Low levels of many nutrients can contribute to hair thinning, including iron, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B12, and protein.
Crash dieting, restrictive eating plans, or significant weight loss can also interrupt the hair growth cycle. Before starting supplements on your own, it may be best to have lab work done, since taking unnecessary supplements can sometimes do more harm than good.
Hormonal changes are one of the most common reasons for hair shedding. You may notice hair loss related to pregnancy, postpartum recovery, menopause, and thyroid issues.
Hormones influence how long hair stays in the growth phase. When hormone levels fluctuate, hair can become thinner, finer, and fall out more rapidly.
Identifying and treating the underlying hormonal balance can improve hair growth over time.
If your hair loss has lasted longer than a few months, is getting worse, or is accompanied by other worrisome symptoms, it’s time for a professional evaluation.
Instead of sitting there and asking “why is my hair falling out more than usual?”, schedule an appointment with a dermatologist.
An expert can determine the root cause of your hair loss with a scalp examination, blood tests, hair pull testing, and even a scalp biopsy if needed.
Once the cause is identified, treatment options can then be considered. Common treatments include:
The sooner you address the issue, the better your chances are of slowing or reversing hair loss.
Seeing extra hair on your pillow or in the shower can be unsettling. But, it doesn’t automatically mean you’re going bald.
Hair loss is common and highly treatable. Instead of wasting more time guessing or trying products that don’t fix the problem, visit our team at Vibrant Dermatology instead.