Is it normal to lose this much hair when washing/brushing it?

[northernmamax]

Picture attached...

Past few months or so my hair has just been falling out and getting so thin. It's getting worse now!

Is this normal or am I being dramatic? 🤣

That does look like a lot, I have very long hair and went through a period of losing about the same when I washed. I started taking multivitamins for women and now hardly lose any, I really notice the difference if I’m lax for a couple of weeks. Also used a strengthening shampoo / conditioner for a couple of months.

It's really hard to tell isn't it

I think that's more than mine? But a bit hard to tell

I had blood test done at doctors cos I think more is coming out from mine when I wash it. But apparently blood test was fine. I'm not sure whether to go back or not because I'm unsure if it's normal or not

This was mine I took a couple of months ago

I’d say that’s too much. Reasons can be fast weight loss and anemia - amongst other things

You're supposed to lose about 100 hairs a day but that's average so some people could lose a lot more. It will look more if you keep your hair up as the lost hair then only falls when you brush.

I lose about this much but this is after 4 days of not washing it and I don't brush it unless I'm washing it!
Just washed my hair, I don't usually have photos of the loss

How long is your hair? Longer hair looks like more hair loss for the same amount of strands. I cast like a dog. I’ve got plenty of hair though.

Yeah it is quite long I didn't think of it like that.. it's been a long week 🤣

I went to the doctors a few months back and got my bloods done and it was all fine, been feeling super lethargic too.

It's so thin now due to the loss, it never used to do this, it looks awful 😞 I'm just gonna give it a good chop I think and I'll grab some multivits too

Have you been using Olaplex?
Causes severe hair loss.

No to olaplex. I use L'Oréal

You say your bloods were fine. Just be mindful…

’fine’ on the NHS spectrum of iron/ferritin is anything above something daft like 10.

Symptoms with anemia or just low iron can happen at different levels. Read up on this if you can get your results and review yourself. For example; my current ferritin level is 16. In other countries 16 would warrant an iron transfusion. For hair to regrow you need levels of 70+ and before taking my own supplements at quite high levels my hair came out in masses. Now it’s slowing. But if I’d listened to the GP advice of 16 being ‘just a bit low, take a multivitamin with iron’ I’d never have made progress.

also ask for thyroid, b12 and anything else which may lead to hair loss. Are you having heavy periods? Vegetarian?

Definitely agree
My ferritin was 66 and I'm actively taking iron tablets to increase it. I also take vitamin D as my levels were dire so had a high dose course and now on 4000IU daily
Started collagen powder too and I feel like the ordinary hair density serum is helping

My hair is weird. About twice a year, I moult. So much hair comes out, I start to worry. But then after a couple of weeks, I go back to losing barely any. I wash my hair only about once per week.

The amount of hair isn’t the issue as so many factors affect this - if you have thick hair, or long hair, or only wash it every couple of days, you can easily lose that amount and it just be normal shedding. I have long thick hair and have definitely brushed out more than that if I haven’t washed it for a bit (curly hair, only brush it when I wash it).

If your hair is getting visibly thin, go back to your GP. Could be low iron, could be hypothyroidism, unfortunately could also just be hormonal if you are in your 40s/50s.

No. Have your ferritin levels chocked. GO may say levels are ok but should be at least 90 to maintain healthy hair.

I did this as was losing hair rapidly and it was 36. I took iron and vit c for a year to get eievks up and hair loss massively reduced and growing back.

Have you had covid lately? when I had it last year my very thick hair fell out in handfuls. I knew it felt thinner and was forever picking up clumps of hair from the floors. Hairdresser said it was really common and it has all grown back but taken a good 12- 18 months for the whole cycle to play out.

Covid made my hair fall out first time I had it - very noticeable, from about 2 months after and it lasted about 4 months.

That could be about right. I lose hair when I wash it, as first it’s only as little bit and then throughout the day I moult like a Labrador.

I was losing around a tennis ball sized amount of hair when I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid. Get your thyroid checked & your iron levels as low iron can cause hair loss.

So many reasons for hair loss which is particularly noticeable in long hair. Mine was probably menopausal. I stopped dying it decided to go grey in lockdowns. It's thickened up again. I also wash a lot less and air dry now.

I lose about this much too, but I only brush my hair when it’s wet and it’s usually up and I wash it about twice a week so it looks like loads because mostly it’s not shedding regularly.
However my hair is definitely not as thick as it was a few years ago.

Get your thyroid checked and as for your levels.

I got my thyroid levels checked when I went for my bloods and they said everything was fine... they said my iron was on the slightly lower side but could supplement it with diet not enough to be medically treated.

I might phone and ask for the actual numbers on Monday as I've had a few people say this now about results being quite low but doctors not treating them

Thyroid problems run in my family too which is why I went in the first place as I suspect it may be that but apparently not 🤷🏻‍♀️

I agree that "fine" bloods are not always fine. I was losing hair like no one's business. Gp wasn't worried. I cried and begged when I starting see my bald dad staring back at me in the mirror to see a dermatitis. She told me that all my iron levels meant was I wasn't dead. I had enough to live but no spare to make hair and nails etc. You want to be near the middle of the range