For a woman, losing around 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal: they are replaced as you go. Hair loss becomes a concern when it clearly exceeds that rate for several weeks, or when your hair gets thinner, and the most common causes are a recent shock to the body, female pattern hair loss, iron deficiency, the thyroid and hormonal changes. Here is how to recognise the cause, when to see a doctor, which blood tests to ask for and what to do, in the right order.
How many hairs a day is normal to lose?
Each hair lives for several years, then falls out to make way for a new one. This renewal explains daily shedding, which dermatologists generally put at between 50 and 100 hairs. The number varies from day to day:
- On hair-washing days you lose more, because washing removes in one go the hairs that had already come loose over the previous day or two.
- Long hair makes shedding look heavier: the same number of hairs makes a bigger clump in the brush or the plughole.
- In autumn many women notice slightly heavier shedding for a few weeks. It is usually temporary.
Rather than counting, look at the trend: shedding much heavier than usual for more than two months, a thinner ponytail or a widening parting are good reasons to talk to a doctor.
The causes of hair loss in women
Telogen effluvium: shedding after a shock
This is the most common cause of sudden, diffuse shedding. An event pushes a large number of hairs into the resting phase at once; they fall out around two to three months later. Typical triggers: high fever, surgery, a strict diet, severe stress, stopping or changing a medicine. The shedding usually settles on its own within a few months once the cause has passed.
Female pattern hair loss
Genetic and hormonal in origin, it does not necessarily make more hair fall out: it gradually thins the hair on top of the head. The typical sign is a widening parting, while the front hairline stays in place. It can start in your twenties and often becomes more noticeable around the menopause. We cover the signs in detail in our article on thinning hair in women.
Deficiencies: iron, ferritin and more
Iron deficiency is common in women, because of periods, pregnancy or a diet low in meat. Low ferritin (your iron stores) is one of the first things checked when hair is shedding. Other shortfalls can play a part: vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B12, protein. Only a blood test can tell: taking supplements at random, especially iron, is not a harmless habit. See also our guide to hair supplements.
The thyroid
An underactive or overactive thyroid can cause diffuse shedding and drier or finer hair. A simple TSH blood test is enough to check.
Hormones: after childbirth, the pill, the menopause
After giving birth, shedding is common around the third or fourth month and usually settles within the year. Stopping or changing the pill can also trigger temporary shedding. At the menopause, falling oestrogen makes hair finer: read our article on the menopause and hormonal hair loss.
Hairstyles that pull
Tight ponytails, braids, high buns, extensions: constant pulling damages the roots, especially at the temples and along the hairline. Caught early, this traction alopecia is reversible once the tension is released. Everything is explained in our article on traction alopecia at the temples.
How to recognise the cause
Only a doctor can make a diagnosis, but a few pointers help you prepare for the appointment:
- Sudden shedding all over the head, two to three months after a major event: think telogen effluvium.
- A parting that slowly widens, without dramatic shedding: this is the typical picture of female pattern hair loss.
- Shedding with tiredness, breathlessness or heavy periods: have your iron checked.
- Thinning at the temples or hairline if you often tie your hair back: think traction.
- Short, snapped hairs, without the small white root at the end: this may be breakage, not hair loss.
The difference matters, because breakage is treated along the lengths: see our guide breaking hair or hair loss. If you are under 30, our article on hair loss in young women covers the causes specific to that age.
When to worry and which tests to ask for
See your GP or a dermatologist without delay in these situations:
- shedding has been heavy for more than two months, or your hair has been thinning for several months;
- bald patches appear;
- your scalp itches, burns, turns red or flakes;
- the shedding comes with acne, irregular periods or more facial hair;
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding and considering a hair loss treatment.
The doctor examines your scalp, asks about the last few months and often orders a blood test. The most common checks are:
- a full blood count and ferritin;
- TSH, for the thyroid;
- depending on the case, vitamin D, zinc or vitamin B12;
- hormone tests if your cycle is irregular or you have acne.
The doctor interprets the results: a value within the laboratory's normal range does not mean the same thing for everyone.
Solutions, cause by cause
The table below sums up, for each common cause, what your doctor checks and what helps most.
| Cause | What is checked | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Telogen effluvium | A shock 2 to 3 months before the shedding | Letting the shedding pass, treating the trigger |
| Female pattern hair loss | Scalp examination, a widening parting | Medical treatment and long-term scalp care |
| Iron deficiency | Ferritin and full blood count | Supplementation prescribed by your doctor |
| Thyroid | TSH blood test | Thyroid treatment |
| Tight hairstyles | Thinning at the temples and hairline | Loosening your hairstyles |
1. Treat the cause with your doctor
Correcting a deficiency, rebalancing the thyroid, reviewing contraception, letting an effluvium run its course: once the cause is treated, hair often grows back on its own. For female pattern hair loss, medical treatments exist, such as minoxidil lotion. They should be discussed with a doctor, who knows the contraindications, particularly during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
2. Look after your scalp
A cosmetic product does not replace a treatment, but it can support hair density over time. Our roll-on hair growth serum by Orvova, a 25 ml bottle, combines 3% rosemary, 3% Redensyl, 2% Aminexil and 2% Anagain, with no minoxidil and no hormones, and is applied without rinsing directly along the parting. Allow at least three months of regular use before judging. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor first.
3. Conceal while you wait for results
Hair grows slowly: it takes months to see a change. In the meantime, a hair thickening powder dabbed along the parting tints the scalp to the colour of your roots, so the skin that showed through is far less visible. It does not make hair grow, but it holds up in the rain and washes out with shampoo.
4. Treat your hair gently every day
Loosen your hairstyles, limit heat from straighteners and hairdryers, detangle wet hair gently and eat a varied diet with enough protein. These habits will not stop hair loss, but they avoid adding breakage to shedding.
The right order of action
- Watch the shedding for a few weeks and note what happened two to three months earlier.
- See a doctor and have a blood test if the shedding continues or your hair is thinning.
- Treat the cause that is found, with your doctor.
- Start a scalp care routine and stick with it for at least three months.
- Conceal the parting day to day while the rest takes effect.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology, Do you have hair loss or hair shedding?, page accessed 2026
- NHS, Hair loss, 2024
Frequently asked questions
How many hairs does a woman lose a day?
Around 50 to 100, slightly more on hair-washing days. What matters is a clear, lasting change compared with what is usual for you.
Which deficiency causes hair loss in women?
Iron deficiency is the most common. Vitamin D, zinc or vitamin B12 are sometimes involved. Have a blood test before taking a supplement.
Is the small white bulb at the end of a fallen hair a bad sign?
No: it is the root of a hair that reached the end of its cycle and fell out naturally. It does not mean the hair will not grow back.
Which doctor should you see about hair loss?
Start with your GP, who can order the blood test. If needed, they will refer you to a dermatologist, or to a gynaecologist or endocrinologist depending on the cause.
Does hair grow back after shedding?
Yes, in most temporary cases: effluvium, a corrected deficiency, after childbirth. For female pattern hair loss, the aim is to slow the thinning with medical follow-up.
What can you do right now about hair loss?
Note what has changed over the past few months, book an appointment for a blood test and treat your hair gently.
Read next: Hair loss from stress and autumn shedding: what is normal and Postpartum hair loss: causes, how long it lasts, what helps.
