Have you ever pulled out a handful of strands while shampooing your hair and wondered, "How much hair loss is normal?" Everyone sheds some hair every day, but if your shedding is excessive, it could be a sign of a medical problem. Read on to learn how much hair loss is normal.



What's Normal?
The typical amount of hair people shed each day might be larger than you think. It's perfectly fine to lose up to 100 strands of hair every day. The average person loses 50 to 100 strands daily.

Each strand of hair has a life cycle. It spends most of this life cycle in the growing phase, but at the end of the cycle, it enters a resting phase. The hair is shed at the end of the resting phase. At any given time, about 10 percent of your hair is in the resting phase, about to shed and make space for new growth.

What's Too Much?
If you lose more than 100 strands of hair per day, you may be experiencing excessive hair loss. If you're wondering how much hair loss is normal and whether your level of shedding compares, try this test. Grab a section of about 60 strands of hair. Run your fingers through the hair with a bit of a tugging motion. Count how many hairs came loose as you did that. Up to 8 is normal, but 15 or more is a cause for concern.

What Can Cause It?
Excessive shedding is often short-term. It can be the result of some sort of stress on your body and can last for weeks after the stress has resolved. For example, illness, a crash diet or a big work project can have you losing excess hair for months to come. Usually, the increased shedding will resolve on its own within six to eight weeks. Shedding after childbirth lasts even longer.

Sometimes, however, excessive hair shedding is related to a deeper problem. It can be a sign of vitamin deficiency. For example, your body could be in need of more vitamin B12, vitamin D or iron. Excessive hair loss could also be a sign of a thyroid condition. Chronic stress is another contributor to abnormal levels of shedding.

What Should I Do?
If you notice that more hair than usual seems to be going down the shower drain, give yourself three months to see if the problem resolves on its own. If it continues past then, it's time to call a professional. Visit a dermatologist to ask how much hair loss is normal and whether your current rate of shedding could be a sign of a problem.

In the meantime, do what you can to prevent breakage, which will exacerbate the problem. Style your hair gently and use a fortifying hair mask such as Redken Extreme Mega Mask, $29.