Why Is My Hair Shedding So Much?

Your hair sheds because of natural daily loss, seasonal cycles, stress, hormonal changes, scalp health issues, or illness recovery. Losing 50 to 100 hairs per day is completely normal, and you'll notice even more in the shower if you don't wash daily because the hair that would have fallen naturally all comes out at once. Understanding why your hair sheds helps you know when it's normal and when something needs attention.

Hair shedding is one of the most common concerns I hear from clients. They see hair in the drain, hair on their brush, hair on their pillow, and they panic. Most of the time it's completely normal. Sometimes it's a sign that something in your body or routine needs to change.

I'm Bri, a stylist at The Warehouse Salon in Fairfield and Studio 360 Salon in Chatham. I talk clients through shedding concerns constantly because the fear of hair loss is real and stressful. Let me tell you about one client who was convinced she was going bald when everything she was experiencing was actually normal.

What Does Normal Shedding Actually Look Like?

A client named Vanessa came to me terrified last fall. She was an elementary school teacher in Nutley, 38 years old, and she'd been finding clumps of hair in her shower drain for weeks. She brought photos to show me how much hair she was losing.

"Bri, look at this," she said, showing me her phone. "This is from one shower. I'm losing handfuls. Something is seriously wrong with me."

I looked at the photos. It was a lot of hair, but not an alarming amount for someone with her hair length and thickness. I asked her some questions. How often was she washing? Every four or five days because she'd read that washing less was healthier. Had anything stressful happened recently? She'd had COVID two months ago and was still dealing with the aftermath at work.

"Vanessa, I think you're experiencing three things at once, and none of them mean you're going bald," I told her. "You're seeing normal shedding accumulate because you're not washing often, you're in fall seasonal shedding, and you're probably having some post-COVID hair loss. Let's go through each one."

By the end of our conversation, she was visibly relieved. A month later she texted me: "I stopped panicking every time I see hair in the drain. I understand what's happening now."

Three months later: "The shedding slowed down just like you said it would. My hair is fine."

Here's what I explained to her.

Natural Daily Shedding

Your hair naturally sheds 50 to 100 hairs every single day. This is normal and healthy. Each hair follicle goes through growth, rest, and shedding phases independently, so you're always losing some hair while new hair grows in to replace it.

If you wash your hair daily, you'll see a moderate amount in the drain each time. If you wash every few days like Vanessa was doing, all those hairs that would have fallen out separately now come out at once during washing, conditioning, and brushing. It looks like a lot, but it's the same total amount.

This is especially true for hair past chin length. Longer hair doesn't shed as easily on its own because it gets tangled with other strands. When you finally wash and brush, it all releases at once. Vanessa's hair was past her shoulders, so she was seeing four or five days of shedding in one shower. Once she understood the math, she stopped panicking.

Seasonal Shedding

Just like animals shed their coats seasonally, humans experience seasonal hair shedding too. This typically happens in late summer and fall as your body prepares for the change in weather. You might notice more hair loss than usual for a few weeks during this transition.

This happens because of the telogen phase, which is your hair's resting phase. During telogen, hair follicles become inactive and the hair is held in place by a small bulb of keratin until it's ready to release. When many follicles enter this phase around the same time seasonally, you get a wave of shedding followed by new growth.

Vanessa came to me in October, which is peak seasonal shedding time. She'd never noticed it before because she used to wash her hair more frequently. Once she started washing less often, the seasonal shedding became much more visible. It resolved on its own within about six weeks.

Post-Illness Shedding

Many people experience significant hair shedding three to four months after a major illness, and COVID has been a common trigger. The stress of being sick pushes a large number of hair follicles into the resting phase at once, and then they all shed together a few months later.

This is called telogen effluvium, and it's usually temporary. Your body went through something stressful, it prioritized survival over hair growth, and now you're seeing the delayed result. The good news is that once the stress passes, the hair typically grows back.

Vanessa had COVID about two months before she noticed the increased shedding, which fit the timeline perfectly. I told her to expect the shedding to continue for another month or two, then gradually slow down as her body recovered. That's exactly what happened.

Scalp Health Issues

The health of your scalp directly affects how much your hair sheds. If you have product buildup clogging your follicles, those follicles can't function properly. Clogged follicles get irritated, stop producing new hair, and the existing hair sheds without replacement. Over time, this leads to thinning.

Vanessa wasn't having scalp issues, but I checked her scalp anyway during her appointment. It was clean and healthy, which confirmed her shedding wasn't from buildup or irritation. If I'd seen buildup or inflammation, we would have addressed that first.

To avoid scalp-related shedding, use a scalp scrub weekly to exfoliate dead skin and product residue. If your scalp tends to get irritated, use a scalp-specific shampoo. Keeping your follicles clear and healthy is one of the best things you can do for hair retention.

Stress-Related Shedding

Stress is a major factor in hair shedding. When your body is under chronic stress, it can push hair follicles into the resting phase prematurely, leading to more shedding than normal. The cruel irony is that seeing all that hair fall out causes more stress, which can make the shedding worse.

Vanessa was stressed about the shedding itself, which wasn't helping. Once she understood that her hair loss was temporary and explainable, her stress level dropped. Managing stress through exercise, sleep, and whatever helps you decompress can genuinely help reduce hair shedding.

If you're going through a particularly stressful time, expect some increased shedding a few months later. It's your body's delayed response. The shedding will slow down once the stress resolves and your body stabilizes.

Hormonal Changes

Hormones affect hair shedding throughout your life. Pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause, thyroid changes, and even starting or stopping birth control can all trigger increased shedding. Your body responds to hormonal shifts by altering hair growth cycles.

Vanessa wasn't experiencing hormonal changes, but I always ask about this because it's so common. Many clients come in worried about shedding and it turns out they recently had a baby, started menopause, or changed medications. Once they know the cause, they can address it appropriately.

For significant hormonal hair loss, especially postpartum or menopause-related, seeing a dermatologist can help. They can assess whether the shedding is within normal range or if treatment might help speed recovery.

Your Hair Shedding Questions Answered

How do I know if my shedding is normal or a problem?

If you're losing 50-100 hairs a day and your hair density isn't visibly changing, you're fine. If you're seeing bald patches, significant thinning, or shedding that continues for more than three months without improvement, see a dermatologist. Vanessa's shedding looked scary but her hair density stayed the same, which told us it was temporary.

Should I wash my hair more often to reduce shedding?

Washing more often won't reduce total shedding, but it will spread it out so each shower looks less alarming. Vanessa started washing every other day instead of every five days. She's losing the same amount of hair but it's not accumulating into scary clumps anymore.

When should I worry about hair shedding?

Worry if the shedding continues at high levels for more than three months, if you can see your scalp where you couldn't before, if you're developing bald spots, or if the shedding comes with other symptoms like fatigue or weight changes. Those warrant a doctor's visit.

Can products help with shedding?

If your shedding is from scalp health issues, yes. Clarifying shampoos, scalp scrubs, and scalp treatments can help clear buildup and support healthy follicles. If your shedding is from stress, hormones, or illness, products won't stop it but they can support your scalp while your body recovers.

Book Your Scalp Assessment

Hair shedding is usually normal, but the fear it causes is real. Vanessa spent weeks terrified she was going bald when she was actually experiencing a combination of normal factors that would resolve on their own. Understanding why your hair sheds takes away the panic and helps you know when to take action versus when to wait it out.

If you're concerned about your hair shedding, book a consultation. I'll look at your scalp, ask about your health and routine, and help you figure out what's causing the shedding and whether it needs intervention. Most of the time, I can give you peace of mind. If something does need attention, we'll address it.

Book at The Warehouse Salon in Fairfield at 1275 Bloomfield Ave, Building 1, Unit 3 by calling 973-500-4536. If you're closer to Chatham, visit Studio 360 Salon and call 973-701-3030.

Hair shedding is scary until you understand it. Let's figure out what's happening with yours.