THE hair has always been my strong point. But when they fall more abundantlyas in this period, they cause me great concern. I find them in the brush, on the pillow, on the collar of the coat and I ask myself: how much hair is normal to lose every day?
Isabella
Professor Pucci Romano answers
Pucci Romano he is a doctor specialist in Dermatology and Venereology and teach theCatholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome. Member of national and international dermatological associations, he collaborates with national magazines and newspapers. He is president of Skinecoscientific association of ecomatology, and de The Found Bodyfor dermocosmetological care in cancer patients. She is the author of “Buddhist by chance” (Bompiani), “You don’t get old at the table” (Giunti), “A friend for your skin” (Giunti), “Beauty food: the beauty diet” (Sperling&Kupfer), “Questions of skin” (Sperling&Kupfer). He also recently published his first novel, “The Solution”. Through its social profiles it spreads knowledge on eco-dermocosmetics and beyond every day.
Hair loss: how much per day?
Hair represents an essential element of non-verbal communication: through its appearance we convey identity, health and even our mood. Because of this the fall, despite being a physiological phenomenon, often tends to generate alarm. In reality, the daily loss can be quantitatively significant without being a red flag. Even over one hundred hairs a day are normal, since each follicle follows its own cycle and when one hair falls out another is already starting its growth path. The physiological fall has a defined time and does not extend indefinitely. The problem is when the loss is prolonged over time and is associated with symptoms such as trichodynia, a pain in the scalptoday traced back to the role of stress, capable of releasing inflammatory substances responsible for the discomfort.
Stop the false myths
Numerous myths persist in daily hair management. The idea that cutting hair strengthens it has no basis: shortening them only changes the perception of their consistency. Even washing them every day isn’t a riskprovided that suitable products are used. On the contrary, practices such as the “hundred brush strokes”, once iconic even in cinema, constitute a true mechanical trauma. Tools like hairdryers and straighteners can damage the hair shaft and encourage trichoptylosis, the so-called split endswhich reduce the quality of the hair, but do not affect the integrity of the follicle. Lacquers, foams and gels do not cause hair loss, but their safety depends on the formulation. Protective serums free of petrochemicals and silicones can be allies of the hair because they shield it from heat. Perms and straightening treatments also damage the shaft, not the follicle.
Speaking of dyes, then, none can be defined as “natural”. Even henna involves a chemical process, albeit a more delicate one. This is not to demonize them, but to recognize that the label “natural treatment” can be misleading. In any case, even with respect to dyes, any damage is borne by the stem, not the follicle. This means that dyeing your hair doesn’t make it fall out. Wearing a helmet does not cause hair lossbut it can create a “greenhouse effect”, especially in people with greasy hair. In these cases frequent washing helps. Tying your hair is not harmful in itselfunless the traction is excessive and repeated. Swimming pool chlorine is not good for your hair or skin: Applying a vegetable oil before the cap helps protect against mechanical trauma and chlorinated water.
When to worry
Among the conditions that deserve attention there is certainly androgenetic alopecia, which depends on the sensitivity of the follicle to androgen hormones and it mainly concerns men. Don’t spare them women, especially in menopause or on antiaromatase therapy after breast cancerwhen the reduction of estrogen makes the androgenic action more evident. If you want to undergo a transplant it is best to make sure that the timing is adequate. In fact, it is advisable to intervene when the sensitivity to hormones has partially attenuated, so as to encourage better rooting of the transferred follicles. Alopecia areata, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies attack the hair bulb, generating patches without hair. Still different is the defluvium in telogen, which involves the entire scalp and can appear after chemotherapy, infections, postpartum, menopause or systemic stress such as Covid. Hair also responds to environmental changes: prolonged solar radiation tends to push them towards the pause phaseanticipating the periods of seasonal fall. In the end, smoking has proven to have a particularly negative impactwith oxidative effects that compromise the shine and vitality of the hair. The well-being of your hair is one more reason to stop.
Anti-hair loss supplements: which ones to choose
The role of nutrition is also fundamental for hair health. Overly restrictive diets promote hair loss. In addition to eating healthily, we can help ourselves with adequate supplements. Those specific to hair may have two objectives: improving the quality of the follicle or stimulating the anagen phaseor that of growth. Iron, zinc, silicon and selenium are crucialsince deficiencies of these elements, in particular iron, are often reflected first on the hair than on other body areas. Copper is also a friend of the hair, as it helps to slow down its whitening. Molecules such as NAC (N-acetylcysteine), MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and B vitamins promote the synthesis of keratin. Be careful though, the results are not immediate: it takes at least two or three months to see improvements. Annurca apple-based supplements represent a support that can also be used in cancer patients. Minoxidil, despite being a symptomatic treatment, helps to prolong the life of the follicle in vulnerable phases.
Vitamin D plays an essential role: values around 40–50 ng/mL are associated with better functioning of the renewal processes. Also conditions such as insulin resistanceidentifiable via HOMA test, can contribute to the fall together with the onset of acne and the presence of polycystic ovaries. In short, hair loss is a complex phenomenon in which physiology, daily behaviors, general health and environmental factors converge. Understanding the mechanisms allows you to distinguish what is normal from what deserves attention and to adopt truly useful habits to keep them healthy over time. Without unnecessary alarmism.