Hair Loss After Shower Regarding that you have a clump of hair on a shower drain can be disconcerting. After all, nobody likes the idea of hair loss in the shower (or anywhere else). While this is common, you may actually have nothing to worry about. The truth is that some of the hair loss in the shower is completely normal (specifically how much, we will touch on soon). However, if it seems like you are losing too much hair and balls of hair between your soapy fingers have become your new standard, it might be time to pay more attention to your strands and consult our doctors.
Number of Hairs
Hair falls out each day as a part of the body’s natural renewal process. Our doctor notes that it is normal for a person to lose approximately 50-100 hairs per day. Every hair follicle goes through a cycle that contains a growth phase (anagen) and a resting phase (telogen) before the hair falls out. This process repeats as long as the hair follicle remains active and maintains to produce new hair.
Most healthy people have between 80,000 and 150,000 hairs on their heads. A study done in 2017 says that up to 8% of hair follicles are in the resting phase at any given time, which means they are ready for the strand to fall out.
A person with shorter hair might not realize the significant loss, but those with long hair can see their hair in the shower drain or on hairbrushes and dresses. People who comb their hair may also lose more of their hair. According to one research from 2018, around 48% of women experience extreme hair loss while styling their hair. The authors of a more recent study from 2019 state that 50% of women experience excessive hair loss when washing their hair. Chemical dyes, heated curlers and straighteners, and unnecessary hair brushing can lead to more hair loss or damage in the hair.
Hair Falling Out While Brushing or Washing
Several people who give shape their hair by using a hairbrush might worry when they notice all the remaining hairs in the brush. Nevertheless, brushing the hair usually only removes and gets the hairs that have previously fallen from their follicles that day. Although this can be disturbing to see all at once in the hairbrush, it is common in small amounts.
In some situations, extreme brushing can give rise to other issues in the hair, like breaks. Vigorous brushing can also break or snap the hairs. A person regarding shorter or broken hairs in their brush might hope to have a conversation with a doctor about more natural hair care alternatives or ways to regrow the hair.
Washing the hair also collects several of the hairs that have already separated from the head. Some chemical ingredients in shampoos may be harmful and cause breakage or make worse hair loss. Anyone who notices a rise in how much hair they wash out in the shower may wish to prevent using the product and decide on a gentler formula. If the increase is obvious, it might be best to consult our doctor or dermatologist.
The Common Causes
The hair loss problem you are experiencing bothers you and you want to find out the reasons for this problem, right? There are many reasons for this problem. Let’s take a closer look at these reasons.
Surgery or Illness
If you lately experienced a significant operation or are recovering from a serious disease, hair loss is natural. Many people encounter traumatic levels of hair loss some weeks after a significant operation or after a disease. While the level of hair loss might seem extreme, it’s certainly no more than a reaction to a particular event and hair will turn to normal after a couple of weeks.
Medications
Some anticoagulants and many chemotherapy medicines used in cancer treatments are famous for creating hair loss. Hair normally returns once the treatment stops. Some anti-depressants also might create hair loss and taking excessive levels of Vitamin A can have the same effect.
Hormonal Imbalances
Testosterone is a hormone that’s accountable for deeper voices, muscular growth, and sex drive, among alternative things. Once your body converts testosterone to the less helpful dihydrotestosterone (DHT), you’ll have experience hair loss. DHT attacks and shrinks hair follicles and can lead to hair weakening or hair loss.
Thyroid problems
Patients with hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism typically experience hair loss because of a dashing up of the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Even people that are undergoing thyroid treatment don’t seem to be immune from the hair loss related to their condition.
Stress
If you’ve been under a lot of stress at work or home, you may be able to blame your hair loss on anxiety. Extreme physical or emotional stress may cause hair to stop growing commonly, falling out three or four months later. Fortunately, hair loss because of anxiety is generally not lasting.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is an immune system condition that is also exacerbated by stress. It makes hair drop out in round patches on the scalp and elsewhere else on the body because of your immune system attacking hair follicles. About 4% of people with alopecia can lose hair on their whole scalp. Generally, hair comes back, however, it’s normal for hair loss to reoccur.
Other Reasons
Some fungal infections can all end in hair loss. Losing your hair can also signal some underlying problem like diabetes or lupus. because it isn’t always possible to assess the reason behind rapid or excessive hair loss, it’s always worth seeking medical advice to diagnose the reason for your hair loss.
Summary
Normally, people lose about 50–100 hairs every day, and this number can increase naturally because of the person’s age. A stressful situation or acute illness can cause someone to shed more hair than normal. In most situations, hair loss returns to its normal rate within a couple of months.
Anyone who realizes that they’re losing far more hair than they should see their doctor understand the underlying cause.