Fact or Fiction: 50 - 100 hairs lost per day is normal?

[Indigo's Hair]

The American Association of Dermatology (AAD) says that losing 50-100 hairs per day is NOT a cause for alarm; however, I become concerned when I see ANY hair in my comb or sink. I have limited when I comb my hair (only in the shower) and the number of times I comb my hair (only on wash days) out of concern for ANY hair loss.

ETA: I do not brush my hair at all now.
http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/HairLoss.htm


So, what do you ladies think...is losing 50-100 hairs a day fact or fiction? Is it possible to NOT lose any hair? If you lose 50-100 hairs per day will your hair stay at the same length? Your input on this topic would be helpful.

 

[Guyaneek]

Personally, I think that is too many. Just my opinion though

 

[KiniKakes]

I have no idea. The # sounds awfully high and quite frightful, but i have heard this before..... so i always assumed that it was the norm.

 

[Indigo's Hair]

That is my concern...that it is too high to see length. But, I get concerned when I see any hair loss.

 

[B_Phlyy]

Fiction for me. I've never lost that many hairs in a day, shed or broken off.

 

[silvergirl]

Fact:

considering you have about 140,000 hairs on your head, 50 isnt anything. even in a month it would only be 1000. you wouldnt even notice the lose. (at the rate of 50 hairs per day it would take almost 11 years!!! to lose all your hair, trust me you have nothing to worry about)

also most of the hair you lose would have fallen onto your clothes , the ground, the air, its imposible to count ever single hair thats shed. even if you say you lose no hair i garantee you that some unseen hairs have shed.

 

[camellia]

Fact.

I lose a lot of hair everyday. I don't even comb every day, but when I comb on days that I wash my hair I have a huge handful about the size of a guinea pig.


They are all long shed hairs with the little bulb attached so I know my hair is not breaking off, it just sheds. It's normal for me. I've been shedding like this for years and I'm not bald yet.

 

[CAPlush]

Not everyone has the same # of hairs on their heads or shed at the same rate, but if you are losing this many hairs and can't seem to gain any length, then something is wrong. If you are still gaining length and maintaining thickness, then you're ok.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

(kinda ot) The true question is whether people who claim to lose 7 or 5 hairs per day is telling fact or fiction!

Or people who use a product and claim it only made them lose 5 hair throughout the entire washing process. I challenge them to get a hair catcher for their tub drains-that thing doesn't lie. I was once fooled thinking I lose about 20 hairs in the washing process, but then swiftly found out I lose a lot of hair down the drain, my maintainence crew confirmed this once my tub stopped up.

Anyways, I see so many posts talking about how they lose 5 and 6 and 2 strands per day and I don't know if that 50-100 strands a day is normal but what I can tell you is that losing less than 10 strands a day is NOT normal. There is no way that you can achieve this. I understand the intention of these posts are to show how happy you are with a product but in turn the people who lose TRUE shedding (that is healthy) are looking at their shedding like something is wrong. I don't have no problem with shouting about a product but we have to be realistic. I would much rather believe someone who says they lose 50 hairs than 5.

 

[gimbap]

Fact:

considering you have about 140,000 hairs on your head, 50 isnt anything. even in a month it would only be 1000. you wouldnt even notice the lose. (at the rate of 50 hairs per day it would take almost 11 years!!! to lose all your hair, trust me you have nothing to worry about)

also most of the hair you lose would have fallen onto your clothes , the ground, the air, its imposible to count ever single hair thats shed. even if you say you lose no hair i garantee you that some unseen hairs have shed.

What she said.

 

[RainbowCurls]

Fact. Or there would be no terminal length.

 

[sareca]

Fact. Or there would be no terminal length.

IA. I also don't assume I see every hair that falls off my head. Hair sheds all day not just in the morning, at night, or when you're watching. Unless you're in forensics you'll never see them all. Don't believe me? Go sweep your bathroom floor. :wink2:

 

[sareca]

(kinda ot) The true question is whether people who claim to lose 7 or 5 hairs per day is telling fact or fiction!

Or people who use a product and claim it only made them lose 5 hair throughout the entire washing process. I challenge them to get a hair catcher for their tub drains-that thing doesn't lie. I was once fooled thinking I lose about 20 hairs in the washing process, but then swiftly found out I lose a lot of hair down the drain, my maintainence crew confirmed this once my tub stopped up.

Anyways, I see so many posts talking about how they lose 5 and 6 and 2 strands per day and I don't know if that 50-100 strands a day is normal but what I can tell you is that losing less than 10 strands a day is NOT normal. There is no way that you can achieve this. I understand the intention of these posts are to show how happy you are with a product but in turn the people who lose TRUE shedding (that is healthy) are looking at their shedding like something is wrong. I don't have no problem with shouting about a product but we have to be realistic. I would much rather believe someone who says they lose 50 hairs than 5.

I assume they are being truthful. Maybe they normally lose 25 while detangling or combing. If, all of a sudden, they saw only 5 that's still an improvement -- even if it isn't the grand total for the day. Ya know?

Pre-LCHF I lost too many strands to count. Now an average detangling session is easy to count. Does that mean I only lose 10 the entire day now? No way! But maybe it's down to 50 strands/day.

 

[GoldenBreeze]

Fact! Since people have between 70 - 140k strands and each strand only has 2 - 4 yrs of active growth before resting and then falling out to allow the process to start again, it seems very reasonable.

 

[texasgrl]

I voted fiction and heres why: Back when I really was clueless on how to care for my hair I used this 50-100 or 100-200 hair rule as an excuse to why I was losing so much hair when now I know that the real reason is that my hair was severely lacking in moisture and protien. Now I lose 15-20 hair a day TOPS I know cause I count them and search for the bulb oon each and every one ( and I am a bunner). These days if I lost thaty much hair it would be a hair emergency.

 

[camellia]

IA. I also don't assume I see every hair that falls off my head. Hair sheds all day not just in the morning, at night, or when you're watching. Unless you're in forensics you'll never see them all. Don't believe me? Go sweep your bathroom floor. :wink2:

Oh yes!

The crazy places I find shed hairs in my house, in the lint filter of my dryer, on my pillowcases, in the fridge , I sweep them up from all of the floors in my house...

 

[simplycee]

(kinda ot) The true question is whether people who claim to lose 7 or 5 hairs per day is telling fact or fiction!

Or people who use a product and claim it only made them lose 5 hair throughout the entire washing process. I challenge them to get a hair catcher for their tub drains-that thing doesn't lie. I was once fooled thinking I lose about 20 hairs in the washing process, but then swiftly found out I lose a lot of hair down the drain, my maintainence crew confirmed this once my tub stopped up.

Anyways, I see so many posts talking about how they lose 5 and 6 and 2 strands per day and I don't know if that 50-100 strands a day is normal but what I can tell you is that losing less than 10 strands a day is NOT normal. There is no way that you can achieve this. I understand the intention of these posts are to show how happy you are with a product but in turn the people who lose TRUE shedding (that is healthy) are looking at their shedding like something is wrong. I don't have no problem with shouting about a product but we have to be realistic. I would much rather believe someone who says they lose 50 hairs than 5.

ITA with this entire post.
Imagine my shock when I got one of those catcher things for the tub.
I keep a Swifter in the bathrooms just to get up the hair that makes it to the floor. I agree with the 50-100 hairs when I can see they are shed hairs and not broken hairs.

 

[Indigo's Hair]

I agree with Locksofluv too, I get concerned when I read how others have only lost 5 hairs in a day. I feel that I am losing too much hair when I see 10-20 pieces around the bathroom. And, I really don't pick up each piece to see if there is a bulb at the end. My hair grows and my length seems to be coming along but sometimes I wonder if I am experiencing maximum growth because of the hair shedding I see.

 

[Treasure2k6]

I don't mess with my hair as much to notice the daily hair loss. When I do comb it, I don't really see that much hair loss though...I would say around 10-15 strands. Even seeing that freaks me out and kicks me into treatment mode! LOL I can't afford to loose any. Tryn'a hold on to all that I have

 

[Sha76]

I would say total fact. I wear my hair braided back for 2 days and when I finger comb it I get some hair in my hands. ( the only reason I take my ahir down is to get the shedded hair out.)All of which I notice bulbs at the end. I would say it is about 200 strands (here is no way I would sit there and count them)

I think the only time this does not apply is when you are 5 months pregnant and beyond. But it all catches up with you after the birth.

 

[shunta]

Oh yes!

The crazy places I find shed hairs in my house, in the lint filter of my dryer, on my pillowcases, in the fridge , I sweep them up from all of the floors in my house...

Girl, this is me all day to the tee!


BTW, I voted fact.

 

[sweetcashew]

Someone stated before that not everyone loses the same amount of hair every day. I agree. I lose very little amount of strands a day. Maybe 5 tops. And sometimes that's a stretch.
It is possible to lose that little amount. My strands are very long(some of them 27,28 inches) so I would know if I'm shedding these strands cause I'd see them. I don't have any hair in my comb when I comb and I don't have any on my hands when I run my fingers through my hair trying to pull out any hairs that should be shedding.
Then there are times when I see a few strands when I comb(like these pass two weeks) and I know I'm in a shedding phase. That's just how my hair is.
And even at those times when I keep my hair wrapped for 2 days because I'm not leaving the house, when I unwrap sometimes there isn't a single shed hair. So it is possible. At least for me.

 

[lsubabiedee]

Fact.

Just because you don't see them in your comb doesn't mean that you aren't shedding. Ever see how during investigations, they find a hairs from a perp all over the crime scene? Well, I doubt that criminals are detangling while stabbing someone.

 

[sareca]

Fact.

Just because you don't see them in your comb doesn't mean that you aren't shedding. Ever see how during investigations, they find a hairs from a perp all over the crime scene? Well, I doubt that criminals are detangling while stabbing someone.

detangling while stabbing...

 

[Vshanell]

(kinda ot) The true question is whether people who claim to lose 7 or 5 hairs per day is telling fact or fiction!

Or people who use a product and claim it only made them lose 5 hair throughout the entire washing process. I challenge them to get a hair catcher for their tub drains-that thing doesn't lie. I was once fooled thinking I lose about 20 hairs in the washing process, but then swiftly found out I lose a lot of hair down the drain, my maintainence crew confirmed this once my tub stopped up.

Anyways, I see so many posts talking about how they lose 5 and 6 and 2 strands per day and I don't know if that 50-100 strands a day is normal but what I can tell you is that losing less than 10 strands a day is NOT normal. There is no way that you can achieve this. I understand the intention of these posts are to show how happy you are with a product but in turn the people who lose TRUE shedding (that is healthy) are looking at their shedding like something is wrong. I don't have no problem with shouting about a product but we have to be realistic. I would much rather believe someone who says they lose 50 hairs than 5.

I agree with you. I always read people saying they lost 4 or 5 hairs during the washing process and i was like dang, what am I doing wrong. Then I found out most people wash their hair in the shower (I don't do this much, I'm a sink girl) so I knew why they only saw 5 hairs......because the rest were probably getting washed down the drain! When I do wash my hair in the shower I have strands of hair on my shoulders, the shower curtain, the wall, sometimes I find small balls of hair hanging from random places in the shower, lol.....not to mention what goes down the drain.

 

[spelmanlocks]

I voted Fact because I agree that its impossible to see every hair that falls from your head. Even when you take your hair down hair could be falling on the floor and sometimes its not that easy to see especially on carpet.

 

[TemiLnd]

I think that’s a normal amount. I sometimes worry that our love our hair has gotten to the point where we see a few strands in the sink and go mental.
It is perfectly natural and normal to shed. And remember its not all at once is throughout the day. There are so many hairs on your head that you’d never really notice and you aren’t gona go bald.
Don’t worry people, it’s normal!!!

 

[LocksOfLuV]

I assume they are being truthful. Maybe they normally lose 25 while detangling or combing. If, all of a sudden, they saw only 5 that's still an improvement -- even if it isn't the grand total for the day. Ya know?

Pre-LCHF I lost too many strands to count. Now an average detangling session is easy to count. Does that mean I only lose 10 the entire day now? No way! But maybe it's down to 50 strands/day.

I shouldn't have made that post to make it seem like i felt that they were lying, because I didn't mean that. I just think it is very misleading to say I only lost 5 hairs throughout the washing process. Instead, you can say something along the lines of "I lost 5 hairs in the comb while detangling" or something.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Fact.

Just because you don't see them in your comb doesn't mean that you aren't shedding. Ever see how during investigations, they find a hairs from a perp all over the crime scene? Well, I doubt that criminals are detangling while stabbing someone.

Yep, especially if the hair is straightened. Those hairs fall without you even noticing it. They fall while you walk, talk, eat everything.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

I agree with you. I always read people saying they lost 4 or 5 hairs during the washing process and i was like dang, what am I doing wrong. Then I found out most people wash their hair in the shower (I don't do this much, I'm a sink girl) so I knew why they only saw 5 hairs......because the rest were probably getting washed down the drain! When I do wash my hair in the shower I have strands of hair on my shoulders, the shower curtain, the wall, sometimes I find small balls of hair hanging from random places in the shower, lol.....not to mention what goes down the drain.

Yes!! And especially me being a non-comber and weekly washer, I have to remind myself not to go crazy on wash day. A bulk of my hair lost is lost in the shower and on the floor once I detangle out the shower.