If You’re Shedding A Lot Of Hair, This Is Probably Why

Dr. Andrea Suarez explains what causes it and what to do about it:

Telogen effluvium

Losing up to about 100 hairs a day is normal because hair cycles through growth (anagen), rest, and shedding (telogen), and shedding often looks worse on wash or brush days.

Chances are, however, you’re not counting them one by one. So, how to tell the difference? A shed telogen hair has a small white bulb at the end, while breakage looks blunt and has no white tip, and both can happen at the same time.

Increased shedding doesn’t automatically mean balding, and shedding and hair loss are related but not the same process.

However! A major stressor can push many follicles into rest at once, with noticeable shedding starting about three months later.

Common triggers include: rapid weight loss, medications (including GLP-1 drugs), fever or illness, surgery or hospitalization, pregnancy and postpartum changes, untreated menopause, emotional stress, endurance events, accidents, thyroid disease, low iron, and chronic inflammation.

Shedding often lasts three to six months and usually resolves within nine to twelve months once the trigger is controlled. Regrowth takes that amount of time time because hair grows roughly one centimeter per month, and your hair will look thin if half of it is shoulder-length and the other half is just regrowing from scratch.

Some things you can do about it:

• At-home hair care basics: be gentle, avoid tight styles and heat, don’t aggressively brush wet hair, and use a wide-tooth comb to limit breakage.
• Scalp health matters: regularly shampoo your scalp to reduce oil, residue, dandruff, and inflammation, which supports healthier follicle function and regrowth. Medicated shampoo ingredients such as selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole, and piroctone olamine can reduce inflammation and yeast overgrowth that can/would otherwise impair scalp health.
• Nutrition and lifestyle: adequate protein, sufficient calories, reasonable weight maintenance (i.e., if you must lose weight, don’t do it too quickly), good sleep, and stress management all support hair recovery. Get good vitamin/mineral coverage, but don’t overdo it, as overdosing can cause hair loss.
• RLT / low-level laser therapy: red and near-infrared light can improve cellular energy, blood flow, and inflammation, supporting reduced shedding and improved density with consistent use over months. Peer-reviewed studies, including recent work, show gradual increases in hair count, density, and thickness with ongoing use.
• Medical options: treatments like topical or oral minoxidil can help, sometimes combined with device-based therapy, depending on the diagnosis.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!