Normal Hair Loss




People lose certain amounts of hair daily. It is normal to see some strands on a brush after combing or in shower after washing. Some people lose more hair than others and it still might be all right. It depends on age, hair length and thickness, hormonal changes, overall health, climate, season, and some other factors.

In order to understand why hair falls out, a person should know about standard hair cycle. The “life” of a hair strand can be divided into three stages. First one is called Anagen: this is the time when the hair actually grows. It is the longest phase which takes 2 to 5 years, so about 85-90% of all hair is in this stage. The length of this phase determines how long the hair might be: some people cannot have hair past their shoulders; the others have it all the way to their ankles.

After Anagen comes Catagen phase. This is a small time of regression which lasts for 2-3 weeks. Some scientists do not even destinguish it as a phase going directly from Anagen to the third stage, Telogen. During this last phase hair strands rest. It takes 3-6 months for hair to rest and “decide” that it is time to fall out.

It might be interesting to know that an average human head has approximately 100,000 hair follicles: blondes have 140,000 follicles (the highest density), brunettes have 110,000 follicles and red-heads have the lowest 90,000 follicles. So, if a person knows the length of all phases and hair color, he or she can approximately say, how much hair loss is normal. The average number is about 40 to 130 hair strands a day.

It is important to understand that usual hair care routine does not hurt hair, ruin its cycle or cause excessive hair loss. Washing and brushing hair only helps the dead strands to come out easily and let the new hair grow. If a person notices excessive hair loss there might be a certain reason for it. Here are the most common hair loss reasons:

1.    Aging. As people get older, their follicles become weaker and start making finer and shorter hair. Eventually they die and stop making any new hair. Usually hair loss like this is inherited and its level of intensity is determined by genetics. This type of hair loss is permanent, but there are several ways to postpone it or reduce its intensity.
2.    Seasonality. If a person watches hair very closely, there is a slight difference between the conditions of hair in different seasons. For example, the end of fall is the time of the most hair loss in a year: typically it is November and December.
3.    Pregnancy. Due to changes in hormones pregnant women might notice changes in hair: it usually looks shinier, stronger and thicker during pregnancy. Unfortunately, all these benefits go away after delivery. A lot of resting hair falls out, so the overall amount seems really low. Four to six month later hair cycle restores to normal and the previous thickness gets restored.
4.    Illness. Great stress, surgery, vitamin deficiency, thyroid problems, strong drugs and several severe diseases might cause hair loss. However, this is an easy problem to fix: as soon as the disease is treated, the hair grows back.
5.    Diet. Poor diet, meals low in iron and other essential nutrients lead to hair loss. Only a person with well-balanced meals has healthy strong hair. Quick weight loss might be a reason for hair loss too.

If a person is worried that hair gets thin and there are too many strands on the brush, it is time to consult a doctor and find out what is the reason for the problem.

Jean Steward

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Posted on March 12, 2010 
Filed Under Hair Care, Hair Loss, Hair Loss Conditions, Hair Loss Reasons

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