Finding more strands than usual on your brush or pillow? Before you panic, know this: some hair loss is normal. The tricky part is telling the difference between everyday shedding and true thinning.
What does “normal” look like? And how do we tell the difference between normal shedding and actual thinning?
Hair changes can feel personal and stressful, especially when you don’t know what’s behind them. The reality is, not all hair loss means the same thing. We tapped Alisa Vitti, who focuses on nutrition and women’s hormonal health, to help break it down.
Hair Shedding vs. Thinning
We get it. Hair loss can feel overwhelming, especially when we lump it all into one category. According to Alisa, that’s where most of the confusion starts.
“Shedding is a normal process where we lose up to 100 hairs a day,” she explains. “Thinning is a persistent decrease in root density and overall volume.”
Distinguishing between the two is especially important for women.
“The first is not a cause for concern,” Alisa says. “But thinning can be an indication of hormonal dysregulation or micronutrient depletion or both.”
In other words, hair falling out doesn’t automatically mean something’s wrong. But if less hair grows back or it changes in overall density, your body may be sending you important signals.
Hair loss often shows up (months) later.
Ever notice excessive hair loss when nothing’s happening? Wonder what new thing could’ve possibly triggered it? Well, the answer’s nothing—nothing new, that is.
Believe it or not, hair loss often happens months after a stressful event, illness, or hormonal shift. The body has a built-in delay.
“When the body experiences extreme stress or illness, it redirects energy to essential functions,” Alisa says. “This pushes up to 70% of growing hair into the resting phase. They remain in the scalp for approximately three months before falling out. Because of this delay, women don’t connect it back to the original situation and think something new is triggering the hair fall.”
Stress and hormones impact hair health.
Not to stress you out more, but stress doesn’t just live in your head. It shows up everywhere, including your scalp.
“Chronic stress and anxiety create inflammation that can negatively impact thyroid function and ovarian function, downregulating the production of estrogen and progesterone,” Alisa explains.
And, as research has shown, hormonal changes noticeably affect women’s hair and scalp health and have been linked to problems like itchy scalp and hair loss.
The body may need more support.
So, how do we know when to take hair loss seriously? Alisa suggests looking at patterns instead of isolated moments.
“When your normal daily shedding becomes excessive, you see a widening part, or your hair is not growing at a normal rate—these are signals from your body (biofeedback) that you could use deeper support.
“Hair, skin, and nails don’t exist in isolation. They thrive in a nutrient-abundant and hormonally balanced ecosystem,” Alisa explains.
“If hair changes follow illness, surgery, long-term calorie restriction, heavy or frequent bleeding, thyroid issues, postpartum shifts, or perimenopause, topical fixes alone usually aren’t enough. The solution needs to come from diet and lifestyle changes that address the root causes,” she says.
It’s not you, it’s nature.
If there’s one thing Alisa wants women to understand, it’s that hair loss isn’t a personal failure.
“Most symptoms in the body happen due to dysregulation of our internal biological systems over time,” she says.
“Hair is simply one way your body communicates that something needs attention. Because it’s something we can see, it can help you make essential diet, supplement, and lifestyle changes that benefit the look and health of your hair, as well as your whole body.”
Hair loss doesn’t equal crisis mode (even though it may feel that way). Shedding is just one part of hair’s normal growth cycle.
Here’s what to look for that’s not normal:
- Excessive shedding
- Decrease in overall hair density
- Slower rate of growth
Remember, these patterns usually appear over a few months, not days. If you notice any of these trends, check in with your healthcare provider to address any possible underlying cause.
And for daily scalp and hair health support, the Poosh team loves the LaDuora Duo 4-in-1 Scalp and Hair Care Device for gentle scalp stimulation and red light therapy.
Here’s to happy hair days ahead!
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