Hair Length - An Important Factor When Assessing Hair Loss

Length of hair can be very important in assessing excessive loss. The longer your hair, the more you will see when it falls out because there is more of it in bulk. For instance, if your hair is six inches long and twenty hairs fall out, the quantity lost will seem greater than fifty hairs that are only one inch long. That doesn't mean that you are losing more hair.

It is important, therefore, to look at the number of hairs that have fallen out, not the bulk quantity in your hand. The only time that the bulk quantity is relevant is if your hair length has more or less stayed the same and you are seeing more in your hand.

Is My Hair Loss Just Breakage?

Seeing more hair coming out can often be due to breakage from changing your styling technique, being careless when brushing or combing, or the result of a bad chemical process. Also, if your hair is thinning, those finer, thinner hairs can be more susceptible to breakage. One way to tell whether the hair is breaking or falling from the root is to look at the root end of the fiber. If you see a "bulb," then it has probably come from the root; if not, then it may well be breakage. If the hair has already fallen and you are unsure which is the root end, gently move your fingers down the strand of hair. One way will feel smooth, the other will feel rough. The root should be toward the rougher end.

You can also sometimes tell whether the hair is breaking by looking at your scalp. If you see lots of stubble, then it may be breakage. Although breakage is not hair loss per se, it can still cause thinning and be very worrisome.

Is Washing the Only Time to Look for Excessive Hair Loss?

You can also see excessive hair loss during different styling processes, such as in the comb or brush, or even on the pillow in the morning. Some people see hair everywhere — on their shoulders, on the kitchen or bathroom floor, even on their spouses' clothes. Although you may see one hundred hairs when you wash, you probably lose about 20 percent more (one hundred twenty total) during the day. This is due to hair styling or just the result of gravity.

Could My Hair Loss Just Be Seasonal?

Unlike most animals with hair, humans do not have seasonal molting, although some people do seem to experience more hair loss at certain times of the year. We don't molt because most of our hair follicles have independent cycles from their neighboring follicles. One hair on your head could be in its growing phase, while the hair next door could be in its resting phase. Therefore, if you see more hair fall in the autumn, you need to ask yourself, "Do I have extra hair loss at this time most years?" If the answer is yes, then you may have seasonal hair loss; if the answer is no, you should perhaps consider seeing a specialist.

Is Your Hair Loss Excessive?

How Many Hairs Do I Have on My Head?

We are born with all of our hair follicles; none are produced after birth. The follicles are usually found in groups of two to four hairs that are spaced at intervals. The average person has approximately 80,000 to 150,000 hairs on his or her head, depending on hair type and natural hair color (overall, the average is 100,000). If you have blonde hair, you tend naturally to have a higher number of hairs on your head because the hair fibers are very fine and more strands per square inch are able to "fit." If you have red hair, you tend naturally to have a lower number of hairs because your individual hair fibers are coarser and allow for fewer hairs per square inch on your scalp.

Fine hairs are usually straight and limp, with little natural body; coarser hairs are usually curlier, with a lot of natural body. Under a microscope, the cross section (looking at the cut end of a hair fiber, straight on) of a fine, straight hair strand is round in shape. The cross section of a medium-textured, wavy hair strand is oval. The cross section of a coarse, curly hair strand is an elliptical shape.

· People with coarse, curly hair usually average about 80,000 hairs.
· People with medium, wavy hair usually average about 100,000 hairs.
· People with fine, straight hair often have 120,000 to 150,000 hairs.


So, What is Average Daily Hair Fall?

The average number of hair that most people should expect to lose each day is between forty and one hundred and twenty hairs. Why the discrepancy? It's mainly because of the difference in the amount of hair people have on their heads, as well as the difference in the length of time the hair remains in its growing phase.

Can Hair Loss Amounts in the Average Range Be Too Much?

Can Hair Loss Amounts in the Average Range Be Too Much?

Hair-loss amounts in the "average" range can sometimes still be excessive. If you count your hair over a few weeks and notice that about an average of ninety hairs fall out, you might decide that this is okay because it fits nicely in the "normal" range. However, if you were only losing, say, forty-five hairs per day when you were washing before, ninety is twice as many hairs as your normal average. This could mean that you have excessive hair loss. Therefore, it is important that you only compare your hair fall with your own history, not with another person's hair history.

Can Hair-Loss Amounts that Are More than the Average Range Be Okay?

Hair-loss amounts higher than the "average" can be normal. If you count ninety hairs as an average and you're only used to seeing forty-five, you would probably become concerned. However, you need to ask yourself, "When did I previously wash my hair?" If you used to wash your hair every day and noticed about forty-five hairs falling out but recently skipped a day or two between washes, then seeing ninety hairs could be normal. The reason for this is that hair loss accumulates; the less often you wash your hair, the more hair fall you see when you do wash it. Therefore, the forty-five hairs that you lost on a daily wash basis will accumulate to ninety if you wash every two days, one hundred thirty-five if you wash every three days, and so on.

Clearly the old wives' tale that says washing your hair makes it fall out more is incorrect! Wash your hair as often as you want. Any hair that comes out has already been released by the follicle and so is ready to fall. By not washing your hair, you allow this normal hair amount to build up. Therefore, when you do wash it, it looks like more is falling out, making you needlessly worried about losing hair.

For How Long Does My Hair Grow?

The hair cycle consists of many phases. The growing phase (called anagen) is the most relevant time to ascertain hair length. This phase of the hair cycle lasts for about one thousand days (three years). The hair grows at an average speed of a half inch per month (or six inches per year); therefore, the average length an individual hair strand grows is approximately eighteen inches. Some people's growing phases are much longer (more than five years), and some are much shorter (less than two years). This means that some people can grow their hair down to their feet, while others cannot grow it beyond their shoulders.

Why Is There Such a Large Difference between the Amounts of Hair a Person Should Lose Every Day?

Although the average amount of hair on a person's head is approximately 100,000 strands, not everyone has exactly this amount. Moreover, not everyone's hair cycle is three years. For instance, the small percentage of people who can grow their hair down to their feet may have a five- to ten-year hair cycle! Some people only have a two-year cycle, so they are unable to grow their hair beyond their shoulders. This explains that different people can and will have vastly different normal hair fall amounts. Also, remember that forty to one hundred twenty hairs are only an average. Some people will naturally see more than one hundred twenty hairs fall out, while others will see fewer than forty. In addition, if your average is one hundred, you will not lose one hundred hairs every day. Some days you may find very few hairs; other days you may find lots more hair. So don't panic if you see more hairs coming out, as long as you see less on other days.

Hair Thinning & Hair Shedding

Thinning hair is often, but not always, the result of excessive hair shedding. For example, Barbara, a thirty-three-year-old music store manager, was astonished to see the back of her head in a mirror at a local restaurant. "I first noticed my hair loss when I was sitting in a restaurant. It was raining, so I got drenched on the way; and I saw my scalp in one of the mirrors. It was very upsetting for me."

While waiting for her friends to arrive, she noticed that she could see through her hair, right down to the crown of her scalp. Usually her hair was carefully blow-dried and styled, but due to the rain, her wet hair hung limp and exposed the thinning area.

It was a shock for Barbara because she hadn't noticed any of the common warning signs, such as excessive hair shedding, before she saw that her hair had thinned. Although her hair had likely been thinning for some time before she noticed, the lack of excessive hair in the brush kept it from her attention. How many of us have had similar experiences?

Hair loss - should you worry?

"When I started to lose my hair, I took a few of my best friends into my confidence. They just brushed it off and said 'It doesn't look like you're losing hair, so don't worry.'" — Nigel, twenty-eight-year-old registered nurse.

"My husband looks at my hair and can't understand why I'm so worried. He says that it looks the same to him and that he wishes he had half of what I have!" — Monica, thirty-five-year-old housewife.

Is Nigel really losing his hair, or are his friends correct? Is Monica's husband right to not take her concerns seriously? How do you know whether your hair is falling out excessively or whether it's normal and nothing to worry about?

Most people at some time in their lives notice more hair in the sink, on the pillow, or in the comb. If this happens to you, should you worry? Is this the first sign of hair loss? Does it mean that you are going bald?

Usually, most people quickly become aware of their own hair loss; they see more hair shedding or they see more of their scalp or both. Hair shedding is the amount of hair that falls out during your normal daily lifestyle, such as by combing, brushing, or washing your hair. Hair thinning is less hair density in a particular area of the scalp, such as a wider parting or a receding hairline. Although hair thinning can occur without any obvious excessive hair shedding, it most often occurs if your hair sheds excessively for a long period of time. For instance, Mike, a twenty-three-year-old construction worker, first noticed hair on his pillow. His shower didn't have a "catch" so he never saw loss while washing his hair. At first he thought nothing of it, but then he started seeing hair all over the place—on the bathroom floor and even in his food! Within a few weeks he noticed that his hair had thinned in the front and had receded a little at his temples.

So, back to the original question - should you worry? Over the next month or so I'm going to be exploring various aspects of hair loss and will let you make up your own mind. Stay tuned!