If you run your fingers through your hair.....

[OrangeCrunch]

....does any come out?

I have definitely had some hair loss/thinning over the past 7 or 8 years, but thought it had slowed down, due to various interventions. However, when I run my fingers through my hair, I still always get at least 3 or 4 strands come out. I heard that this automatically means you're in the shedding phase and isn't considered every day normal hair loss, but this seems to be a permanent thing for me. The loss during brushing and washing fluctuates, but generally seems to be less.

If it's normal to lose anything up to 150 a day and you don't lose loads when brushing and washing, then wouldn't it be normal to lose a few strands when running your fingers through?

No, but my hair is only 2cm long.

Yes, mine is just below bum length and I always get a few strands

I definitely do. My hair is very thick so I always assumed they fall out of my scalp but get caught up in the rest of my hair. When I run my fingers through I pull them free iyswim? Does that make sense?

Yes because, as well as the natural hair loss, some of the strands break off part way down.

In the shower sometimes I can block the plug hole due to the amount of hair that comes out. I thought it was normal.

God yes. Loads. My hair is very long.

Yes.

Yes, since having children (6 years ago) and now Hypothyroidism, I have loads that come out in my brush daily. I'm lucky that my hair is very thick.

Yes. Blondes have and lose more hair if that's relevant.

Oh, well this is reassuring! I saw a video on YouTube and someone who seemed very clued up on the subject said that telogen effluvium is often diagnosed using this test, which didn't make sense, as if it's ok to lose x amounts in your brush, what's the difference?

Yes. I frequently lose a small handful and have to clear the drain weekly because it's blocked with hair. Last hair cut 3yrs ago and it's almost shoulder length. If I put it up in a pony tail, bunched together it measures about the same diameter as a pencil. It looks awful down but I'm a bit too nervous of finding a hair dresser...

I feel your pain.

I lose loads but I have very long and thick hair. Its a running joke between me and my friends that you can tell who's house I've been in as there are long red hairs left id never get away with murder, the hair would give me away.

Yes, but I don't really brush my hair.

(I always laugh when posters say "if I've washed my face and brushed my hair I'm presentable. No need for moisturiser or makeup!"

I do use a lot of moisturiser and a fair bit of makeup but can get away with just rubbing hair oil through the ends.

So yes, I can pull out handfuls of hair if I run my hands through it. Not today though, because I did actually brush it this morning.

I've just tested three times and not a single strand has come out. A few will when I wash and brush my hair, though.

I have a bob style short-ish cut and quite a lot of hair - seemingly very fast growing too because this time last year I had a pixie cut!

@MrsTerryPratchett

Yes. Blondes have and lose more hair if that's relevant.

Thank goodness I'm not blonde! You could make a wig a week from what I lose...and weirdly it just keeps getting thicker and grows stupidly fast.

If I don't cut it regularly I look like a mini version of Hagrid minus the beard

Yeah it does for me. Maybe it depends how vigorously you have already brushed your hair? I only brush lightly when I can find my hairbrush so running my fingers through to detangle it or put up is effectively brushing it again. If I start to shed more than usual I know I've got a problem with my thyroid medication dose. Varies a bit with my cycle anyway though.

It's totally normal for me. I always have and I'm not bald yet so assume it's fine. I did have quite a lot of postpartum hair loss, it was most noticeable in the shower because it would be all over my hands and I was unclogging the plug hole every couple of days. Thankfully it grew back, but i had some interesting sticky-up bits for a while

Surely it depends, if I wash my hair every day I don’t have strands come out when I run my hands through. If I don’t (I try not to as curly hair) then the strands come out when I run my hands through, as the loose hair hasn’t been removed.

That would indeed seem to make sense - & TBH I’d be wary of even the most confident-sounding YouTubers on this unless they are qualified medics, given the many & varied reasons for hair loss.

Rather distressingly - especially given a genetic disorder means that I’ve always had very fine hair & not much of it* - issues with malabsorption lasting years have led to my losing more & more hair to the point I now have about one sixth of the hair I did as many years ago. On the plus side, it does fall out evenly, so I’ve not got a bald patch or bald patches. I brush my hair before washing & the brush is full of hair; the plughole is a mass of more hair that then comes out; but some manages to escape down it & block the outside drain with mortifying regularity, even using unclogging stuff

If you’re worried about how much hair you’re losing, the NHS website does say it’s ok to contact your GP, so don’t feel you’d be wasting their time. One of the things that can cause hair loss is anaemia - do you know if your iron levels are ok?

• I mean, to be fair, of the things it causes it’s the last thing to worry about really, but, you know, hair