Is it normal for your hair to come out when you touch it? Or should I be panicking?

[hutsch]

Prefacing - I am already panicking.

Every time I run a hand through my ponytail, I get 3-4 strands at a time coming out. I'm not sure if this is normal. I have no girl friends to ask.

Is this normal? I feel like at this rate I'll have no hair left, or bald patches.

Do you brush your hair regularly, and have you recently had a baby?

Not recently had a baby. Brush my hair every day - although haven't washed it in about 5 days if that makes any difference.

yes a few strands of hair coming out is usual especially if your hair Is in a pony tail it breaks off

Multiple things can cause hairloss- thyroid issues, anaemia, weight loss, other deficiences etc.

Any other symptoms? Shortness of breath, feeling hot/cold, dizziness etc? Its normal to lose hair when brushing and washing it. If you feel more is coming out than previous, see your GP for blood tests.

Hair does naturally die and fall out all the time. If your hair is the kind of texture where it sticks to itself, then it won't just fall onto the floor, which means that it will come away when you touch it or brush it. A few hairs at a time is not hugely concerning. 15+ might be concerning (unless you have post pregnancy hair loss when that was totally normal for me!)

That why I said do you brush it regularly - if not, then you're probably just getting the hairs that don't get brushed out.

And after pregnancy it's very normal to lose loads of excess hair.

if you haven't washed it in a few days then it can make it brittle and it will break.

I think the average is loss of 100 hairs a day, as those follicles reach their dormant stage and the hair dies and falls out for its fallow period. Have a Google of the hair cycle and you’ll understand a bit more about how it works.

I shed all over the place, I have a very full head of thick curly hair, definitely not thinning. I thought this was normal

Is your hair usually in a ponytail? I don't think that helps.

Have you lost weight recently? I always find mine falls out if I am dieting.

@SgtJuneAckland that reassured me, although mine isn't curly.

@Lindjam I lost a bit of weight over Christmas period due to illness. Seem to have put it all back on since. But it is in a pony tail every day too with my job!

What was it like when you last brushed your hair?
Was there a lot more hair on the brush?
Was anything unusual?
If there is a problem, I think you'd notice it on brushing your hair

It is normal to lose about 100 strands per day.I lose loads in the shower.

Is it possible that you've become more aware of it and hyperfocussing on it ?

I have thick wavy hair and shed like a dog. It is worse when my hair has not been cut for a while.

One of my regular icky jobs is teasing wads of trapped hair out of the bath plughole.

We lose on average 100 hairs a day. Mine don't come out so much on brushing/touching just a few at a time like you.

I only wash it every 4/5 days and then it's like someone sheared sheep 😂

I'm sure your fine op.

@cakeytime didn't notice anything when brushing it - just when touching it. Unless I was being non-observant when brushing it. I do lose a few strands when brushing (maybe around 20 on average) so that seems normal to me - I'm just not used to it coming out when I run my hands through it.

SO possible that I'm hyperfixating on it though. Would be hugely in character of me.

Absolutely! Also, if I don't wash my hair as often as usual, there is more hair in the drain screen - it's absolutely normal.

It's fine, op. When pp said average 100 hairs a day, remember that can potentially vary throughout your menstrual cycle too. Also you tend to shed more in times of stress - it's temporary. I lost a bit of hair in my masters year at uni but then my lion's mane came back same as ever the following year. Don't worry about it. It's very different from male baldness which is usually more permanent

Edit for typos

My hair is very very thick and I shed like a golden retriever. If I run my fingers through my hair I always end up with lots of loose strands coming out. It's generally nothing to worry about, especially if you have thick hair, unless you have visible thinning and bald patches.

If you wear your hair in a high ponytail that can increase the amount of shedding as it pulls hairs out at the roots. Give your scalp and roots a break with a low pony or plait instead! I noticed a decrease in my shedding hairs when I stopped wearing a high pony every day.

Another one with long thick hair. It sheds so much I often wonder how I retain a full head of hair! It’s still huge though

This is all reassuring.

I'll get it washed this afternoon and hopefully feel better

Mine sheds anyway as I've long thick hair but it falls out a lot more when my iron ir b12 levels are low.

If it's more than usual, a blood test might be no harm.

Totally normal.

Perfectly normal.
Most people lose up to about 100 strands a day. You'll typically notice it when you brush or wash your hair or run your fingers through your hair/style it. It's less noticeable if your hair is short.
I find I lose more hair some days/weeks/seasons than others. But it's all perfectly normal.
Also, as we age our hair does thin. It's at its fullest (usually) before the age of 30 and after that it tends to get a little thinner over time. Again, that's a normal part of ageing.
However, there are times when losing hair is not normal.
If you think you're losing significantly more than about 100 strands a day, or if you notice bald spots, or notice that your hair is visibly thinning at a quick rate, then it's time to speak to your GP as it could indicate a problem with your thyroid, hormones, or other issues.

I have really thick hair but lose shit loads when I wash, brush or run my fingers through it. If going by how much is wrapped around the roller brush of the hoover each time I hoover up I dread to think how much is down the plug hole in the bath. It isn't as bad now though as it was when I was on fluoxetine. I lost tons then.

when mine needs cut it seems to fall out more not really sure what that's about.

Eh?