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.