- Hair fall between 50 and 100 strands daily is considered normal by experts
- Shampoo should be applied only to the scalp using fingertips, avoiding vigorous drying
- Using filtered water for the final rinse and avoiding hot water helps maintain hair health
Seeing strands of hair in the shower drain or on a hairbrush is worrisome. For many women, it has become an increasingly common concern. The primary reasons for such heavy hair fall are often stress, hormonal changes, poor nutrition, pollution, frequent styling, and other lifestyle habits.
In the new episode of the All About Her podcast, actress Soha Ali Khan, with actress Kritika Kamra and celebrity hairstylist Yianni Tsapatori, discusses the reasons behind hair fall, what's considered normal and how to wash it to prevent further breakage.
What Is Considered Normal Hair Fall
Losing between 50 and 100 strands is normal, Tsapatori said, “I think you need to be a little bit more careful with and be more observant about what happens.” He also suggested visiting a salon, maybe once a month, if someone notices excessive hair fall, to have their scalp scanned to find out the reason.
How To Wash Hair
Further in the episode, the trio discussed how to wash hair properly. Tsapatori mentioned that people must shampoo only their scalp using their fingertips and never skip the crown area. When asked whether shampoo needs to be left on the scalp for a few minutes before washing it off, the hairstylist said, “Not necessarily,” and advised people not to dry their hair too vigorously.
He added, “I think that doing the simplest things ever, it's the best way to go about it. You don't have to leave the shampoo on it. Just take your time. Massage your scalp as much as possible. Make sure that you're cleaning your hair because a lot of residue is there. Like, I'm talking not only about products; I'm talking about pollution as well.”
Tsapatori also advised using filtered water for a final rinse and advised against using very hot water to wash hair. He shared that air-drying hair with a good leave-in conditioner is a good option to keep hair healthy and hydrated.
How To Prevent Hair Fall
To prevent hair from breaking or falling, Tsapatori suggested, “One tip that I can give you, get the right shampoo. Don't keep on changing shampoos. Don't play around all the time. What I usually advise people is to find two shampoos that work for you. Use it for four months. Use one for four months, use the next one for four months, and alternate throughout the year. I think these will give you that kind of balance.”
He asked people to use a mask right after shampooing, then follow up with a conditioner of their choice. “I would advise you to use a mask right after, because you know the hair has cuticles. So when you wash it, pretty much the cuticles open, right? And becomes very rough. So that's the right time to use a mask because the mask will penetrate the hair. It's going to go inside, and it's going to hydrate it from within and then use a conditioner.”
“Don't overuse products,” he warned, adding that people need to identify problems with their hair before using products like minoxidil.
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