Scalp and hair fall: what is normal, what is not, and what a product can do

Finding hair in the brush or the shower drain is alarming the first time you really look. Most of the time it is normal. This guide explains what is normal, how hair actually grows, and what a cosmetic scalp product can and cannot do.

What is normal

• Your scalp carries roughly 100,000 follicles.
• Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. A few strands in the brush is proportionate to that scale.
• At any moment, 85 to 90 percent of your follicles are in the growing phase, which lasts years. The rest are resting, after which the hair sheds and the cycle starts again.

How fast hair grows

Hair grows about 1 to 1.5 centimetres a month, around a third of a millimetre a day. Over three months that is about 3 to 4 centimetres. This is why nothing visible changes in a week, whatever you use.

What a product cannot do

You are born with your follicle count. No product creates new follicles. A cosmetic cannot treat, cure or reverse hair loss, and any brand that says it can is crossing a line.

The hair fibre itself is about 90 percent keratin and is not living tissue. That is why damage to the lengths builds up over time and cannot be healed. It can only be conditioned and slowed.

Why the scalp matters

Your scalp is skin. It has the same barrier, the same oil glands and the same needs as the skin on your face. Most of us look after our faces and never think about the skin our hair grows from. A dry, tight or flaky-feeling scalp, or buildup that needs a proper massage to work through, is a skin-care question, and it is the part a scalp product is for.

No 01 Scalp Serum is a cosmetic for exactly that: it nourishes and conditions the scalp, and helps hair look thicker and fuller. It is not a hair-loss treatment.

When to see a dermatologist

If you are worried about hair loss, have a diagnosed scalp condition, broken skin or irritation, please see a dermatologist. We will always say that, and a cosmetic is not a substitute.

A realistic routine

If you want to look after your scalp: pick a routine you can keep, use it consistently for three months, and judge it against photos of your partings, not against how many hairs you saw yesterday.

Read next: Using hair oils well.