August 23, 2018
Why Your Hair Is Shedding And What You Can Do About It!
If you’re a woman and you’ve got hair, it’s quite likely you’ve experienced your hair coming out, called shedding, at some point in your life. It’s not a big deal but sometimes it can shed so much it might scare you. Not to worry. There are reasons your hair sheds and solutions for dealing with it. Read on!
Did you know you’re totally normal?
Most people have about 100,000 hairs on their heads and lose around 100 to 125 hairs per day. Each hair follicle undergoes a growth stage that lasts two to eight years, followed by a two-month resting stage where no growth occurs. Then, the hair strand falls out and a new one begins to grow in its place. For a healthy person, this means between 80 and 90 percent of hair follicles are growing hair at one time, while the rest of the follicles are resting or shedding.1
If you’re shedding more than that over an extended period of time, then you should talk to your doctor about reasons it might be happening and how to fix it. But in most cases, hair shedding is normal so you can put a smile back on your pretty face.
Are you stressed?
The American Academy of Dermatology says that stress2 is a big reason for why someone sheds hair. Stress takes a tremendous toll on your body and can cause you to lose your hair. Really! Even things like not enough sleep and appetite changes, which can be part of stress, are linked to hair shedding.
If you’re feeling really stressed, take over! Do what you have to do to reduce your stress as much as possible…get enough sleep; exercise, which is a real stress reducer; try yoga; distract yourself by reading a good book; talk it out with your friends…even see someone if it’s necessary. You’ll feel better and notice improvements in your hair health.
Did you lose a lot of weight?
If you did, that could well be a reason for a lot of hair shedding.3 The physical stress your body is going through will lead to hair shedding but it won’t last. Once your body adjusts to your new way of eating and exercise routine, your hair will return to normal.
Are you eating right?
Did your diet suddenly go off the wheels?4 If you’re eating improperly, your hair’s not getting the “food” it needs. You need a balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables, lean meat, and seafood. These foods contain all the essential nutrients for hair to grow properly.
Did you just have a baby?
Giving birth puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body. It’s completely normal during this time for your hair to shed. It’s likely you won’t notice this until about two months after the baby is born5 but just know this is perfectly normal! Your body will readjust in about six to nine months and your lovely locks will return to their beautiful self!
Do you pull your hair up a lot?
Wearing your hair tightly pulled back in a ponytail or bun6 every day can causes it to shed. If this is happening to you, try wearing a more casual, looser ponytail or even let your locks fall down for a while. Your scalp will love you for it.
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1 Covington, C. Is It Normal to Shed This Much? Health. Springfield News-Sun. Feb. 24, 2016. Springfield News-Sun.
2 Do you have hair loss or hair shedding? American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). https://www.aad.org/public/skin-hair-nails/hair-care/hair-loss-vs-hair-shedding
3 Ibid.
4 Flinn, A. How to Stop Your Hair From Shedding, Once and for All. Hair Syling Ideas. BYRDIE. July 27, 2018. https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-stop-hair-shedding–5b5a38a44d147
5 AAD, Op cit.
6 Flinn, Op cit.
