Why Is My Hair Falling Out? Normal Shedding vs When to See a GP

Updated November 2026. Prices are our live online prices.

We're hairdressers, not doctors. What we do have is a view of hundreds of scalps a year, and the same three phrases come up again and again: "it's all over my brush", "the shower drain is full", and "I just want more of it on my head". Most of the time the person is fine and the shedding is temporary. Sometimes it's worth getting checked. This is how we tell people the difference.

How much hair loss is normal?

Every hair on your head grows for a few years, rests, then falls out so a new one can come through. At any time a small share of your hair is in that resting phase, which is why 50 to 100 hairs a day is the figure dermatologists usually quote. Long hair makes it look like more. So does washing only twice a week, because two or three days of shedding comes out in one go.

A useful check: if your ponytail feels the same thickness as it did a year ago, normal shedding is the likely answer.

Is it shedding or breakage?

Pick up a few of the hairs and look at the ends. A shed hair is full length with a tiny white bulb at the root end. A broken hair is shorter, with no bulb, and often a split or frayed tip.

Breakage is the one we can genuinely help with in the salon. Bleach, heat, tight ponytails and brushing wet hair hard are the usual causes. If that's what you're seeing, our guide to products for thinning hair and hair fall is the next read.

Why is my hair suddenly falling out?

The most common reason we see is a delayed shed after something your body went through. Doctors call it telogen effluvium. A shock to the system pushes more hairs into the resting phase at once, and they fall out roughly two to three months later. That delay is why people rarely connect it to the cause.

Things that commonly trigger it:

• a high fever or a bad illness, including COVID and flu
• surgery, or a period of real stress
• rapid weight loss or a very restrictive diet
• starting or stopping some medications, including hormonal contraception
• having a baby

It usually settles once the trigger has passed, though it can take several months for the regrowth to show. DermNet, the New Zealand dermatology site, has a clear page on telogen effluvium if you want the medical detail.

Postpartum hair loss

Shedding after a baby usually starts around three to four months after the birth and can look alarming, especially around the hairline. For most people it comes back to normal within the first year. We've written a separate postpartum hair loss guide covering how to style through it.

Is seasonal hair shedding real?

A lot of clients notice more hair in the brush at certain times of year, often late summer into autumn, and there's some research that points the same way. If the extra shedding comes and goes with the seasons and your ponytail isn't getting thinner, it's usually nothing to worry about. If it doesn't ease after a few months, get it looked at.

When should I see a GP or a dermatologist?

Book in with your GP if any of these sound familiar:

• Hair coming out in clumps, or smooth bald patches appearing.
• Your part getting wider or your hairline moving back over months.
• An itchy, sore, red or scaly scalp.
• Heavy shedding that hasn't settled after about six months.
• Shedding alongside tiredness, feeling cold, or heavy periods. A GP can check things like iron and thyroid with a blood test.
• Hair changes around perimenopause. We cover what we see in the chair in perimenopause and menopause hair.

Your GP can refer you to a dermatologist if it needs a specialist. Medical treatments for hair loss exist, and they're a conversation for your GP or pharmacist, not a hairdresser. The sooner pattern hair loss is looked at, the more options there usually are.

What can salon products do for hair fall?

Honestly: they work on the hair, and on keeping the scalp in good condition. They don't create new follicles. Kérastase Genesis is the range we recommend most, and Kérastase are specific that it targets hair fall due to breakage. That's the right claim, and it's the part products can change.

Give any of these two to three months of steady use before you judge them, because that's how long it takes to see a hair cycle through. If you're choosing between the two Kérastase ranges, Genesis vs Densifique breaks it down, and how to use the Genesis serum covers the application.

What we'd do while you wait for it to settle

• Be gentle with wet hair. Use a wide-tooth comb and work up from the ends.
• Loosen tight ponytails and buns, and move your part around.
• Turn the heat down and use a heat protectant.
• Get a cut that takes weight off thin ends. It looks thicker the same day. Our thicker hair guide explains how.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes on it, book online and mention it when you book. We'll tell you honestly whether it looks like breakage we can help with or something to take to your GP.

Questions we get asked

How many hairs a day is normal to lose?

Around 50 to 100 a day is the usual figure. You'll see more on wash days and if your hair is long, because it's easier to notice.

Why is my hair falling out so much all of a sudden?

The most common cause is a delayed shed two to three months after illness, high fever, stress, rapid weight loss, surgery or having a baby. It usually settles on its own, but see your GP if it doesn't ease after about six months.

Can stress make your hair fall out?

Yes. A stressful period can push more hairs into their resting phase, and they shed a couple of months later. It normally recovers once things calm down.

When should I worry about hair falling out?

See your GP if it comes out in clumps or patches, your part or hairline is widening, your scalp is itchy, sore or scaly, or heavy shedding lasts more than about six months.

Will hair that falls out grow back?

After a temporary shed, such as after illness or having a baby, it usually does, though it takes months to show. Pattern hair loss is different and is worth talking to a GP about early.

Does Kérastase Genesis stop hair loss?

Kérastase say Genesis targets hair fall due to breakage, and that's what we've seen it help with. It doesn't regrow hair or treat medical causes of hair loss.

Is hair falling out in the shower normal?

Some, yes. Shampooing loosens hairs that were already due to shed, often two or three days' worth at once if you don't wash daily.

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