How Much Hair Shedding Is Normal?
By board-certified trichologist Shab Caspara
Hair shedding is a completely normal part of the hair growth cycle. Every day, hair follicles release older hairs as new ones begin growing.
Most people naturally shed 50 to 100 hairs per day without noticing.
However, when shedding increases significantly, it may indicate that the hair growth cycle has been disrupted.
One of the most common reasons for sudden excessive shedding is telogen effluvium, a condition where many hair follicles shift into the shedding phase at the same time.
For a deeper explanation of how this condition works, read Telogen Effluvium: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Recover From Excessive Hair Shedding.
Why Hair Shedding Happens
Hair follicles cycle through three stages of growth.
Anagen – active growth
Catagen – transition
Telogen – resting and shedding
Normally, only a small percentage of follicles are in the shedding phase.
In telogen effluvium, a triggering event causes a larger number of follicles to enter this phase simultaneously.
As discussed in our guide Telogen Effluvium: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Recover From Excessive Hair Shedding, this can result in noticeable hair shedding several months later.
Signs Shedding May Be Abnormal
You may want to investigate further if you notice:
large clumps of hair during washing
significantly increased shedding during brushing
visible reduction in hair density
shedding lasting longer than three months
When shedding becomes excessive, evaluation can help identify whether the hair growth cycle has been disrupted.
Book Your In-Person or Virtual Consultation Here
Unsure about the amount of hair you’re losing?
At Caspara we use advanced scalp imaging and non-surgical hair restoration treatments like AlmaTED and Keravive to evaluate excessive hair loss and support healthy regrowth.
Book a consultation with board-certified trichologist Shab Caspara to receive a personalized scalp analysis and treatment plan.
