Why Is My Hair Falling Out?

A no-nonsense guide to treating hair loss - what actually helps, and how to build a routine that works.

Finding extra hair on your pillow, in the shower drain, or on your brush is unsettling - and the internet is full of conflicting advice about what to do next. Here's a clear breakdown of why hair loss happens, what actually helps, and how to build a routine that works instead of guessing.

First, how much hair loss is normal?

Losing 50–100 hairs a day is completely normal - that's just your hair's natural growth cycle turning over. What's worth paying attention to is a noticeable increase in shedding, thinning at the parting, a receding hairline, or patches where hair isn't regrowing. If that sounds like you, the good news is that most non-medical hair loss (the kind linked to stress, hormones, nutrient gaps, or scalp condition) responds well to consistent topical treatment.

What's actually causing it?

A few common culprits show up again and again:

• Telogen effluvium - diffuse shedding triggered by stress, illness, or a big life change, usually a few months after the trigger event.
• Androgenetic thinning - gradual, pattern-based thinning often linked to hormones and genetics.
• Nutrient and scalp health gaps - low biotin, poor circulation, or a congested scalp can all slow regrowth even when the root cause isn't hormonal.
• Damage-related breakage - this isn't loss from the follicle at all, just hair snapping partway down the shaft from heat, colour treatments, or harsh products, which can look like the same problem.

Knowing which of these applies to you changes what you should actually be using. If in doubt, a GP or trichologist can rule out anything medical - but for most people, the right combination of scalp-focused and strand-focused products makes a visible difference within a few months.

Building a hair loss routine that actually works

The most effective approach layers three things: a shampoo that treats the scalp, a leave-in serum that keeps working between washes, and consistency (this is a 3–6 month game, not a 2-week fix).

It's not just the hair on your head

Thinning brows and lashes come from a lot of the same causes - over-plucking, ageing, hormonal shifts - and respond to the same kind of targeted, consistent treatment. If you're already working on scalp thinning, it's worth checking whether your brows and lashes need the same attention.

How long before you see results?

Hair grows in cycles, and a follicle that's shed or shrunk needs time to re-enter an active growth phase. The single biggest factor in whether a hair loss routine "works" isn't which product you pick - it's whether you actually use it every day for that long. Pick a routine you can stick to, not the one with the most impressive marketing claims.