How many hairs do we lose per day? When should we actually worry?

Here’s something that might surprise you: losing between 100 and 150 hairs daily is completely normal. Yes, really. With roughly 100,000 follicles on your scalp, this represents less than 0.15% of your total hair. It’s an almost invisible but necessary renewal process that’s been happening since you were born.

But when does normal shedding cross the line into something you should actually be concerned about? And how can you tell the difference between your hair’s natural cycle and the early signs of alopecia? That’s exactly what we’re going to unpack here.

Understanding your hair cycle

To make sense of why this daily shedding is not only normal but actually healthy, you need to understand how your hair follicles work. Each follicle on your head follows its own independent rhythm, think of it like an orchestra where every musician plays at their own tempo.

Four phases of hair growth

Anagen phase (active growth)

This is when your hair is doing its thing. For anywhere between 2 and 6 years, each hair grows roughly 0.35 mm per day, about one centimetre a month. At any moment, 85 to 90% of your hair is in this active growth phase, which is why you maintain decent density despite losing hair every day.

How long this phase lasts determines your maximum hair length. Someone blessed with a 6-year anagen phase can grow hair down to 70 centimetres, whilst a 2-year phase caps you at around 25 centimetres. Genetics, essentially.

Catagen phase (transition)

After years of hard work, your follicle takes a brief pause. This transition lasts just a few weeks. The follicle shrinks down to about one-sixth of its usual diameter, and that’s when the “club hair” forms, that little white bulb you sometimes see at the root of a fallen hair.

Less than 1% of your hair is in this phase at any time. It’s so quick you’d never notice it happening.

Telogen phase (resting)

Your follicle basically takes a three to four-month nap. The hair stops growing but stays put, firmly rooted. About 9 to 15% of your hair is having this rest at any given time, just sitting there quietly whilst new hair prepares to grow underneath.

Exogenous phase (shedding)

This is the grand finale. New hair pushes up from below, and the old hair gets shoved out. That’s what ends up in your shower drain or tangled in your brush. Not a disaster, just biology doing its job.

The maths behind it all

Here’s a quick calculation. You’ve got roughly 100,000 hairs. About 15% are in telogen (resting), which gives you 15,000 hairs ready to fall out over roughly 100 days. Divide 15,000 by 100, and you get 150 hairs per day. Makes sense when you break it down like that, doesn’t it?

Dermatologists talk about the anagen/telogen ratio, between 14:1 and 12:1 in healthy hair. Translation? For every hair that’s resting, you’ve got 12 to 14 actively growing. That’s what keeps your hair looking full.

Why autumn feels worse

Ever noticed more hair falling out in the autumn? You’re not imagining things. Several studies have confirmed a perfectly normal seasonal pattern, with a peak in shedding from late summer through to autumn.

The proportion of telogen hairs increases naturally during summer months. One study looking at over 800 healthy women found this seasonality affected nearly everyone, with some people even experiencing a smaller second peak in spring. It’s thought to be an evolutionary hangover, though we’re not entirely sure why it persists.

Normal shedding versus actual hair loss

Right, this is where it gets practical. How do you tell the difference between healthy hair turnover and the start of alopecia? The signs are more specific than you might think.

What normal hair loss looks like

The quantity stays consistent

Between 100 and 150 hairs daily is your baseline. On wash days, this might jump to 200, water and massage loosen hairs that were already on their way out. The key is that it’s distributed evenly across your whole scalp

Your overall density should stay stable. Compare photos from six months ago, you shouldn’t see much difference.

The appearance of shed hairs

Naturally shed hairs have a small white club-shaped bulb at the root. That’s the telogen hair that’s completed its cycle normally. These hairs vary in length and look healthy, normal thickness, not wispy or thin.

Try the finger test: gently run your fingers through your hair. You shouldn’t pull out more than 2 to 5 hairs with each pass. If that’s all you’re getting, you’re fine.

Warning signs that something’s wrong

Androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness)

This is the most common type of pathological hair loss. The numbers are sobering: up to 80% of men by age 80, 50% by age 50. Women aren’t immune either, over half experience some degree of thinning after menopause, and it can start as early as puberty.

The culprit? Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It causes progressive miniaturisation of your follicles, imagine a mature oak tree slowly shrinking into a bonsai. The anagen phase, which should last years, gradually shortens to just months. Hair becomes finer, shorter, and eventually turns into barely visible vellus hair (peach fuzz).

The anagen/telogen ratio collapses. From a healthy 14:1, it can plummet to 3:1 or worse. Daily shedding shoots well past 150 hairs, and importantly, what grows back is progressively weaker.

The pattern matters

In men: typically starts at the temples and crown (vertex). These areas thin out whilst the back and sides stay relatively full, that’s why those areas work as donor sites for transplants.

In women: usually diffuse thinning across the top of the scalp, with the frontal hairline generally staying intact. It’s often subtler but no less distressing.

Telogen effluvium (reactive hair loss)

This is the most common cause of sudden, diffuse shedding in women. Think of it as a hair shock, triggered 3 to 4 months after significant stress to your system. Instead of the usual 9 to 15% of follicles in telogen, over 25% suddenly switch off. Hair loss can hit several hundred hairs daily.

What triggers it? A study of 100 patients pinpointed the usual suspects: high fever (33% of cases), intense psychological stress (30%), and systemic illness (23%). But the list extends to:

• Postpartum (two to three months after birth, when oestrogen crashes)
• Rapid weight loss or crash dieting
• Major surgery or general anaesthesia
• Nutritional deficiencies (particularly iron, zinc, and protein)
• Thyroid problems
• Certain medications (anticoagulants, beta-blockers, chemotherapy)

The silver lining? Telogen effluvium is usually reversible. Once you address the underlying cause, hair typically regrows within 6 to 12 months. Unlike androgenetic alopecia, the follicles aren’t permanently damaged.

How dermatologists diagnose it

Pull test

A dermatologist gently tugs on 50 to 60 hairs across different areas of your scalp. If more than 10% come away easily, it suggests active telogen effluvium. Simple, quick, and surprisingly accurate.

Dermoscopy

This magnifies your scalp so we can see what’s happening at follicle level. Androgenetic alopecia shows up as follicular miniaturisation, hairs of wildly varying diameters in the same area, proving some follicles are shrinking.

Scalp biopsy (rarely needed)

If the diagnosis is still unclear, a tiny biopsy lets us count exactly how many follicles are in telogen. More than 25% confirms telogen effluvium. But honestly, we rarely need to go this far.

What actually influences your hair loss

Understanding what affects your hair cycle means you can take sensible action rather than panicking. Here’s what actually matters.

Hormones

Testosterone converts into DHT, which is public enemy number one for genetically sensitive follicles. It’s the driving force behind androgenetic alopecia.

Oestrogen, on the other hand, protects your hair. During pregnancy, when oestrogen levels soar, many women have the best hair of their lives, thick, shiny, barely any shedding.

But after birth? Oestrogen plummets, and all those hairs that should have fallen out gradually over nine months suddenly go at once. It’s dramatic, it’s alarming, but it’s temporary.

Nutrition

Your hair follicles are among the fastest-dividing cells in your body, which means they’re metabolically demanding.

Iron: Essential for DNA synthesis in follicle cells. Even mild iron deficiency, before you’re actually anaemic, can trigger telogen effluvium. Women with heavy periods are particularly vulnerable.

Protein: Your hair is made of keratin, which needs amino acids (especially cysteine). Chronically low protein intake slows production and can accelerate shedding.

B vitamins: Critical for follicular energy metabolism. Without adequate B vitamins, your follicles simply slow down.

Zinc and selenium: Involved in numerous follicular functions. Deficiencies are uncommon but can cause significant hair loss when they occur.

Inflammation and oxidative stress

Recent research shows chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can disrupt the hair cycle. Pro-inflammatory cytokines push follicles prematurely from anagen into telogen, shortening the growth phase and potentially triggering programmed cell death in follicles.

Psychological stress

Your grandmother was right, stress really can make your hair fall out. Animal studies have confirmed it induces premature catagen phase, creates inflammation around follicles, and disrupts the follicular microenvironment.

Sleep quality matters too. Poor or insufficient sleep appears to promote the shift from anagen to telogen.

Protective factors

Not everything’s working against you:

• Increased blood flow to the scalp (regular exercise helps)
• Direct follicle stimulation (scalp massage)
• Growth factors (naturally present in PRP treatments)
• Balanced, adequate nutrition
• Effective stress management

When you should actually see someone

Here are the situations that warrant a proper consultation, rather than just anxious googling.

Clear warning signs

Persistent excessive shedding

If you’re clearly losing more than 150 hairs daily for over three months, book an appointment. You can count accurately by collecting every hair you lose in a day (from waking to bedtime), or do the white pillowcase test for several nights.

Positive pull test

Run your fingers through your hair. If more than 5 or 6 hairs come away easily each time, something’s not right.

Visible thinning

Bald patches appearing? Temples receding? Parting getting wider? More scalp visible than before? Don’t wait, earlier intervention gives better results.

Progressive miniaturisation

Noticing more fine, wispy hairs (almost like baby hair) especially at your temples or crown? That’s a hallmark of early androgenetic alopecia.

Associated symptoms that matter

Hair loss plus chronic fatigue can signal iron deficiency or thyroid problems. Unexplained weight changes, skin changes (dryness, brittle nails), or menstrual irregularities in women all warrant a full assessment.

Why early diagnosis matters

Here’s a sobering statistic: 60% of women who see a dermatologist for “just” increased shedding, before they’ve even noticed visible thinning, already show follicular miniaturisation on biopsy.

In other words, the damage has already started before you can see it. The earlier you catch it, the more hair you can save. Once follicles are completely miniaturised, reversing the process becomes much harder.

Typical investigations

When you present with excessive hair loss, expect these tests:

• Full blood count (to check for anaemia)
• Serum ferritin (iron stores, more revealing than serum iron)
• TSH (thyroid function)
• Vitamins B12 and D
• Serum zinc if deficiency is suspected
• Hormonal profile for women with signs of hyperandrogenism

What can actually be done

Once you’ve got a proper diagnosis, several evidence-based options are available depending on what’s causing your hair loss.

For telogen effluvium

Address the root cause

This is paramount. Iron deficient? Correct it. Thyroid off? Balance it. Chronic stress? Implement proper management strategies. Medication-induced? Explore alternatives with your GP.

Targeted supplementation

Formulas combining hydrolysed collagen (around 8 grams), sulphur-containing amino acids (L-cystine, L-methionine), B vitamins, and minerals (iron, zinc, selenium) have shown promising results. A multicentre study found significant improvement within the first three months of supplementation.

PRP (platelet-rich plasma)

This treatment stimulates follicles to shift from telogen back into anagen. The growth factors in plasma activate growth and improve follicular survival. Several sessions spaced a few weeks apart typically yield good results.

Prognosis

Telogen effluvium is usually completely reversible. Most patients regain their original density within 6 to 12 months once the trigger is removed.

For androgenetic alopecia

Medical treatments

Topical minoxidil and oral finasteride (in men) are the scientifically validated gold standards. They stabilise hair loss and sometimes produce partial regrowth, but they require continuous use.

PRP

Multiple studies show measurable improvements in hair density and thickness. PRP contains growth factors (VEGF, PDGF, TGF) that stimulate miniaturised follicles and extend the anagen phase.

Regenera Activa mesotherapy

This uses your own follicular stem cells to regenerate thinning areas. Results for hair density and quality have been encouraging.

Low-level laser therapy

Stimulates follicular metabolic activity and promotes the shift to anagen phase.

Hair transplantation: the permanent option

When miniaturisation is advanced and medical treatments aren’t enough, follicular unit transplantation becomes the definitive answer.

Why it works

Hair from the donor area (back and sides of your head) is genetically programmed to resist DHT. Once transplanted to balding areas, it keeps that resistance. It’s essentially moving DHT-proof soldiers to the front line.

Modern techniques

Sapphire FUE: Individual follicular units are extracted and implanted using sapphire blades, which create ultra-precise incisions. This precision minimises scarring, optimises implantation angles, and improves graft survival. Clinical studies report success rates exceeding 95%.

DHI (Direct Hair Implantation): The Choi pen allows millimetre-precise control over angle, direction, and depth. Particularly effective when maximum density is the goal. No pre-made incisions needed, which reduces tissue trauma.

Classic FUE: The established motorised punch technique remains excellent for extensive cases requiring large numbers of grafts.

Dr Emrah Cinik’s approach

With over 20 years in hair restoration and several thousand procedures behind him, Dr Cinik’s approach goes beyond technical execution.

Thorough analysis

Every consultation starts with detailed evaluation: degree of follicular miniaturisation, identification of causes (androgenetic alopecia, effluvium, or both), donor area quality, and realistic expectations. This determines the most suitable treatment plan.

Combined treatments

Often the best outcomes come from combining approaches:

• Hair transplantation to permanently restore balding areas
• Post-operative PRP (included in all packages) to optimise graft survival and stimulate existing follicles
• Medical protocol to protect non-transplanted hair
• Regenera Activa mesotherapy available to enhance results

Long-term follow-up

Following ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) standards, ongoing follow-up allows fine-tuning based on your individual response. Some patients respond better to certain protocols than others, the goal is finding what works for you.

A final word

Losing 100 to 150 hairs a day is perfectly normal, it’s the price of constant renewal. Your scalp functions like a forest where old trees fall whilst new ones grow.

The real question isn’t “Am I losing hair?” but rather “Is it growing back normally?” and “Am I seeing progressive thinning?”

If you’re worried, don’t sit at home anxious. A consultation can quickly distinguish between a normal growth cycle (even if the shedding seems excessive) and early alopecia that needs treatment.

The earlier you act, the more options you have. Miniaturised follicles can still respond to treatment. Follicles that have completely disappeared can only be replaced through transplantation.

A free, personalised consultation allows you to:

• Determine whether your hair loss is normal or pathological
• Identify the precise causes
• Develop an action plan suited to your situation
• Get clear answers to your questions, with no pressure

Your hair deserves proper care. And you deserve clear, science-based answers, no drama, no false promises. For a hair transplant in Turkey, Dr Cinik offers world-renowned expertise and natural results.

Références scientifiques

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