When you notice an increase in hair shedding, you may become concerned. After all, your hair is supposed to stay on your head. It’s normal to shed between 50 to 100 hairs a day. But if you start seeing clumps of hair coming out or notice more hair in the drain or on your hairbrush, you may be worried.
At Daniel Alain, we understand how distressing excessive hair fall can be. As experts in hair loss, we know that hair shedding can be just as stressful as hair loss, especially if you don’t know what’s causing it.
Some increase in hair shedding may be out of your control. However, there are other factors that are within your control that may be worsening hair shedding. In this article, we’re going to go through five reasons why you may be experiencing an increase in hair shedding. By the end of this article, you’ll understand what factors may be to blame for this increase.
First, What Is Hair Shedding? How It It Different From Hair Loss?
Often, hair shedding and hair loss are used interchangeably. However, these are two very different phenomena.
Hair loss is also known as anagen effluvium. The word “anagen” refers to the phase in the hair growth cycle in which new hair is growing. Something, usually a biological process, prevents hair from growing during anagen effluvium. For example, individuals who undergo chemotherapy often see anagen effluvium as a side effect. While Minoxidil may be prescribed as a treatment, its efficacy in treating this type of hair loss varies.
In contrast, hair shedding or telogen effluvium is an increase in hair falling out. However, the key difference here is that the hair is still able to grow. The telogen phase of the hair growth cycle is also known as the “resting” phase and usually lasts around three months before new hair begins to grow and push out the hair. Telogen effluvium is also known as excessive hair shedding and can be caused by an array of triggers which we will dive into next.
Reason 1: Stressful or Traumatic Events
One of the primary reasons for an increase in hair shedding is a stressful event on the body. Whether this is emotional or physical stress, you may notice an increase in hair loss after a traumatic incident. For example, if you get severely sick or are going through an intensely stressful situation, your body will react by shedding hair. This shedding can begin up to two months after the traumatic event.
How Do I Mitigate Hair Shedding From Stress?
After the initial uptick in shedding occurs, the shedding can continue for six to nine months after the triggering event. To combat this excessive hair shedding, it’s best to focus on reducing stress in all aspects of life and focus on your mental and physical health to help mediate any damage done by a highly stressful event.
Reason 2: Poor Diet
A poor diet can also cause excessive hair shedding. A poor diet lacks key vitamins and minerals and is often linked to a lack of fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins and fats. While junk food is the prime example of a poor diet, a diet that lacks key nutrients can also be a poor diet. Like anything in your body, hair needs nutrients to grow. Having deficiencies in vitamins B and D as well as a zinc or iron deficiency can trigger excessive hair shedding. These vitamins are found in foods like leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, and meat.
How Do I Mitigate Hair Shedding From a Poor Diet?
If you’re concerned about a lack of nutrients, a multivitamin is an excellent way to ensure your body is getting what it needs to grow strong and healthy hair.
Reason 3: Tight Hairstyles
Consistently pulling hair into tight ponytails or using harsh products on the hair can trigger an increase in hair shedding. Too much pulling can cause traction alopecia, which is caused when the hair is pulled so much the hair is loosened at the follicle, making it more prone to fall. For example, tight braids can cause hair to shed. Harsh treatments, products, or lots of heat with little protection can also cause an increase in breakage, which contributes to hair shedding.
How Do I Mitigate Hair Shedding From Tight Hairstyles?
Varying your hairstyles and using gentle products on your hair will help protect its integrity.
Reason 4: Hormonal or Lifestyle Changes
Throughout life, we go through many changes and some of these physical changes can impact when and how much hair we shed. For example, disruptions in hormonal balance can increase hair shedding. These include menopause or going on or off birth control.
Losing a lot of weight, especially in a short time can trigger an increase in hair shedding. Even something that seems minor, like not getting enough sleep, can compound over time and be the cause of the increase in hair shedding.
Reason 5: Change in Season
A common reason that hair sheds is the change in season. Typically, hair is thickest in the summer and this is thought to be so that the hair is thick enough to protect the scalp from the sun. Hair is at its thinnest in the fall and winter months. However, just as changes in the seasons can cause allergies or other biological reactions, these changes can also cause hair to fall out more frequently, in larger quantities.
How Can You Prevent Excessive Hair Shedding?
After reading this article, you now have a better idea of what can cause an increase in hair shedding. Some of these reasons can be prevented through lifestyle changes such as eating healthier to ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to regenerate strong, healthy hair. Making sure that you’re avoiding highly stressful situations as much as possible can contribute to keeping your hair intact. Being conscious of how you style your hair and what products you use can help reduce the chance of excessive shedding.
But sometimes, you might need a little extra help or may want to reduce the chance of shedding in the first place.
At Daniel Alain, we have invested research and time into creating quality hair loss solutions. Our research and development team discovered a unique hair shedding treatment that is shown to reduce shedding up to 77% after the first use. INTACT helps strengthen hair at the root by constricting muscles around the follicles to protect hair against high-shedding activities such as brushing and styling. Apply 30 minutes before showering, then proceed with shampooing and conditioning as normal. You’ll notice less hair falling out and more staying where it belongs. Buy INTACT for women or men to strengthen your hair against high-shedding activities and to achieve the strongest, healthiest hair you've had.