Pull Hairs Out

Fingers sliding through hair
Photo: Shutterstock
Q: Often I drag my fingers through my hair (just out of habit) and quite often the odd hair will come out. I don't actively pull the hairs out, but if my hand snags 'gently' a hair will come out.
 
Is this damaging to my hair? And if so, what can I do to remedy the situation if at all possible?
 
A: Well, you have to remember that according to varying studies, the average individual sheds between 75 and 150 hairs a day (in some cases more).
 
On any given day, ten percent of an individual's hair is in the shedding phase of the hair's growth cycle. This means that the root of the hair has detached from the follicle and the club end has shrunk and is ready to be released from the scalp.
 
In many cases, the hair sheds as the new hair grows and pushes the old hair out of the hair canal, but if the hair is tugged on or pulled it will come out quite easily. The difference between this type of hair loss and hairs that are pulled out prematurely are usually obvious from the attached skin often found on hair that is unnaturally removed.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Hair loss
 
The hair growth phases
 
How many hairs do we lose per day?