Washing your hair doesn't cause hair loss, but it can loosen strands that are already shedding. Excessive hair loss after washing could be a sign of telogen effluvium (TE), a temporary loss often triggered by stress or health issues.
Hair loss during washing is often due to natural shedding (50-100 hairs per day). Other factors include harsh hair care practices, product build-up, stress, hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, medical conditions, physical damage from styling, and ageing.
No, it doesn't cause hair loss. If you think you see more shedding when you do shower, it is likely just because you would have shed that hair in a previous shower, but are only now agitating your scalp a bit, so a week's worth of shedding it happening at once.
Using shampoo just once a week will not physically harm you in any way. What you will most likely notice though, is that your hair becomes stiffer and oilier as the days go by. If you could see your scalp, you would probably also see visible dirt and flakes.
Quick Summary: Hair Loss In The Shower
Preventative measures: Avoid over-shampooing and try and wash hair twice a week to maintain scalp health and minimise hair loss in the shower. Losing 50 to 100 hairs after showering or throughout the day is normal1.
It may be a sign that you're losing too much hair if: Increased shedding. Thinning or bald spots. Changes in hairline.
If you're losing more than 100 hairs in the shower each day, it may be a symptom of clinical hair loss. Any type of alopecia can result in excessive hair loss in the shower, including: Telogen effluvium — A type of temporary hair loss caused by high levels of stress, anxiety, or trauma.
Those who don't wash their hair often may see more hair shedding than those who give their scalp a regular scrub. But it's unlikely that this is the only or even main cause of hair loss.
“There are too many variables to set one rule,” Jessica J. Krant, a cosmetic and medical dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York said in an interview. “I believe hair can be washed anywhere from daily to once every two weeks, depending on hair and skin type, hairstyle and lifestyle.”
The average person loses around 50-100 hair strands every day, but that amount can go up to 200 strands for those with very thick and long hair.
It's perfectly normal to lose a few stray strands when running your fingers, or a comb, through your hair. But if you notice increased hair being pulled out when you are being gentle, this can be a cause of concern that you should get checked over.
Most people who are healthy lose up to 100 strands of hair per day. If you have telogen effluvium, you may lose up to 300 strands of hair per day. Telogen effluvium may affect the hair all over your scalp, but it most commonly appears on the top of your head rather than the back or sides of your head.
Some of the key symptoms signalling low vitamin D levels include hair loss or thinning, fatigue, bone/muscle weakness, frequent sickness, depression and impaired wound healing. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's completely valid to feel concerned.
Detect Hair Loss at Home
Allow hairs that are firmly rooted in the scalp to pass through your grasp, but maintain enough traction so that loose hairs are pulled clean. About 2-5 hairs will be pulled in a normal adult. Up to 3 or 4 times that amount will be pulled free in adults who suffer with hair loss.
Generally, he says, the range is somewhere between once a day and once a week. “If you have very fine or thin hair, you may need to wash more often, while those with thick or curly hair may need to wash less often,” says Dr Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand, a double board certified dermatologist and hair health expert.
Let's clear things up. A common myth is that keeping your hair short can stop or slow down hair loss. That's totally untrue; hair length doesn't affect hair loss or thinning. While cutting your hair short won't decrease hair loss, there's no reason not to go for a shorter style if you want a fuller look.
Fun fact: Humans usually shed as many as 50 to 100 hairs each day during the telogen phase. This is a normal occurrance, per the American Academy of Dermatology, and this loss is most often noticed when you're washing, brushing or running fingers through your hair.
It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men. Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness.
This simple test measures the severity of hair loss. During a pull test, a dermatologist grasps small sections of hair, about 40 strands, from different parts of the scalp and gently tugs. If six or more strands fall out, you have what's known as active hair loss.