How Much Hair Does the Average Person Lose a Day?

As your hair grows, you routinely shed it. The average person loses up to to 100 hairs a day. Normally, new hair grows to replace what you lose.

Growth and Loss

• A single hair typically grows less than half an inch each month, for a total period of a few years. Then it falls out, and new hair replaces it.

Hair Loss Factors

• How much hair you lose each day depends on factors such as how many active hair follicles your scalp has and how fast your hair grows. The more follicles you have and the faster it grows, the more hair you will lose.

Other Factors

• Genetics play a role in hair loss, as does your nutrition, health and stress level.

Reasons for Excess Hair Loss

• You may lose more hair than normal (telogen effluvium) due to serious illness, major surgery, inadequate protein intake, childbirth, and medications including antidepressants, retinoids, beta blockers. You may also notice more hair loss from other areas of your body.

Excess Loss Not Permanent

• Excess hair loss usually decreases gradually after the problem is corrected. The amount you lose declines during a six- to eight-month period.