Why Is my Hair falling out? Hair Loss in Women Explained

I think it is about time for me to write about hair loss.

We are in September, autumn is approaching and soon the leaves will be falling almost as much as your hair. Sadly, I know.

But what first makes us think that our hair is falling out?

Most of the time, it starts with finding more hair in our brush, on our clothes, around the shower or, as I often joke, your other half noticing it everywhere.

Jokes aside, once you notice it, it can become difficult to think about anything else, can't it?

Your first instinct might be to search for the **best shampoo for hair loss**, order supplements or stop brushing altogether. I completely understand wanting to do something straight away. But before choosing a product, we first need to understand what might be happening.

As a student of functional naturopathy, I am learning to look beyond an isolated symptom. Even if a shampoo could benefit your hair in many ways, it would not necessarily explain or address the reason behind it. Your hair health can reflect your wider health, so a noticeable change is something worth investigating rather than simply covering up.

As a hairdresser with more than sixteen years of experience, I care about helping you make informed choices. Hair loss in women can have several causes, and the condition of the hair itself tells us only part of the story.

The short answer

Hair can fall out because of normal shedding, a temporary disruption to the hair-growth cycle, female pattern hair loss, hormonal changes, illness, stress, nutritional deficiencies, certain medications, scalp conditions or repeated tension from hairstyles. Sometimes more than one factor is involved.

The pattern matters. Sudden shedding, gradual thinning, bald patches, a receding hairline and broken strands do not necessarily have the same cause. Understanding what has changed, and when, is far more useful than immediately buying a product.

How much hair loss is normal?

Shedding around 50 to 100 hairs a day is commonly considered normal. Hair naturally renews itself, so finding some loose strands does not automatically mean something is wrong. [American Academy of Dermatology]

That number is a guide, not an invitation to count every hair each day. Pay attention to changes from YOUR usual pattern instead: a noticeably smaller ponytail, a more visible scalp, a parting that seems to be getting wider or shedding that continues to increase.

Trust your instinct. You know your hair. If something feels different, it is okay and reasonable to ask for advice.

How does the hair-growth cycle work?

Each follicle follows its own "hair-growth cycle". In simple terms, hair grows, passes through a short transition, rests and eventually sheds. The growing stage is called "anagen", the transition stage "catagen" and the resting stage "telogen".

Because follicles are at different stages, some hairs fall while others continue growing. Shedding a hair does not mean that you have lost the follicle producing it.

This is also why a change in your health may take time to become visible in your hair. What you notice today may relate to something that happened several weeks or months ago.

 Is it normal to lose more hair in autumn

Some people notice more shedding towards the end of summer or during autumn, and hair shedding can naturally fluctuate. But I would never automatically dismiss significant hair loss as "just seasonal."

If the change is dramatic, continues for several months, creates visible thinning or comes with scalp discomfort, it deserves proper attention. Autumn may be when you notice the change, but it does not necessarily explain the cause.

 Is it hair shedding, thinning or breakage?

These can look similar at first, but they describe different changes:

- Excessive hair shedding:more hairs are being released from the scalp than usual. A common cause is telogen effluvium.
- Hair thinning:the hair gradually appears less dense. You might notice a wider parting or a smaller ponytail without seeing dramatic handfuls of hair.
- Hair breakage: strands snap along their length, leaving shorter pieces, uneven ends or a fragile feeling through the lengths.

Shedding and thinning can happen together, so appearance alone cannot confirm the cause. [American Academy of Dermatology]

With breakage, reviewing heat, chemical services, brushing and conditioning matters. A conditioner can reduce friction and help protect the hair shaft, but that is a different job from addressing a problem affecting hair growth at the follicle.

 What are the most common causes of hair loss in women?

Hair loss is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Some of the more common causes include:

- Telogen effluvium following illness, fever, surgery, emotional stress or childbirth
- Female pattern hair loss
- Hormonal transitions, including postpartum, perimenopause and menopause
- Iron deficiency, insufficient protein or other nutritional deficiencies
- Rapid weight loss or consistently eating too little
- Thyroid conditions
- Certain medications
- Tight hairstyles and repeated tension
- Autoimmune or inflammatory scalp conditions
- Hair breakage caused by chemical, heat or mechanical damage

This does not mean you need to investigate every possibility at once. The timing, pattern, condition of your scalp and wider health history help a qualified professional decide what may be relevant.

I will explore menopause, rapid weight loss and GLP-1 medicines such as Ozempic, inflammation and medication-related hair loss separately in this series. They deserve proper articles rather than rushed explanations here.

 Why is my hair falling out all of a sudden?

One possible explanation is telogen effluvium, a disruption to the hair-growth cycle that causes more hairs to enter the resting phase and subsequently shed.

Triggers can include an illness with fever, surgery, childbirth, a major emotional event, rapid weight loss, restrictive dieting or changes in medication.

The shedding often appears around three months later, which can make the connection very easy to miss. [British Association of Dermatologists]

Think back over the previous few months rather than only the week in which you first noticed it. However, sudden shedding should not automatically be labelled as stress. Other possible causes may need to be checked.

 Can stress cause hair loss?

Yes, significant physical or emotional stress can trigger excessive shedding. It may also continue when the trigger persists.

I see this with clients during exam periods, intense times at work or difficult seasons of life. The body does not separate physical and emotional demands as neatly as we sometimes imagine.

But "just relax" is hardly helpful when you are worried about your hair. You deserve an explanation and appropriate support without being made to feel responsible for what is happening.

What does hair need to grow well?

A question I am being asked so often as a hairdresser!

For healthy hair growth, your body needs sufficient energy and nutrients. Eating too little, following a very restrictive diet or lacking nutrients such as protein and iron can contribute to hair loss.

A varied diet with regular sources of protein is a sensible starting point. Depending on how you eat, that might include eggs, fish, meat, beans, lentils or tofu. A health professional  can decide whether your symptoms and health history justify testing for a deficiency.

Your scalp matters too. Some infections and inflammatory conditions can affect the scalp and hair follicles. Persistent itching, burning, pain, redness or heavy scaling deserves attention. Equally, a scalp that looks healthy does not rule out a hair-growth problem.

I approach haircare by asking two questions: what support does the scalp need, and how can we protect the lengths? Those answers may be very different.

Which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss?

There is no single vitamin deficiency behind every case of hair loss.

Iron deficiency and hair loss can be connected, while inadequate protein or zinc may also contribute. Iron is a mineral, although it often appears in searches for "vitamins for hair loss."

Ferritin is one of the markers used to help assess the body's iron stores. However, a ferritin result should not be interpreted alone, and there is no universally agreed "perfect" ferritin number for hair growth. A clinician may consider it alongside your symptoms, haemoglobin, other iron markers and signs of inflammation.

And what about biotin for hair growth? Biotin deficiency is rare, and evidence supporting supplements for hair growth in people without a deficiency is limited. High doses can also interfere with certain blood tests, including thyroid tests. [National Institutes of Health]

As a student of functional naturopathy, I am very interested in the relationship between nutrition and hair health. But this makes me want to ask better questions, not assume that everyone needs the same supplement.

Nutritional needs can change during different stages of life, but the right support depends on the individual: their diet, symptoms, health history and, where appropriate, test results. More is not always better, and the word "hair" on a supplement bottle is not proof that you need it.

Can hormones cause hair loss in women?

I am sure it won't really be a surprise but YES, hormones can influence hair growth in several ways. Childbirth and stopping ( or starting!) some forms of hormonal contraception can trigger shedding, while thyroid conditions can contribute to thinning.

n my chair, I have seen women arrive genuinely frightened by a dramatic loss of density after coming off the contraceptive pill, changing contraception or having a new hormonal coil fitted. Some feel as though they have lost half their hair.

This does not mean that contraception is always the cause, but a significant hormonal change may affect the hair-growth cycle. It is an important part of the timeline to consider when investigating sudden or excessive shedding.

Female pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia, commonly causes gradual thinning around the parting and crown. Genetics play a role, and it becomes more common with age and after menopause.

Crucially, women with female pattern hair loss often have hormone levels within standard ranges. Hormonal hair loss does not automatically mean that a blood test will reveal a simple hormone imbalance.

Conditions such as PCOS can sometimes contribute, particularly alongside symptoms such as irregular periods, acne or increased facial hair.

Postpartum hair loss, menopause and hair thinning will each be explored properly in this series.

Below is a photograph of the first time I experienced noticeable thinning around my hairline. In 2021, at a time when I did not yet know that I had food intolerances. I had recently undergone blood tests and had been told that everything was “fine”, yet my hair was clearly showing me that something had changed. Can you see the 3 grey hair? they were my first and they appeared during this season. Coincidence? I don't think so...

Why is my hairline thinning

A thinning hairline in women is a pattern, not a diagnosis. It may be caused by breakage, general shedding, female pattern hair loss, repeated tension or, occasionally, an inflammatory scalp condition.

Repeated pulling from very tight ponytails, buns, braids or extensions can cause traction alopecia. This often affects the hairline and, when the tension continues for long enough, can become permanent.

As a hairdresser, I understand that a slick ponytail can feel like everything on day three after shampooing. You do not necessarily need to give it up, but keep it occasional, avoid pulling the hair painfully tight and vary the position of your hairstyles.

The main concern is the repeated tension, not simply whether the styling gel is "natural." Natural does not automatically mean gentle. Some styling products may also leave fragile hair feeling dry or stiff, so choose a formula that suits your hair and avoid aggressive brushing when removing it. This one is the most gentle gel I do know.  

Look at what else is happening around the hairline. Are you seeing short broken hairs or soft new growth? Is the hairline gradually moving backwards? Is there itching, redness, burning, scaling, shiny skin or eyebrow loss? A changing hairline accompanied by those symptoms should be assessed promptly by a dermatologist.

The photograph below was kindly shared with me by one of my Instagram followers and shows her experience of postpartum hair loss.If the amount of hair feels frightening, please remember that postpartum shedding looks different for every woman. Not everyone experiences it, and when it does happen, the timing, duration and amount of hair shed can vary considerably from one person to another.

Does washing your hair make it fall out?

Seeing hair falling out in the shower does not, by itself, mean that shampoo caused it. Washing and brushing are often simply the moments when hairs that have already been released become more visible.

Avoiding washing is not a treatment for the underlying cause. My advice is to use a gentle shampoo suited to your scalp, condition your lengths and detangle carefully.

Also consider the quality of your brush, something we do not always think about. The bristles should not feel painfully rigid or pull unnecessarily through the hair. Fragile hair benefits from less friction, less force and gentler handling.

Can shampoo stop hair loss? 

Be cautious when a shampoo is presented as the complete solution to hair loss.

There is no single hair loss shampoo capable of treating every cause. The right haircare can support the scalp, reduce breakage, protect fragile strands and temporarily improve how full the hair looks. It cannot replace assessment of an underlying medical cause.

When I read a product claim, I want to know what it actually means. Does "less hair fall" refer to reduced breakage? Does "thicker hair" mean a temporary fuller appearance? Has the finished formula been studied for the result being promised?

An ingredient name on the front of the packaging is only the beginning. I want to understand its form, the overall formulation, the concentration where disclosed, the evidence behind it and whether it is suitable for the person using it.

I apply the same thinking to supplements. Seeing "vitamin C," "iron" or "hair support" on the front of a bottle does not tell you about the dose, form, complete ingredient list, quality standards or whether you genuinely need it.

That is the approach I want you to have when shopping at SO Hair Boutique: understand what you are choosing and what you can reasonably expect from it.

What I do like about a shampoo designed for hair prone to falling is the way it can support the scalp and protect fragile hair while growth takes place. It cannot correct the internal cause of hair loss, but it can cleanse gently, reduce avoidable breakage and create a fresh, stimulating scalp experience.

Davines calls its shampoo Energizing, and that name feels particularly appropriate to me. With ingredients including caffeine, peppermint and eucalyptus, it gives the scalp an invigorating sensation while supporting fragile hair. The minty freshness does not prove that new hair is being created, but it really makes the scalp feel awake and turns washing into an intentional part of a supportive hair routine.

“Energizing” describes what I believe a good hair-loss shampoo should honestly do: support, strengthen and invigorate and without pretending to solve every cause of hair loss.

Will my hair grow back?

It depends on the cause.

Telogen effluvium often improves, although restoring visible volume takes longer than settling the shedding. The shedding phase commonly lasts three to six months, while persistent triggers can prolong it. [British Association of Dermatologists]

Other conditions require specific treatment. For female pattern hair loss, options such as minoxidil may help some people, but results vary and treatment usually needs to continue to maintain the benefit. A clinician or pharmacist can advise on whether it is suitable for you. [NHS]

The earlier the cause is correctly identified, the sooner you can receive the right advice. This matters particularly when follicles may be at risk of permanent damage.

When should I see a doctor about hair loss?

Book a GP appointment if your hair loss worries you, persists or affects your wellbeing. You do not need to wait until it becomes severe. The NHS recommends finding out what may be causing the loss before approaching a commercial hair clinic. [NHS]

Seek prompt medical assessment if you notice:

- Rapidly developing bald patches
- A progressively receding hairline
- Pain, burning, sores or pustules
- Marked redness or scaling
- Smooth or shiny areas where follicle openings seem absent
- Loss of eyebrows or body hair alongside scalp hair loss

These changes can require specific medical treatment. [American Academy of Dermatology](https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/causes/18-causes)

As your hairdresser, I can help you recognise changes, care for fragile hair and make styling feel more manageable. Diagnosing a medical cause belongs with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

You do not have to work it all out alone, and you certainly do not need to buy everything that promises regrowth. Start by understanding the change. Then you can choose your next step with far more confidence.

My functional naturopathy perspective

As a student of functional naturopathy, I would encourage you not to look at hair loss as an isolated symptom. Hair is influenced by the wider picture: what we eat and absorb, hormonal transitions, stress, sleep, illness, medication and the demands placed on the body.

Rather than immediately asking, "Which product will stop my hair loss?", it may be more helpful to ask, "What changed in the months before the shedding began?"

Sometimes, the hair is simply showing us that the body has been through more than we realised. That does not mean guessing, self-diagnosing or taking every supplement available. It means becoming curious, noticing the pattern and knowing when to ask the right professional for help.

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! This article is intended for education and does not replace personalised medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Coming next: Postpartum hair loss: when it starts, how long it lasts and what can help, followed by I'm losing my hair: what should I do and who should I consult?

Now, feel free to DM me any question on instagram... @London_hair_colourist_

With Love, Clarisse XXX