I’m a dermatologist – I’m always asked about hair shedding… here’s what’s ‘normal’ and how to reduce it
HAIR is often called our crowning glory, so it can be particularly worrying when you suddenly start to lose strands in the shower.
However, a dermatologist has revealed just how many hairs you shed per day and the number is surprisingly high.
In fact, Lindsey Zubritsky has made an entire Tiktok about this hair-raising issue.
Better known as Dermguru on the app, the board-certified dermatologist regularly goes viral and has gained 1.3 million followers thanks to her easy-to-follow skincare advice.
Whilst see might be more used to giving anti-ageing advice, the US medic recently explained why you shouldn’t be worried about losing hair in the shower.
“It’s actually totally normal to lose between 100 to 150 strands of hair every single day,” she revealed, adding that this was a natural part of the hair cycle.
“At any given time, our hair is naturally going through a shedding phase. When we are showering, we are putting our in our hair and those hairs [come] out,” the Tiktok star said,
Whilst hair length will not affect how many hairs we lose, she did state that there is one factor which will have a big effect on hair loss.
Continuing, she told her followers: “How often you wash your hair is not gonna change that fact [either]. In fact, washing your hair less often could make it [hair loss] worse and more obvious.”
Before you race to the shower, skip wash day won’t hurt you but leaving your hair dirty for prolonged periods can cause issues and you will likely notice more shedding as a result.
However, there are instances when you should seek medical advice and the dermatologist even showed a bathroom wall cover in hair to emphasise her point.
“Now this is where it becomes a problem,” Lindsey noted, adding: “There is clearly more than 100 to 200 hairs a day here.”
Hair loss can be caused by a variety issues ranging from stress to issues with our immune system, but the content creator said that the most common is due to telogen effluvium.
This condition can cause the body to spontaneously shed excess hair and can occur after a shock to our nervous system, like bumping our head, in some case.
More typical triggers also include certain medications, post-partum hair loss, stress, dietary deficiencies and even excess sun exposure.
Usually, the issue will resolve itself but if you are losing over 200 hairs per day, it might be time for medical intervention.
If you are concerned about your locks, there are also over-the-counter remedies which you can use – with minoxidil being among the best.
Alternatively, you can combine these medical treatments with homoeopathic options such as rosemary oil and dermarolling – just make sure to always check with your doctor before starting your new regime.
This should help your locks get luscious in no time but if you are still struggling, please speak with your GP.