Hair Shedding vs Hair Loss: What's The Difference?

If seeing a few extra hairs by the drain or seeing numerous strands of hair on your pillow is starting to freak you out, now is the time to queue your “Peaceful Piano” playlist on Spotify and take a pause. It could just be normal hair shedding, vs. hair loss. But what’s the difference?

First off, it’s totally normal to shed hair, especially with normal brushing and washing.

But if you’re finding a lot more hair than usual around the house, it could be a red flag.

But don’t sweat it yet. Hair shedding and hair loss are different issues and require different treatments — here’s how to get ahead of either issue.

TLDR; Hair Shedding vs. Hair Loss

• There’s a difference between normal hair shedding and actual hair loss.
• You can lose 50-100 hairs a day from normal shedding.
• If you’re losing more than 100+ hairs, you may be dealing with hair loss.
• Hair loss can be triggered by various causes, including genetics, stress or your diet. Figuring out the root cause and type of hair loss you have will help you find the right treatment.
• Speaking of treatments, you can help thinning hair by using FDA-approved hair loss medications like minoxidil, spironolactone and/or finasteride.

Below, we get into the difference between hair shedding and hair loss, and arm you with more info on the treatment options that can address hair thinning.

Hair Shedding vs. Hair Loss

First, that pause we suggested earlier — there is a difference between normal hair shedding and hair loss. But differentiating between the two, especially in the early stages of hair loss, can be tricky. Let’s dive into both so you can get a better understanding of what’s going on up there.

Hair Shedding

Your 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).

In the third, the telogen phase, it’s totally normal for hair to naturally shed, so that the follicle can start the cycle all over again. This phase of the hair cycle lasts about three months.

Check out our article on the hair growth process to get a deeper understanding of the hair growth cycle.

Humans have a lot of hair follicles — roughly 100,000 on your head alone, give or take — and each hair on your head goes through the growth cycle independently of other hairs. This means you’ll experience some shedding daily — again, normal.

Buuuuuttt, how do you know when it’s becoming too much, you ask?

Signs of Hair Loss

Wonder what you can look for to figure out if you’re experiencing more than everyday shedding? Signs of hair loss include:

• Widening part (look at photos to see if it has grown wider over time)
• A receding hairline that becomes more visible and falls further back year after year
• Gradual diffuse thinning of hair, causing scalp to peek through
• Bald spot that grows slowly

Hair that takes longer to grow (see if your hair cuts are spaced out further than before)