Handfuls of hair falling out daily
You run your fingers through your hair and come away with a clump. The shower drain clogs. Your pillow and your brush are full of strands each morning.
Everyone sheds some hair each day. A sharp jump in shedding often begins two or three months after a shock to the body. A high fever, surgery, childbirth, a crash diet, a new drug, or heavy stress can all set it off.
Doctors call this pattern telogen effluvium. Many hairs stop growing at the same time, then let go together weeks later. The thinning tends to spread over the whole scalp rather than form bald spots.
When to see someone
See a doctor if you have smooth bald patches, or a scalp that is sore, scaly, or itchy. Book a visit if you also feel very tired, feel cold, or your weight has changed. Get checked if a child is losing hair, or if heavy shedding lasts more than six months.
Below is a list of traditional and home remedies people have used for this kind of shedding. Each one carries an evidence grade. The grade shows how much research has looked at it, not that it will do anything for you.



