Welcome to “Ask Dr. Sophia,” where our own Dr. Sophia Kogan answers your hair questions. Specializing in integrative hair health, Dr. Kogan is an expert on the effects of botanicals, nutrition, and stress on follicle biology. This week, she’s talking about shedding and why stressing over every hair that comes out in your brush is the move.
How Do I Stop Hair From Coming Out In My Brush?
The Experts
6 Min Read
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Ask Dr. Sophia:
Q: How do I stop hair from coming out in my brush?
Dr. Sophia Kogan is co-founder and chief medical advisor at Nutrafol. To submit your hair question to Dr. Sophia, email content@nutrafol.com.
First of all, it’s absolutely normal to shed anywhere from 80 to 150 hairs per day, depending on the individual. All of us have different amounts of hair and follicles that are genetically predetermined. So if you have a lot of hair, you’re probably going to shed a lot. Everyone is different! You have to be your own measure for what’s going on with your hair.
When it comes to the hair in your brush, you’re not pulling those hairs out. Any hair that’s ready to come out is going to come out, whether they show up in your brush or on your floor. Hair has to shed in order for new hair to grow; that’s just the way the follicle regenerates hair growth. So we’re all going to shed a little bit. The hairs that come out in your brush are already in the telogen phase of the hair growth cycle and they’re ready to be shed.
The problem occurs when you have more shedding than growth.In that case, you may see a sudden increase in the amount of hair in your brush, or maybe clumps of hair in your brush or shower.
When you see that, it can be really scary, but there are a couple of steps you can take to regain control. Firstly, you can bring it up with your physician to rule out any underlying medical issues. It’s important to know that multiple factors play into hair thinning and shedding, from hormones to environment to stress — and right now we are going through a very stressful period in society and many of us are noticing more shedding than usual.
Today more than ever, you want to take a proactive approach to healthy hair. Lifestyle and nutritional interventions are key to making sure hair is as healthy as it can be and not too many strands are going into the resting (telogen) phase and you have a balance of what’s shedding and what’s growing. Start by finding ways to manage stress, whether it’s yoga, meditation, or even gardening. You can also help your body adapt to stress and build resilience by taking Nutrafol, which contains the stress adaptogen ashwagandha. The way that Nutrafol addresses shedding is by taking a multi-factorial approach with a combination of ingredients that target underlying causes of shedding, like stress, environment, hormones, and metabolism.
Bottom line: Don’t stress yourself out about the number of hairs in your brush. Take control of what you can control and keep your doctor in the loop. The Nutrafol team is here to help, too! Our DMs are always open on Instagram and Facebook, and you can chat with our team 24/7 via our website.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sophia Kogan
