HELP! I’m Losing Clumps of Hair in the Shower!

Okay, so your hair is falling out in clumps. You might notice a lose strand here or there or see a huge mass of hair in the drain when you’re finished taking a shower. If this sounds familiar, don’t panic.

Hair shedding is natural, we can shed on average 100 strands a day. First think about this, the human head has 100,000 to 150,000 hairs. So, losing 100 strands a day is a small percentage of your hair.

Possible causes of losing hair

There can be several factors to why we lose our hair.

• Genetics and health are two main areas to look at.
• Several autoimmune diseases can cause hair loss, including alopecia areata.
• You might also lose hair due to stress or while recovering from a traumatic incident, a condition known as telogen effluvium.
• Male and female pattern baldness can also happen at any age.
• Hair loss and hair shedding can also be side effects of certain medications, including birth control pills, but this is usually temporary.

How much hair loss is normal in the shower?

To determine if the amount you are shedding is normal look at these 4 factors.

• How dense is your hair? When looking at the hair on your scalp, can you see your scalp easily, a little or not so much? The more strands you have on your head the more you can expect to shed.
• How long is your hair? Crazy to think you will lose the same amount of hair if its 3 inches or 15 inches long! What? How? Remember the longer your hair the more you have the illusion of “more” hair but it’s still the same number of strands.

• How often do you shampoo your hair? Believe it or not, this also plays a big role in the amount of hair you shed in the shower. If you shampoo your hair every day, you will find less traceable hair vs someone who shampoos their hair every 3-4 days.

Could internal or external factors be affecting the shedding amount?

• Internal factions include: hormone imbalance, high stress levels, diets (protein deficiency), medications, surgeries, diabetes, thyroid issues and heredity baldness.
• External factors include: hairstyles, chemicals, free radicals and even hair pulling.

What to do if you’re concerned about your hair loss?

If you’re concerned about your hair loss, the first step is to consult with a medical professional. Hair loss can have various causes, and determining the underlying reason is crucial to addressing the issue effectively. Ask your doctor about various forms of hair loss to find out why this may be happening to you.

Photo & Author: Vicky Russel : Licensed Cosmetologist at our beauty school in Des Moines.