Hair Shedding More Than Usual? The Causes May Surprise You

Why Is My Hair Shedding More Than Usual?

Hair doesn’t grow continuously. Each strand moves through different phases of the hair growth cycle, including a growth phase, a resting phase, and eventually a shedding phase.

Sometimes, more hairs than usual enter the shedding phase around the same time. This can make your hair seem noticeably thinner or cause you to see much more hair coming out during washing and brushing.

The tricky part is that the trigger for increased shedding isn’t always something that happened recently. Some causes can affect the hair cycle weeks or even months before you actually notice a change.

Stress Can Trigger Increased Hair Shedding

Significant physical or emotional stress can affect the normal hair growth cycle.

This could include periods of intense stress, major life changes, prolonged lack of sleep, or other situations that place considerable strain on the body.

One reason stress-related shedding can be confusing is the timing. You may experience the stressful event, feel completely fine afterwards, and only notice increased shedding later.

That delay can make it difficult to connect the two.

If you’ve recently been through a particularly stressful period and are now noticing more shedding, the two may be related.

Illness Can Affect Your Hair Cycle

Your body can temporarily prioritise essential functions when it is dealing with illness or physical stress.

A significant illness, high fever, infection, surgery, or difficult recovery can sometimes be followed by increased hair shedding.

As with stress, the shedding may not happen immediately. You might notice more hair coming out after you’ve already recovered, making the connection easy to miss.

In these situations, the increased shedding can be temporary as the hair cycle gradually returns to its usual pattern.

Hormonal Changes May Play a Role

Hormones can influence the hair growth cycle, which means changes in your hormonal environment can sometimes be accompanied by changes in shedding.

Hormonal changes may occur during:

• Starting or stopping hormonal contraception
• Pregnancy and the postpartum period
• Menopause
• Other significant hormonal fluctuations

If your shedding changed around the same time as another noticeable hormonal change, it is worth discussing with a healthcare professional, particularly if the shedding is persistent or accompanied by other symptoms.

Your Diet May Affect Hair Shedding

Your hair needs adequate energy and nutrients to support normal growth. Significant changes in your diet can therefore affect the hair cycle.

Increased shedding may be associated with factors such as:

• Not eating enough overall
• Rapid weight loss
• Very restrictive diets
• Inadequate protein intake
• Certain nutritional deficiencies

This doesn’t mean that every episode of shedding is caused by a vitamin deficiency, or that taking supplements will automatically solve the problem.

If you suspect your diet may be contributing to changes in your hair, it is better to focus on a balanced diet and speak with a healthcare professional about whether testing for a deficiency is appropriate.

Changes to Your Hair Routine Can Make Shedding Look Worse

Sometimes, you’re not necessarily producing more shed hair; you’re simply noticing it more.

For example, if you wash your hair less frequently, the hairs that naturally shed between washes may remain caught within your hair until wash day. This can make the amount in your shower appear surprisingly large all at once.

Your styling and detangling habits can also affect how much hair you see.

If you’re brushing aggressively, pulling through severe tangles, or frequently manipulating your hair, you may also be dealing with breakage alongside natural shedding.

This is why it is important to consider where the hair is coming from and what the strands look like, rather than judging your hair health based solely on the amount in your shower drain.