Hair Loss for Beginners: How Much Shedding Is Normal?

Hair loss is a concern for many people around the world. While millions are affected by it each year, there are millions more worried whether their genetics will predispose them to lose their hair at an early age. One of the first signs people might start seeing is shedding. Yet, is hair shedding always a sign that you’re headed for balding? Not exactly. Hair shedding comes in different forms, and it’s worth taking a closer look to determine what causes it.

The American Academy of Dermatology states that hair shedding is perfectly normal and that most people lose between 50 to 100 hairs per day. Hair shedding—the average kind—is usually brought on by numerous types of factors:

• Seasonal changes will affect the health of your hair throughout the year.
• Hormones released during pregnancy can cause hair to thin and fall out.
• Severe weight loss and malnutrition can cause hair loss.
• Continued illness or flu both have a severe effect on the nervous and immune systems.
• Increased amounts of stress can lead to the body harming hair cells, leading to hair loss.

The body will readjust to these minor causes of hair shedding, usually within a few weeks’ time. This type of hair shedding is common and should not be a reason for concern. However, continued hair shedding might be serious enough to be traditionally called hair loss. Hair shedding of this kind is considered hair loss only when the hair sheds and does not grow back. This will often lead to visible thinning and eventual bald patches occurring. Medically known as anagen effluvium, hair shedding related to hair loss is caused by some of the following:

• An autoimmune disorder/disease
• Hereditary hair loss, medically known as androgenetic alopecia and colloquially known as pattern baldness
• Some medications and medical treatments

In all of these cases, hair shedding becomes hair loss when the hair will not grow back on its own.

If your hair shedding is brought about by medication, stress, diet, or some other factor, there are possibilities for you to reverse the effects of long-term shedding so it does not become hair loss. If you are concerned with your hair loss, you should consider talking with your primary care physician to discuss the possible causes. A dermatologist can offer further insight, as they specialize within the study of hair and skin. They might have a better idea of underlying causes and what should be medically considered when looking at hair shedding.

If the cause is determined to be something simple and reversible, your doctor can provide you with insight as to how to manage the basic cause, whether that is therapy, balancing your diet, or switching to a different kind of medicine. In more severe cases, ones in which your hair loss cannot be reversed with basic lifestyle changes, you might need to consider undergoing some form of hair regrowth treatment.

Capillus laser caps are designed with hair shedding and loss in mind. Our caps utilize low-level laser therapy (LLLT), a safe and effective treatment method, to induce hair regrowth in users. Our line of laser caps, all of which are designed, assembled, and tested within the U.S., is made with the user in mind. Each cap can be easily worn, no matter what you’re doing and, in just six minutes a day, you can effectively restore the health and volume of your hair.

Hair loss can be a tricky issue to navigate, as people might feel like it’s the end of the line once they notice the first signs. But, with Capillus, that doesn’t have to be the case. Whether you’re using the CapillusPro™ or the CapillusUltra™, you are utilizing a tested-and-trusted device designed to restore the health of your hair.

Hair loss doesn’t have to be permanent. By catching the earlier signs of hair shedding, you can effectively begin a treatment routine to take care of the hair on your head. With Capillus, you’ll have a trusted treatment method to keep your hair feeling and looking thicker as time goes on. Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our hair restoration experts if you have any questions about our devices and how they can improve the quality of your hair.