Shedding or hair loss? How to tell the difference

Most people lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing.¹² Those hairs have reached the end of their resting phase and are being replaced by new ones.³

Shedding and loss are not the same thing

The American Academy of Dermatology separates two ideas. Excessive shedding, called telogen effluvium, means more hair than usual is falling out, often a few months after a stressful event. Hair loss, called anagen effluvium, happens when something stops the hair from growing.²

According to the AAD, causes of hair loss include hereditary hair loss, an overreacting immune system, some drugs and treatments, hairstyles that pull on the hair, and harsh hair-care products.²

Excessive shedding often settles

DermNet notes that in most cases of telogen effluvium, hair fall lessens and returns to normal over 6 to 9 months, although recovery can be incomplete for some people.³

Some types are temporary, some are not

The NHS describes male and female pattern baldness as permanent and usually running in families. Other hair loss can be temporary, for example after an illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss or iron deficiency.¹

When to talk to a doctor

The NHS advises seeing a GP if you are worried about your hair loss, and getting an idea of what is causing it before going to a commercial hair clinic.¹

Educational content. Not medical advice.