How much hair loss is considered normal?
It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs every day as part of a healthy growth cycle.
The average scalp contains over 100,000 follicles, each growing hair on its own schedule. At any time, about 10% of your hair is in a resting phase where it naturally sheds to make room for new growth. This process clears away old strands and prevents overcrowding. You may notice more shedding during showers because movement helps loose hairs detach. Unless you see bald patches, daily shedding is just a sign of healthy renewal.
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The human hair growth cycle is divided into three distinct phases: anagen, catagen, and telogen. The anagen phase is the active growth period which lasts between two to seven years and determines the length of the hair. Approximately 85% to 90% of the hair on a healthy scalp is in this stage at any given time.The catagen phase is a short transitional stage lasting about two to three weeks where the hair follicle shrinks and detaches from the dermal papilla. This is followed by the telogen phase, or resting phase, which lasts around three months. During telogen, the old hair remains in the follicle while a new hair begins to grow beneath it, eventually pushing the old one out.According to the American Academy of Dermatology, shedding 50 to 100 hairs daily is considered physiologically normal for an adult with 100,000 to 150,000 scalp follicles. If the percentage of hairs in the telogen phase increases significantly, a condition called telogen effluvium can occur, often triggered by stress or illness. However, for most people, the asynchronous nature of the follicles ensures that hair loss is not noticeable in a single area.Environmental factors and hygiene habits can also influence how many hairs you see at once. For instance, people who wash their hair less frequently may notice a larger volume of hair in the drain because they are clearing multiple days' worth of shed strands at once. This natural recycling process is essential for maintaining the structural integrity and health of the scalp's protective covering.
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FP-0004685 · Feb 19, 2026