How Much Hair Is Normal to Lose in the Shower?

Watching more hair than usual circle the shower drain can be stressful. But how much hair is normal to lose in the shower, and when should you worry about the amount of hair you’re shedding on wash day?

While it may seem alarming to see a clump of hair on your shower floor, it’s not always cause for concern. Sudden shedding might be a form of temporary, stress-triggered form of hair loss known as telogen effluvium, which should resolve itself over time. But in some cases, hair falling out in the shower could indicate female pattern hair loss — and the earlier you address this issue, the better.

Below, we outline how much hair loss is normal in the shower, how to identify when hair loss may be a sign of something gone awry with your hair growth cycle, and how to address hair loss.

How much hair loss is normal in the shower? As it turns out, losing some strands while washing your hair is completely normal. Most people shed between 50 to 100 hairs a day on average. And if you have long hair or thick hair, you may shed even more than that each day.

Fifty to 100 hairs a day may sound like a lot, but your scalp has hundreds of thousands of hair follicles. This means that most of the time, some hair falling out in the shower is nothing to worry about — rather it’s just natural shedding that’s part of the hair growth cycle.

The hair growth cycle involves three different phases: the anagen phase (or growth phase), the catagen phase (or transition phase), and the telogen phase (or resting phase). Each hair on your scalp is at a different point in this cycle at any given time.

During the telogen phase, hair naturally sheds, and the cycle starts all over again as new hair grows. As a result, you might notice fallen hair strands on your pillow, on the floor, and in the shower. But you may wonder to yourself, why do I lose so much hair in the shower in particular?

The combination of water pressure and hair washing in the shower helps to dislodge hairs that are ready to shed. And if you wash your hair less often, you might shed even more hair than someone else would when showering.

So, how much hair should you lose in the shower, and how do you know if it’s not just normal shedding as part of the hair growth cycle? Signs your hair loss is atypical and potentially related to underlying health issue include:

• You notice your ponytail is thinner than usual

• Your part starts to look wider

• You suddenly have bald spots

• You are losing clumps of hair rather than just individual strands

Hair loss can happen for a number of reasons, including illness, genetics, age, hormones, and even stress. If you’re noticing more hair falling out than what seems like normal hair loss in the shower, possible culprits could include telogen effluvium, traction alopecia, and alopecia areata.

Let’s go over these common causes of thinning hair in more detail.

Telogen Effluvium

If you’ve been dealing with work-related anxiety or are experiencing or recovering from a sudden illness, you may be experiencing stress-induced hair loss, also known as telogen effluvium.

Telogen effluvium usually involves sudden hair thinning across your entire scalp, resulting in more hair falling out in the shower. With this type of hair loss, you might notice more hair falling out with a white bulb at the root.

Thankfully, this type of hair loss is usually temporary. To learn more, our guide to stress and female hair loss goes into more details on causes and treatment options for telogen effluvium.

Traction Alopecia

Are you a fan of tight ponytails or braids? Tight hairstyles, hair extensions, and other hairstyling techniques that pull on your hairline can damage hair roots and cause targeted hair loss over time. The result is a type of hair loss called traction alopecia.

Brushing or combing wet hair can also pull on hair follicles and trigger hair loss. Instead of a hairbrush to untangle knots, gently pass a wide-tooth comb through your locks.

Alopecia Areata

If you’re noticing round or oval-shaped bald spots on your head, you may be dealing with alopecia areata. This type of hair loss happens when the body attacks its own hair follicles.

An autoimmune disease, alopecia areata tends to be unpredictable and can happen even if you’re in good health. It can also occur at any age (though it’s most common in teens and those in their 20s and 30s), and it appears to affect all genders and races equally.

Depending on the type of hair loss or hair shedding you’re experiencing, there are hair loss treatments that can help slow or prevent hair loss that leads to clumps showing up in the shower:

• Spironolactone. This once-daily antiandrogen pill targets hormones responsible for excess hair shedding. Specifically, spironolactone helps decrease levels of testosterone in the blood, preventing it from affecting your hairline. Healthcare professionals sometimes prescribe spironolactone off-label to treat female pattern baldness, or female androgenic alopecia.

• Minoxidil. This hair loss treatment is backed by years of research. In a 2014 placebo-controlled trial, researchers found that both 2% and 5% versions of minoxidil improved hair thinning. It’s believed that minoxidil works by encouraging hairs to enter into the anagen, or growth, stage of the hair growth cycle. Minoxidil is available as an oral pill, or you can opt for minoxidil solution or a minoxidil foam.

• Topical finasteride spray. Topical finasteride is another solution proven to treat female pattern hair loss. It works as a DHT blocker for postmenopausal women experiencing hormonal hair loss due to the effects of the sex hormone DHT.

Lifestyle habits can also help with healthy hair growth. Here are some tips to consider:

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet. A nutritious diet supports hair growth before hair even exits the follicle. Being deficient in nutrients like biotin can lead to hair loss. While there’s limited evidence to support the benefits of supplementing when you’re healthy, supplementing when you’re deficient may stop hair shedding.

• Use the right hair care products. Volumizing shampoos and hair products for women containing natural ingredients might not speed up hair regrowth, but your hair care routine can prevent damaged hair and support hair health.

• Opt for a gentle hair care routine. Being gentle on your hair can prevent hair breakage that leads to excess shedding. In addition to avoiding tight hairstyles, try to limit heat styling or use thermal spray to protect your hair when blow drying, straightening, or curling it.

• Take care of your scalp. Your hair isn’t enough to keep UV rays from damaging your scalp. Make sure to wear a hat or apply sunscreen to your head when heading out in the sun. If you experience flaking, redness, or irritation, that might be a sign of an underlying issue like dandruff, which can cause buildup that impedes healthy growth. When in doubt, talk to a healthcare professional, like a dermatologist, about your concerns.

Is it normal to lose hair in the shower? Yes. You can expect water pressure and shampooing to dislodge hairs that were ready to shed due to the natural progress of the hair growth cycle.

But if you’re noticing more hair than usual falling out in the shower, it might be worth making an appointment with a medical professional.

Let’s recap what we know about hair loss in the shower:

• Shedding a few strands a day is normal for the average person. How much hair should you lose in the shower? You can expect to lose between 50 to 100 strands of hair every day.

• Shedding can happen for a few reasons. Some things that can explain why you’re losing a lot of hair in the shower include your normal hair growth cycle, stress-related hair loss, and medical conditions like alopecia areata.

• Excessive hair loss might warrant a medical opinion. If you think you may be experiencing hair thinning, talk to a healthcare professional about your hair loss treatment options, like minoxidil, spironolactone, or topical finasteride spray, or even biotin supplements.

If you’re feeling worried about the amount of hair loss you’re experiencing, talk to a dermatology professional to rule out hormonal or medical changes. They can help you determine the underlying cause of your hair loss and explore the best hair loss treatments for women.