It happens to everyone eventually. You’re standing in the shower, the water is warm, and you run your fingers through your hair only to realize your palm is covered in strands. It's terrifying. You start wondering, "why would my hair be falling out?" while staring at the drain. Honestly, most of us go through a mini-panic attack the second we see a thinning patch or a widening part.
But here’s the thing: your hair is basically a giant mood ring for your internal health. It’s a non-essential tissue. When your body gets stressed—whether that’s from a high fever, a terrible breakup, or just not eating enough iron—it decides that keeping your hair attached to your head is a luxury it can’t afford. It redirects that energy to your heart, your lungs, and your brain.
The shock to the system: Telogen Effluvium
Most people who suddenly notice clumps of hair falling out are actually experiencing something called Telogen Effluvium (TE). It’s a mouthful, but basically, it’s a "resting phase" gone wrong. Your hair has a life cycle. About 90% of it is growing at any given time, while the rest is chilling in a resting phase.
When you go through a massive physical or emotional shock, your body flips a switch. Suddenly, way more hair than usual jumps into that resting phase. Then, about three months later—just when you’ve forgotten about that bad bout of flu or that stressful job hunt—it all falls out at once. It’s delayed. That’s why it feels so random. You're fine today, but your body is still reacting to what happened last season.
I’ve seen people lose half their hair volume after a surgery or a pregnancy. It’s brutal to watch. The good news? TE is usually temporary. Once the "insult" to your system is gone, the hair starts to cycle back into the growth phase. It just takes an agonizingly long time to see the results.
Why would my hair be falling out? Let's talk hormones
If your hair loss isn't a sudden shedding event but a slow, creeping thinning, you're likely looking at hormones. And no, it’s not just "getting old."
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Androgenetic Alopecia. This is the big one. It’s what we call male or female pattern baldness. It’s genetic. If your mom’s hair got thin or your dad had a receding hairline, you’ve got the blueprint. It happens because your hair follicles are sensitive to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Over time, DHT shrinks the follicles until they just stop producing hair.
The Thyroid Connection. Your thyroid is like the furnace of your body. If it’s running too hot (hyperthyroidism) or too cold (hypothyroidism), your hair is going to suffer. Often, people with thyroid issues notice their eyebrows thinning at the outer edges first. It’s a weird, specific clue.
PCOS and Hormonal Shifts. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a huge driver of hair loss in women. You get too much testosterone, which leads to thinning on the scalp but—frustratingly—extra hair on the face. Life isn't fair.
Nutritional gaps you’re probably ignoring
You can’t grow a garden without good soil. If you’re asking why would my hair be falling out, you need to look at your plate. Iron deficiency (anemia) is perhaps the most common nutritional cause of hair loss, especially in women. Your hair follicles need oxygen, and hemoglobin—which requires iron—is what carries that oxygen.
Ferritin levels are the key here. Ferritin is your body’s stored iron. Most doctors consider a "normal" range to be quite wide, but many hair experts, like those at the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic, argue that you need a ferritin level of at least 70 to keep your hair in the growth phase. If you're at 20, you might feel "fine," but your hair is starving.
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Don't forget protein. Hair is made of a protein called keratin. If you're doing a crash diet or you’ve suddenly gone vegan without tracking your amino acids, your body will scavenge protein from your hair to keep your muscles moving. Stop skipping meals.
Traction and the price of "The Look"
Sometimes the problem isn't internal. It’s what you’re doing to yourself. Traction Alopecia is real and it's permanent if you don't catch it early.
Think about those tight "clean girl" buns, heavy extensions, or even just a ponytail you wear in the same spot every single day. That constant tension literally pulls the hair out by the root and scars the follicle. Once a follicle is scarred, it’s dead. It’s not coming back. If you feel a "headache" when you take your hair down at the end of the day, that’s your scalp screaming for mercy.
Medications that trigger the shed
It’s a cruel irony that some things meant to make us feel better make our hair fall out.
- Blood thinners. Heparin and warfarin are notorious for this.
- Acne meds. Isotretinoin (Accutane) can cause significant thinning in some people.
- Antidepressants. While rare, some SSRIs like Prozac or Zoloft can trigger shedding.
- Beta-blockers. High blood pressure medication is a frequent culprit.
If you started a new pill a few months ago and now you're seeing more scalp, check the side effects list. But—and this is huge—don't just stop taking your meds. Talk to your doctor first. Switching to a different brand or dosage can sometimes solve the problem without messing with your mental health or your heart.
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Stress is a physical weight
We all say "I'm so stressed I'm losing my hair" as a joke. But it isn't a joke. High cortisol levels (the stress hormone) can push those follicles into the telogen phase.
There's also Alopecia Areata. This is an autoimmune condition where your immune system suddenly decides your hair follicles are "invaders" and attacks them. It usually looks like perfectly smooth, round bald spots. Stress is a massive trigger for this. One day you're fine, the next you have a patch the size of a quarter behind your ear. It’s scary because it’s unpredictable.
What actually works?
Stop buying "hair growth" gummies with cute packaging. Most of them are just overpriced sugar and biotin. Unless you actually have a biotin deficiency (which is rare), they won't do much.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is still the gold standard for a reason. It works by widening the blood vessels and extending the growth phase. But you have to use it forever. If you stop, any hair you kept because of the foam will fall out within a few months.
Spironolactone is a common prescription for women with hormonal thinning. It blocks those androgens I mentioned earlier. For men, Finasteride is the heavy hitter, though it comes with its own set of side-effect risks that you need to discuss with a professional.
Actionable steps to take right now
If you are currently dealing with hair loss, don't just wait for it to get better. Take these steps to find the root cause:
- Get a "Full Hair Panel" blood test. Ask for Ferritin (iron stores), Vitamin D, B12, Zinc, and a full Thyroid panel (TSH, T3, and T4). Don't settle for "you're in the normal range"—ask for the specific numbers.
- Track your shed. It's normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day. If you're losing 200+, that’s a problem. Count them for three days to get an average.
- Check your scalp health. If your scalp is itchy, red, or flaky, that inflammation could be causing hair loss. Conditions like seborrheic dermatitis need to be treated with medicated shampoos like Ketoconazole before your hair can grow back properly.
- Switch to "Low Tension" styling. Give up the tight ponytails for a month. Use silk scrunchies and let your hair hang loose whenever possible.
- Audit your protein intake. Aim for at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you're active, you need even more.
- Consult a Trichologist. Dermatologists are great, but a Trichologist specializes specifically in the hair and scalp. They have more time to look at your hair under a microscope and figure out if the follicle is still alive.
Hair loss is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes four to six months to see any real change after you start a treatment because hair grows so slowly. Be patient with yourself. Your body is trying to tell you something; you just have to listen.