Press Room

What causes thinning hair?

At any given time, around 80% to 90% of the 150,000 hair follicles on your head are in the anagen, or growing, phase of the hair growth cycle. With anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 hairs not actively growing at any one time, it’s normal to shed an average of 100 hairs per day. However, if you’re shedding more than 100 hairs a day, or if you notice your hair thinning in concentrated spots on your head, it could be time to address a problem with hair loss.

Thinning hair can be due to a number of factors, from poor diet and stress, to age, to hormonal changes (post pregnancy, menopause) or medication, or even illness. You may wish to seek medical advice to identify the root (no pun intended) cause of your slowed hair growth or thinning hair.

A good diet complete with essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals is important to help maintain healthy hair growth. The nutrients we eat go into our bloodstream, and from there, essential nutrients are delivered via tiny capillaries to the dermal papilla, which nourishes growing hair. However, because the body considers hair and nails non-essential body parts, they can be among the last parts to be nourished by the ideal minerals and vitamins for hair growth. As a result, excellent diet and nutrition play an even more important role in maintaining healthy long hair and maximum hair growth.

Illness or a nutritional imbalance may not have an effect on the hair or nails for at least three months after the event. What happens to your body today is not going to affect your hair tomorrow. It takes a number of months in line with the telogen, or resting, phase of the hair growth cycle to see visible effects..