If you’ve got medium to long hair, chances are you’ve experienced your fair share of hair shedding. Whether you notice it most in the shower, while brushing your hair or wake up to find more strands on your pillow, hair shedding is a fact of life for many. But how much shedding is too much? And when should you be concerned about hair loss?
Dr Lauren Thomas, a former doctor at Software, weighs in on the key differences between hair shedding and loss and explains the best measures you can take to maintain a healthy scalp and hair growth cycle.
Understanding the hair growth cycle
Before you can diagnose what the root cause of your hair loss is, it’s important to understand the hair growth cycle. You might not realise but your hair goes through quite a complex process to grow, involving four distinct phases.
Anagen phase
This is the phase of active growth. “During this time, which can last anywhere from 2-7 years, hair is firmly fixed to the scalp,” says Dr Thomas. Cells in the hair bulb divide and produce keratinocytes, which are essentially hardened cells. These hardened cells eventually form a protein called keratin, creating strong strands of hair. [1]
Catagen phase
Next comes the catagen phase. “This is a transitional period where growth slows down and hair detaches as the blood supply is cut off,” states Dr Thomas. Typically lasting about 2-4 weeks, the catagen phase stops the production of keratinocytes, causing hair follicles to shrink and stop growing.
Telogen phase
The resting phase is also known as the telogen phase. “Hair is shed as part of this phase, making space for new hairs to grow. It’s normal for 5-10% of hairs to be lost during this phase, however, if you’re experiencing excessive hair shedding, this number could be as high as 20-25%,” explains Dr Thomas.
Exogen phase
The final phase is the exogen phase, or the active shedding of hair. Once a hair is shed, the process starts all over again and active growth begins. On a healthy scalp, new hair growth cells are constantly being formed.
Hair shedding vs hair loss
So, what exactly is considered excessive hair loss and what is just naturally occurring hair shedding?
Hair shedding is a healthy and natural part of the hair growth cycle. If you have a healthy scalp, around 95% of the hairs are actively growing, leaving the remaining 5% to shed and make room for new growth. “It’s normal to lose between 50-100 hairs a day,” explains Dr Thomas.
When does shedding become hair loss?
As Dr Thomas explained, typically, 5-10% of hair follicles are in the resting phase at any given time. However, if a large number of follicles enter the telogen phase, it can lead to noticeable hair loss.
While excessive shedding, known as telogen effluvium, may result in the noticeable thinning of hair and the loss of 200 or more hairs per day, according to Dr Thomas, “hair loss is typically categorised when 25-50% of scalp hairs are in the telogen, or resting, phase.”
An important distinction between excessive hair shedding and hair loss is that hair shedding is temporary and often stops on its own within 6-9 months, whereas hair loss does not. [2]
What does hair loss look like?
Making the distinction between hair shedding and hair loss can be tricky. Surely if hair is falling from your scalp, you’re losing hair, right? Well, not exactly. Shedding usually results in the loss of individual strands of hair. While it may look like you’re losing a lot in the shower or while you brush your hair, the overall thickness and health of your hair shouldn’t be impacted by a natural amount of shedding.
However, there are a few more things to watch out for if you suspect you might be experiencing hair loss, including:
- Bald spots that appear or expand quickly
- Widening part
- Thinner ponytail
- Clumps of hair falling out all at once
These may be signs of androgenic alopecia, or female pattern baldness, a hormone-related hair loss condition.
“This is a non-scarring form of hair loss, which means it is possible to grow back hair lost to androgenic alopecia. However, this is not a quick or easy process. The more hair that is lost makes it more challenging to grow it back,” says Dr Thomas.
There are medications that can help with this, however, it’s always best to discuss treatment options with a professional.
How to maintain healthy hair growth
Maintaining good general hair care is one of the most effective ways to encourage healthy hair growth. This includes things like:
- Limiting unnecessary handling of hair — avoiding excessive washing or brushing
- Avoiding anything that may cause breakage — bleaching, keratin straightening, styling with heat
- Avoiding tight hairstyles — this can pull on the hair follicles
- Taking the time to manage stress — stress is one of the most common risk factors for hair loss
- Maintaining a balanced diet — eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals is crucial for hair health.
- Avoid extreme dieting — losing an excessive amount of weight in a short period of time puts the body under immense stress.
- Stopping smoking — smoking has many negative effects on health, and our hair follicles are no exception. Smoking inhibits the blood flow to the scalp, causes oxidative stress, depletes collagen and raises cortisol.
So, whether you’re experiencing natural hair shedding or hair loss, understanding the key differences between the two is essential to managing healthy hair growth. While shedding can be expected, hair loss can indicate more serious underlying issues. Consulting with a healthcare professional is always the best course of action to ensure your hair remains as healthy as possible.
Sources:
[1] https://www.hairdoctors.com.au/blog/3-stages-of-hair-growth/
[2] https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/insider/shedding
