Many women worry about female hair loss, which is why it’s easy to panic if you see a few hairs on the pillow or on the floor of the shower cubicle. However, it is perfectly normal to lose some hair; it is only excessive hair loss or breakage you need to worry about.
Experts say that on average, we lose about 50 – 100 hairs a day. This is natural and normal, and is nothing to be worried about as your hair constantly grows back and replenishes itself. Losing more hair than this could be caused by numerous things, such as:
• The time of year – we tend to shed more body hair at the end of summer
• Wearing your hair tied up for a few days and letting it down – the loose hair has accumulated as it’s not had a chance to shed
• Pregnancy – many women suffer some level of hair loss after giving birth
• Diet – nutritional deficiencies and sudden weight loss can cause thinning hair and shedding
• Illnesses such as low thyroid levels, lupus or anaemia
After these potential causes of your hair loss have been ruled out, it may be time to start considering alopecia areata as the cause of your problem. Alopecia areata generally causes patches of hair loss on the scalp, possibly spreading to the whole skin (this is called alopecia universalis). If you suspect you have this condition, consult your GP or a female hair loss specialist.