The Difference Between Hair Shedding vs. Hair Loss

A black woman looking at hair in her comb.

Have you ever combed your hair and noticed more hair in your brush/comb or on the floor than what is normal? If so, you’re not alone and it happens to so many of us. But if this has happened, you may be concerned that you’re experiencing hair loss.  However, what you may actually be experiencing could be hair shedding and not hair loss. Hair loss and hair shedding are not the same thing, so in today’s article, I am going to discuss the difference between hair shedding vs. hair loss.

Hair Shedding

The normal range of hair shedding is between 50 to 100 hairs a day. Shedding significantly more than that is seen to be a medical condition called telogen effluvium.

Here are the most common stressors that cause hair shedding:

  1. Losing 20 pounds or more
  2. Giving birth
  3. Experiencing a tremendous amount of stress
  4. Having a high fever
  5. Having undergone an operation
  6. Recovering from an illness
  7. Abruptly stopping from taking birth-control pills

Individuals who are always under a great deal of pressure can have long-term unnecessary hair shedding. A lot of  people see an abnormal amount of hair shedding a couple of months after the being sick or being extremely stressed. For instance, after having a baby a mother can see significant shedding around two months after giving birth. However, as your body recovers, the excessive shedding eventually stops.

However, if one of the stressful events mentioned above continues in your life hair shedding can continue long-term.

Hair Loss

Hair loss take places when something hinders your hair from growing. The medical term for this condition is anagen effluvium.

Here are the most common factors that cause hair loss:

  1. Hereditary hair loss
  2. Immune system overreacts
  3. Drugs and medical treatments
  4. Hairstyles that pull on the hair
  5. Harsh hair care products
  6. Compulsion to pull out one’s hair

Thinking about Treatments

There is no one thing that you can do that will address every cause of hair loss. In the event that you have hair loss, your hair won’t start growing until the cause of the problems disappears. Many individuals who have inherited hair loss keep on losing hair even without treatment. Different reasons for hair loss may require treatment. Treatment helps numerous individuals who experience hair loss, yet there’s no guarantee that it will work for everybody. Try using the PureFix Hair Elixir which is a 6-in-1 hair and scalp treatment. Its all-natural ingredients work together to support longer, stronger hair and to prevent hair loss.

A woman who experiences hair loss may see continuous diminishing. Men, on the other hand, who have inherited male pattern baldness have a tendency to develop a receding hairline or a bald patch that starts in the focal point of the scalp.

If you speculate that a treatment or medication is causing your hair loss, consult a specialist and a medical professional first. For instance, individuals who experience chemotherapy or radiation medicines regularly lose a considerable amount of hair.  However, in many cases, those patients can regrow their hair once healthy and after using products that have hair growth ingredients in them.

However, a dermatologist can better confirm whether or not your hair loss is permanent or can be restored.

A Dermatologist Can Distinguish between Hair Loss and Hair Shedding

Turn to a dermatologist or trichologist for help. Know you are not alone nor need to be ashamed. These problems are not being addressed as often as they should with real experts explaining what the problems are and how to fix them.

A dermatologist can tell you whether you have hair loss or excessive hair shedding. These doctors specialize in diagnosing and treating the skin, hair, and nails. Effective treatments options are available for many types of hair loss. The sooner treatment begins, the better the prognosis.

The Key Takeaways

Just in case you did not have time to read the above information, no worries, I get it, life can be busy. That is why I have included the key takeaways for you to read below at a quick glance.

  1. Hair loss and hair shedding are different things but may feel similar to you.
  2. The normal range of hair shedding is between 50 to 100 hairs a day.
  3. Several stressors are linked to hair (such as heredity issues, an overacting immune system, etc.).
  4. Hair loss take places when something hinders your hair from growing.
  5. It is important to address the causes of hair loss.
This article was first published in November 2018 but was updated in September 2020.

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Brandelyn Green is the Founder of VoiceOfHair, a platform to help women of color find the best hair care products, regimens and hairstyles! Since starting VoiceOfHair in 2014 she has grown the social media platform to over 1MM+ on Instagram and Facebook. As a natural who is also a salon goer, she wanted to create a platform where people could find the best products, hairstylists, advice and trends.
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