You look down and there it is, a ball of hair collected in the drain. Are you losing your hair? Probably not…Mostly.
In case you’re sitting there with bated breath, fear not —losing hair in the shower is completely normal. On a typical day, you shed between 50 and 100 hairs as part of the natural growth cycle. You just don't usually see it, because it's spread out across brushing, sleeping, and going to work and the gym.
Why does it stand out when we see hair in the shower? Because washing can concentrate all of that shedding making things look more dramatic than they are. If you wash every few days? The effect can be even more noticeable. That’s because sebum, styling products, and hairstyles can delay normal shedding… so you see 300 strands worth the next time you shampoo.
So, when should you have cause for concern? From patterns. Real signs of hair thinning often present as gradual changes that happen over weeks and months:
- A widening part
- A hairline that looks like it's creeping back
- Your ponytail feeling noticeably thinner in your hand
- Hairs that appear to be getting shorter, finer, and thinner
- More visible scalp under regular lighting (not harsh fluorescents)
A better check in of whether hair shedding has increased is watching out for a widening part. Photo by Teslariu Mihai on Unsplash
It's also worth noting that shedding can sometimes temporarily increase 1-3 months after an illness, emotional stress, or a big change in diet, weight, or medication. This is called telogen effluvium and, unlike the gradual, progressive thinning of pattern hair loss, it’s temporary and resolves on its own.
Early Intervention and Diagnosis
For anyone noticing more consistent changes in the thickness and density of their hair, the earlier you can get a diagnosis the more options will be at your disposal. Androgenetic alopecia (the most common form of hair loss) responds very well to preventative medical hair loss therapy and preventing further hair loss should be the goal. A simple way to track things objectively? Use photos to document your part or hairline every few months. It's much more reliable than guessing.
Proactive Haircare
Skipping shampoos can make it seem as if you’re shedding more hair, when it’s actually a trick of days’ worth of oil and styling products. Photo by Niklas Hamann on Unsplash
While it’s not possible to halt the normal shedding cycle, treating your scalp to carefully crafted and developed support haircare can make an impactful difference.
In our 12-week, independent clinical study on the Feel Confident® Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner, participants saw shedding during washing drop from an average of 20.9 hairs per wash down to 12.5 by week 12 — a meaningful decrease of 40%.
Developed with our proprietary ROOTDefense® blend, the Feel Confident brand is built around ingredients that can support a healthier scalp environment: saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, curcumin, and caffeine users also saw a statistically significant increase in average hair fiber diameter. Confident help for your hair in the shower.
While you don’t need to panic over what's in your drain, it’s worthwhile paying attention to changes over time. If you think things are changing, don't wait it out. A consultation with Dr. Linkov can help you understand exactly what's going on and determine your options together.
