Is Brushing My Hair Causing Hair Loss?'
Name:
Yian
Question: I have fairly thick hair that I wear long and sort of floppy on top and shaved at the back and sides. I brush my hair every day and every time I see hairs coming out - either falling out or getting stuck in the brush. Is this normal? It's like it's causing my hair to fall out. Should I stop brushing my hair? I'd appreciate your advice as I don't want to lose my hair.
Answer: Hi Yian. Don't worry - we come across many men who don't want to brush their hair thanks to this hair loss myth but rest assured, the act of brushing is not to blame.
The act of brushing your hair simply removes hairs that have already shed. It just looks more noticeable than when they drop out as you move around during the day and they shake loose, as you are more focused on it. This hair fall is a natural part of the hair growth cycle and nothing to be worried about - it is certainly nothing to stop brushing your hair over.
Every day people shed a number of hairs - this can vary according to your race and hair colour, however, on average people lose 100 hairs per day. It is only when excessive shedding occurs, particularly over consecutive days for a period of more than a week, that it may be something worth investigating further.
One piece of advice we would give you is that, whilst brushing to groom the hair is fine, forget the old fashioned advice that says you should brush your hair using at least 100 strokes per day to increase circulation and to spread the oil on your hair shaft. This can actually do more harm to your hair than good.
Should you begin to notice any signs of hair loss - such as thinning hair or a receding hairline - or if your hair begins to fall out in patches (a sign of the autoimmune condition Alopecia Areata), then we recommend you contact a hair loss specialist for a professional diagnosis. They will be able to put together an effective regrowth plan using a bespoke mix of hair loss treatments and hair growth boosters personalised to prevent further shedding and promote regrowth.
The Belgravia Centre
The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.
View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.
