How much hair should we lose per day?

We often think of balding as a complaint that largely affects men, but many women will struggle through hair loss and thinning too, experiencing the same feelings of self-consciousness, loss and distress. In fact, a woman's hair can start to shed or thin for many reasons throughout her life, from stress and hormones, to menopause and lifestyle factors.

Claire Fullam, Clinical Trichologist at trua.ie, joined Today with Claire Byrne to share her advice on thinning hair and hair loss. She says that while there's an assumption that hair loss is a strictly cosmetic - and therefore less upsetting - problem, she's seen many people really suffer with it.

"We see people who can't leave the house, who had to leave jobs, whose marriages have broken down because of their hair loss, I know people unfortunately who have taken their lives* because of their hair loss", Fullam says.

"The mental health implications of losing hair, quite a significant amount of hair, is huge on people's lives."

Thankfully, she adds, "there's a lot that can be done". "It depends on the type of loss", she explains, with some kinds of conditions preventing hair regrowth, such as scarring alopecias, while others can allow for complete regrowth.

Fullam herself lost "90 percent" of her hair in five weeks due to alopecia areata, which is what led her to working in the area. Now, nine years later, she has a head of flowing auburn locks.

Alopecia, she explains, is an autoimmune condition, which can be "really difficult to control". You can also experience hair loss due to perimenopause, menopause and hormonal changes such as changing birth control or having a child.

Fullam stresses that it's "so normal" for women to shed some hair during those times, "but there's a big difference between hair loss and hair thinning". Everyone's hair will thin, she explains, adding that we should lose somewhere between 50 and 100 hairs per day.

For someone with denser hair, such as red hair or curly hair, they will have around 80,000 follicles on their scalp, while people with blonde hair have around 150,000 follicles. The latter camp will lose around 100 hairs a day.

"You can't grow hair without losing hair", she adds.

However, if you notice a change to how much hair is coming off on your hairbrush over the course of four weeks or so, it might be time to check in with an expert or your GP.

As for treatment, Fullam recommends focusing on scalp health. "You can't have healthy, gorgeous hair without scalp health", she says.

Exfoliating your scalp once a week with a chemical exfoliant is the first step, she suggests. Glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids are great for penetrating your scalp and cleaning out the follicles. Starting small is the best way to avoid irritation, she adds, so ease in by leaving the exfoliant on your scalp for two minutes at first and gradually build up.

"Scalpcare is like skincare, and haircare is like makeup", Fullam says, adding that when it comes to investing in hard-hitting products, maybe put more money into your scalp.

For more tips, listen back to the full interview above.

* If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact The Samaritans (phone 116 123), or Pieta House (1800 247 247).