Most women have had that gut-wrenching feeling that comes from seeing a large clump of hair in the shower. When the hair starts falling out, no matter how much of it there is, it can be extremely worrying. However, most of the time the hair loss you see is completely normal.
Understanding the hair’s cycle
Everyone’s hair goes through a continual cycle of growth, rest and shedding. Therefore, a certain amount of shedding is normal and occurs frequently. You’ll probably notice each time you wash your hair, a little falls out. This is absolutely normal and nothing to be concerned about.
Now, if you notice you’re starting to lose more hair than normal, it could still be nothing to worry about. Various factors affect the growth cycle of the hair. Stress for example, can cause more of the hair to enter the resting phase at any one time, meaning when it comes time to shed, it will be more noticeable when it falls out.
The amount of hair you lose also varies depending on the season. Late into the summer, you may notice you’re losing more hair than usual. If you’ve recently given birth you could also experience hair loss. Plenty of new mothers lose sometimes excessive amounts of hair due to hormonal changes. All of these are temporary and the hair will grow back.
When isn’t hair loss considered normal?
If you haven’t recently given birth and you haven’t been overly stressed or started taking any new medications, the hair loss may not be normal. If it’s particularly noticeable, the best thing to do is go and see your doctor. They will be able to establish the cause and figure out whether any treatments need to be sought.
It’s entirely normal to freak out when you start noticing hair loss. Just remember that most of the time it’s normal and temporary. Establishing the cause is the first thing you need to do. Only then will you be able to treat the issue and prevent it from becoming worse. Very often changes in the diet can help.
Overall, the good news is that single large clump of hair you noticed is likely a build-up of hair that’s naturally shed during the cycle. Keeping an eye on it and seeking help from your GP if it doesn’t improve will help to establish whether there’s something going on that you need to worry about.
