Every normal human being experiences some hair loss every day. We often notice hair falling while shampooing in the shower. Afterward, hair might be seen in the shower drain. Hair loss is also noticeable when toweling off or combing. Many people find hair on their pillow after waking up. Seeing hair loss in so many places can naturally make anyone nervous. The good news is that shedding some hair every day is normal; it’s part of the natural life cycle of hair. So now the question is, how much hair loss per day is normal?
We have 80,000 to 120,000 hairs on our heads. Each hair is in some stage of its two to five-year life cycle. Each hair grows and eventually falls out. These are the dead hairs that fall out every day. Additionally, factors like nutritional deficiency, illness, and a poor lifestyle, etc can cause hair to fall out for various reasons. Over time, hair usually regrows.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it is normal to lose 50-100 hairs per day. If this amount of hair falls and regrows daily, there is no reason to worry. You will not notice any change in your natural hair, meaning you won’t experience thinning hair or balding. It is actually a sign of good hair health because the natural life cycle of your hair is functioning properly.
The Life Cycle of Hair
Our hair life cycle has four phases, described below:
Anagen Phase
The phase in which our hair actually grows is called the anagen phase. This is also known as the ‘growth phase’ or ‘active phase’ of hair. During this stage, hair grows about half an inch per month, growing faster in summer than in winter. This phase of the hair growth cycle lasts an average of 3-5 years but can last up to 7 years in people of Asian descent. About 90 percent of all hair is in the anagen phase at any given time.
Catagen or Transition Phase
After the anagen phase ends, the catagen phase begins. At this stage, the blood supply to the hair follicles is cut off, the follicles shrink, and hair growth stops. Hair also separates from the follicle. Around 3-5 percent of all scalp hair is in the catagen phase at any given time. The average duration of this phase is 10 days.
Telogen Phase or Resting Phase
The third phase of the natural hair growth cycle is the telogen phase. At this stage, the hair strands remain in their follicles but do not grow or fall out. This is why it is also called the resting phase of hair. It is estimated that 10-15% of all hair is in the telogen phase at any given time. This stage lasts for about three months to 100 days.
Exogen Phase
The exogen phase is essentially a part of the telogen phase. At this stage, resting hair falls from the scalp. It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day during this process. After the old hair falls out, the follicle will grow new hair again. That means the hair life cycle will start its process anew.
Shedding 50-100 hairs per day is not a problem but a part of the natural life cycle of hair. However, if you are losing more than this amount and the hair does not regrow after shedding, you may have a hair loss problem. You need to take the necessary measures to prevent this type of hair loss.