How Much Hair Do You Lose in the Shower on Average?
If you have long or thick hair, you’ve certainly noticed hairs floating about your shower drain from time to time. Perhaps your partner has complained that your hair strands are all over them as well.
It’s perfectly common to find clumps of hair in the shower or on your hairbrush.
The average person loses 50 to 100 hairs a day, depending on the length and thickness of their hair, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Working with long or thick hair can result in 150 to 200 strands being shed. If you wash your hair more frequently than once a week, the cost can rapidly add up. While the majority of shedding occurs in the shower, the Cleveland Clinic also notes that combing your hair afterward is a common cause of extra hair loss.
Returning to your shower and counting each hair separately is naturally tough.
So, before you get too worked up about shower-related hair loss, think about the following:
The thickness of your hair. The quantity of hairs in thick hair is usually higher. Because you have more hair, you may lose more hair proportionally.
When was the last time you took a shower?
Hair often falls out in the shower because shampooing or conditioning your hair stimulates your scalp. Shampooing gives your hairs that were already on their way out the nudge they need, and your hair falls out. If you haven’t had a shower in a few days, you may see additional hairs falling out.
When was the last time you brushed your hair properly? This works in a similar way to how you shower. The two events where you’re most likely to notice hair loss are combing and brushing your hair, as well as showering.
The shower is usually where you notice the most hair coming out. While it may appear that you have a lot of hair, it’s most likely just your body’s natural shedding process.
Does it matter how often you shower?
There’s some controversy about whether taking fewer showers can help you shed less hair.
Taking fewer showers could prevent hair loss if you’re using super-hot water or irritating hair products in the shower. However, waiting longer between showers to prevent hair loss may result in you noticing more hairs in the shower.
The hairs that do come out naturally will do so no matter what, and because they’ve had a few days to build up, it may appear that there’s a lot more shedding than there is.
