Imagine taking a shower to relax and coming out more stressed out than before to find strands of hair clumped down on the floor. That is not what you had hoped to achieved.
On the bright side, hair fall in the shower is perfectly normal. A person tends to shed 100 hairs per day, which may be noticeable during showering, causing you to panic.
In this article, we will discuss why everyone experiences a hair fall while taking a shower and when is the right time to consult a doctor.
Read more:
- Can Men Take Biotin?
- Amino Acids For Hair: The Basics
- Gabapentin and Hair Loss: How To Deal With It?
Table of content
Hair Growth Phases
To understand the concept of hair fall, one must be familiar with the hair growth cycle. A 2017 study introduced us to three hair growth phases: Anagen, Catagen, and Telogen.
- Anagen is an active growth phase that stays for around 3 to 6 years. If it stays for a longer time, the longer the hair grows. The research states that approximately 80% to 90% of hair is in this active growth phase.
- Catagen is a degenerative growth phase that stays for around two weeks. In this phase, the hair follicle renews itself to produce healthy hair. Approximately 10% of the hair is in this phase.
- Telogen is a resting phase. Around 10% to 20% of hairs are in this phase which lies dormant for 5 to 6 weeks.
Hair shedding occurs in the Telogen phase, and if this phase affects more than 20% of hair follicles, you will start to notice excessive hair loss. The anagen phase restarts once the telogen phase ends. At this point, the hair pushes out the existing hair to create space for the new ones.
However, hair that grows during the anagen phase will grow thinner and weaker. Once the thinned and delicate hair falls, it simply does not regrow again for men and women to prevent and reverse DHT.
Although there are FDA-approved medications in the market that can help regrow the hair, they need to consult the doctor first.
Read this: How to regain hair?
As your leading source for hair health information over the past 4 years, we never compromise on accuracy. When it comes to your health, you deserve information you can truly rely on - and earning your trust is our top priority.
Here's how Scandinavian Biolabs ensures every piece of content meets the highest standards of accuracy and integrity:
- Credentialed Experts: Our reviewers are actively practicing doctors and medical researchers
- Stringent Reviews: Content undergoes rigorous editing by subject specialists and review by a practicing doctor.
- Evidence-Based: We rely on well-established research from trusted scientific sources like peer-reviewed journals and health authorities.
- Full Transparency: Our editorial standards, writer credentials, reviewer credentials, correction process, and funding are all publicly documented.
- Independent Voice: While we do promote products, we operate in a vacuum to business operations. Our main goal is just an unwavering commitment to providing medically-sound guidance.
You can count on Scandinavian Biolabs to consistently deliver the trustworthy health information you deserve. Read our Editorial Standards.
Is it normal to see hair falling out in the shower?
We have around 250,000 hairs on our scalp. According to the 2017 study, hair falls in the Telogen phase; therefore, it is normal for an average person to experience hair fall of 50 to 100 strands per day. Unless the hair growth cycle phases become imbalanced, excessive hair loss can occur.
The more you wash your hair, the more hair shedding you might experience due to scrubbing, which might make you question how much hair loss is normal during a shower. People with thicker and healthier hair tend to lose up to 150 to 250 hair per day and through showers. They might not lose it as much the next day if they don't scrub their hair too hard.
What is causing hair to fall out in the shower?
In case your hair falls, and it is more than just a super-sized clump of hair, consider the unlying cause for it. The potential causes can be as follows:
Stress
A 2017 research concluded that Telogen causes people to lose hair in showers. It also stated that a common trigger to lose hair is stress. Stress can be both physical and emotional; either way, it can take a toll on your body and mind. Stressing too much can make you weak internally. Stress eventually leads to hair loss that you might be facing today. Here's how to regain hair loss from stress.
Male or Female Pattern Baldness
Male Pattern Baldness and Female Pattern Hair Loss are genetic conditions where Dihydrotestosterone starves the hair follicles, preventing them from receiving adequate nourishment. With the high level of DHT in the body, the hair that regrows grows thin and weak and eventually leads to hair loss.
While serious reasons can be behind thinning hair, it's essential to consider that hair loss is normal to some extent and could be due to less concerning factors, such as:
- Thick hair: Thick hair is difficult to brush, and while showering, they will lose more hair than the average person. It is because they have more hair on their head than others.
- Scrubbing: Scrubbing your hair while applying the shampoo and conditioner will pull and push your hair. Shampooing will eventually lead to the breaking of the hair due to intense nudging.
- Brushing the hair while showering: few people like to brush their hair while rinsing them. It is normal but wet hair is usually weak and may not need an extra push or pull. Combing through wet hair is the part where most people feel that they are experiencing hair loss.
While showering, people might become more observant and start wondering how much hair in the shower is considered normal. Seeing the fallen strands can bring out the concern, but it can only be body shedding some hair.
Can taking too many showers cause hair falls?
Well, few believe that taking fewer showers can reduce hair loss. That is because using fewer hair chemicals and exposing your scalp to less hot water can eventually reduce hair shedding during showers. But this also means that the longer you stay under the water, the more hair falls you might experience.
How to prevent hair fall in the shower?
At this point, you are probably seeking solutions to reduce hair shedding and improve the health of your thinning hair. There are some at-home remedies that you can do to discourage hair fall.
Fighting off stress
Fighting off stress includes getting more sleep, do more exercise, and meditate. You might feel that stress can be the cause of hair loss. Although it is not always possible to find what exactly is stressing you out, you can always find a way to figure out what is stressing you out. Maybe you are overworking yourself, not meeting friends, and have unrealistic expectations from yourself.
It is best to avoid thinking in a manner that can cause you extra stress when it can easily be solvable. Always put your physical and mental health first. Talk to your friends and family members, meet your old pals, or take a holiday. Do what makes you feel good and relax. The change in the routine might prove great for your health and your hair.
Shifting to a healthy diet
Everybody needs an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals in their body to function fittingly. Although you can always take supplements, the best way is the natural source through which you can have Vitamin A and D, biotin, iron, zinc, and selenium. Adding nutrient-rich foods can help you maintain your body and your hair.
Hair care
Everyone wants to look good, and styling your hair can help you achieve that. But these products with strong chemicals to uphold your hair can cause immense damage to your hair than you expect. dThe heating irons to curl and straighten your hair can dry it and leave it for breakage and split ends. It is vital to use naturally-derived and safe products that has ingredients to promote growth - like this:
When should you contact a doctor?
After scratching out all the factors listed above, if the hair fall persists, then consult your doctor as soon as possible. Consider the below factors to get an appointment:
- If you are not overworked or stressed out, then the cause can be something else,
- If the loss is profound, it can be due to male pattern hair loss,
- If you feel that your hair is getting weaker and thinner,
- If you lose hair in patches; a whole clamp of hair gets torn out of the scalp,
- If hair fall has increased at a rapid pace.
It can be a grave problem that needs an attention of a professional.
Conclusion
Hair loss while showering is not as big of a concern because you notice it happening there. Losing hair throughout the day up to 100 strands is standard for an average person. It's argued that taking few showers will prevent hair loss in showers.
We know hair loss can be infuriating and cause many bewildered guesses. So, before coming to any conclusion, consult a doctor or take expert advice. Always mention the whole history of your hair to the doctor so he can assess the cause efficiently.
References
- Women’s Health Team. Hair loss in women: When should you worry? [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic; 2018 [cited 2021 Sep 14]. Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/hair-loss-in-women-when-should-you-worry/
- Roland J. Stages of hair growth plus how to maintain hair health in every stage [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2021 Sep 14]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/stages-of-hair-growth
- Phillips TG, Slomiany WP, Allison R. Hair Loss: Common Causes and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Sep 15;96(6):371–8.
- Grant Phillips T, Paul Slomiany W, Allison R II. Hair Loss: Common Causes and Treatment. AFP. 2017 Sep 15;96(6):371–8.
- Murphrey MB, Agarwal S, Zito PM. Anatomy, Hair. 2018 Jul 19 [cited 2021 Sep 14]; Available from: https://europepmc.org/article/nbk/nbk513312?client=bot
- Kivi R. Male Pattern Baldness [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2021 Sep 14]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/male-pattern-baldness
