What is the Normal Amount of Hair to Lose in the Shower? I'll Tell You

I get a lot of emails from people wanting to know if their hair loss is normal. The other day someone asked me how much hair can you see in the shower and still be with in normal ranges. (This person was starting to see a lot of hair lying in or clogging the drain.) The answer to this question depends upon many factors, all of which I will discuss in the following article.

Determining 10 Percent Of What's On Your Head?: To get right to the point, dermatologists tell us that during high shed seasons, it can be normal to lose up to 100 hairs for the whole entire day. This 100 number is based on 10 percent of a person's hair going into the "resting phase" at any given time. This is based on a head with an average of 100,000 hairs. However, if you have more than most (often red heads or folks with very curly hair), then a number higher than 100 may be acceptable to you. And, if you have less on your head than most (which often means your hair is thin and fine), then your acceptable number may be lower. All I'm saying is that "normal" is based on how many hairs are on your head and then taking 10 percent of that number.

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How Much Manipulation Are You Doing In The Shower?: Remember that 100 accounts for your whole day, not just what you do when in the shower. So this would include shampooing, conditioning, combing, blow drying, styling, and daily wear and tear. But, if you're someone that takes a comb and applies conditioner while pulling, then you're going to lose more than someone who has a very simple, short, and gentle routine. But, it's not really what's in the drain that counts. It's what you lose for the entire day.

Many people ask me if they should skip shampooing so much when they are shedding or having hair loss. My answer is mostly no because frankly, the hairs that come out were in the resting phase anyway. They were already on their way out and there's nothing that you can do to stop this other than to take preventative measures in the future. It's so important to have a healthy properly stimulated scalp for regrowth also.

How Long Has This Been Happening?: People do shed more seasonally. There's no doubt about that. And, changes in your body or stress can cause short term shedding that should resolve on it's on pretty quickly. So, a few days or so of seeing excess hair in your shower may not be a cause for concern. But, if this is something that's very noticeable, has been going on for a while, and you're seeing hair in other places like on your clothing, your pillow, your lint trap, in your shower, and your vacuum bag, you may be above "normal" limits and you may want to keep an eye on what could be causing this.

What is the Normal Amount of Hair to Lose in the Shower? I'll Tell You

How do I know all of this? Because I lived it. I wanted so badly to tell myself that the hair I was seeing in the shower was normal. But, over time, it became obvious that it wasn't and not addressing it immediately made it harder to overcome. It was a long, hard, frustrating journey which all but wrecked my self esteem but I finally found something that helped quite a bit. You can read my very personal story at http://stop-hair-loss-in-women.com/

Hair Loss Treatment, Causes - Is Hair Loss Normal

We have a lot of hair if not million of them is found in the scalp. It is said that the natural crown of our beauty is our hair especially with women. But what if you are already beginning to lose that crown? Is hair loss normal?

Hair Loss and Growth

Hair Loss

Before we could understand hair loss, we should fist know how our hair grows. For two to six years, our hair grows. That is a normal cycle. In that cycle, hair grows approximately one centimeter a month. In the scalp about 90 percent of the hair is in an active phase or are growing while the remaining 10 percent is resting. After about two to three months, that 10 percent starts to fall. But there is nothing to worry because normally, new hair grows and replace their places in the scalp.

Hair loss is normal. It is part of the cycle and everyday is a part of it; as such a person could lose a portion of his or her hair everyday. Moreover, it is a phenomenon experienced by all people, women and men alike, regardless of age and race. However, there are people that experience excessive loss aside from their normal hair growth and loss cycle.

Causes of Excessive Hair Loss

There are so many things that could cause baldness. A major illness like cancer or a surgery can cause a large amount of hair to fall. However, this is temporary. After recovery from the stress of the illness, the hair growth cycle could be restored to normal.

Hormonal imbalances like in the thyroid gland can also cause excessive loss. An overactive or inactive thyroid can also cause loss. Also the imbalances in the female hormone estrogen and male hormone androgen are also known to be causes of hair loss. It is only when the imbalances are corrected that the hair loss may stop.

Another cause that is still related to hormonal imbalances is experienced by women after giving birth. During pregnancy, the body produces hormones that keep the hair of the mother from falling and disturbs the cycle. However, three months after child birth, the cycle goes back to normal.

Some medicines like anticoagulants, birth control pills antidepressants and excessive vitamin A can also call massive hair fall. Fungal infections in the scalp are also one cause; though it is not proven that dandruff, a scalp ailment cause by fungi, is directly related to loss.

Improper Care of Hair

Loss of Hair is also affected with the improper care of hair of an individual. Wearing ponytails, cornrows, or tight rollers can cause a type of hair fall called traction alopecia. In this case, the hairs are pulled and losses their strength. It is only when the pulling is stopped that the excessive fall will discontinue and the hair grows normally. Also, the use of chemicals on the hair is one of the causes of hair fall. These chemicals cause the scalp to swell thus inflaming the follicles and scarring the scalp.

Hair Loss to Baldness

Hair loss can lead to permanent baldness if not treated properly. Men lose more hair than women that is why the term common baldness usually means male-pattern baldness>. This type of hair loss in men is usually affected by genes and is inherited. The most common is in receding hairline from the top of the head. In women, female-pattern baldness is characterized by thinner hair over time in the entire scalp.

Treatment for Excessive Hair Loss

Science and technology have already developed a lot of treatment for hair loss. There are shampoos specifically designed to control hair fall. For the male and female pattern hair loss, there are prescribed drugs or medication to control the hormones that causes it.

Other measures like hair implants, surgery and laser treatments could also be done to reverse the effect of loss of hair.

Hair Loss Treatment, Causes - Is Hair Loss Normal

Dr John Anne is a herbal specialist with years of experience in the field of Alternative Health Care. For more information read about Hair Loss Treatment at Herbal Remedies website. Also read about Home Remedies for Baldness