Finding a strand of hair on your shirt is hardly unusual. Neither is seeing a few in the shower or noticing some caught in your hairbrush.

The problem starts when you begin noticing a lot more of them.

Perhaps your brush seems fuller than it used to. Maybe your parting looks slightly wider in photographs. Your ponytail may feel less substantial, or you might find yourself checking the shower drain more often than you would like.

At this point, it is easy to wonder whether you are simply shedding more hair than usual or whether something else is happening.

The answer is not always obvious from the amount of hair you see. Hair naturally falls out as part of its growth cycle, and the number of loose strands can vary. What matters more is whether there has been a noticeable change in your usual pattern and whether your overall hair density is changing.

Understanding how hair grows can make these changes easier to recognise. It can also help you decide when it may be worth seeking hair loss treatment in South Africa.

Your hair is not growing all at once

Every hair on your scalp has its own timetable.

While one strand is growing, another may be resting and another may be preparing to fall out. This staggered process allows your scalp to maintain a fairly consistent covering of hair rather than losing large amounts at once.

The cycle has three stages.

Anagen is when your hair grows

Anagen is the active growth phase. Cells inside the hair follicle produce the hair shaft, allowing the strand to become longer.

This stage can last for years. How long an individual hair remains in anagen helps determine how long it can grow before it eventually leaves the growth cycle.

At any one time, most scalp hairs are in this stage.

Catagen is the short transition

Catagen is the brief period between active growth and rest.

The follicle stops producing hair at its previous rate and begins to shrink. The strand is no longer actively growing, although it remains in place.

This phase generally lasts only a few weeks.

Telogen is when the hair rests before shedding

Telogen is the resting phase. The follicle is inactive while the existing hair remains attached for a period of time.

Eventually, the hair is released and falls out. The follicle can then begin the cycle again.

This is why finding hair in your brush is not, by itself, evidence of a problem. Shedding is built into the way your hair grows.

Most people lose around 50 to 100 hairs a day, although there is no exact number that applies to everyone.

The mirror can tell you more than the shower drain

Counting individual hairs is surprisingly unhelpful.

You might lose more hair on one day and less on another. Washing can also make shedding seem more dramatic because hairs that had already detached from the follicle are removed at the same time.

Instead of counting strands, look at what is happening to your hair overall.

Normal shedding should not usually produce an obvious change in the thickness or coverage of your hair. If your hair looks much the same from month to month, a few loose strands are unlikely to tell the whole story.

Hair loss becomes more noticeable when there is a change in density or pattern.

Your parting may gradually become more visible. The hair around your temples may look thinner. Your hairline may change. You might notice that your scalp shows through more clearly under certain lighting.

These changes can be subtle at first, which is why photographs can sometimes be more revealing than the mirror. A picture taken several months apart can show a gradual change that is difficult to spot when you see your hair every day.

A quick self-check

If you are trying to work out whether you are dealing with ordinary shedding or possible hair loss, consider what has changed rather than how many hairs you have found.

• Look at your parting. Does it appear wider than it did previously?
• Check your hairline. Has the shape changed, particularly around the temples?
• Look at your overall density. Does your hair feel noticeably thinner when you run your hands through it or style it?
• Check for areas of thinning. Is there a particular patch or region where the scalp is becoming more visible?
• Think about timing. Has the change been present for a few days, several weeks or several months?
• Look at old photographs. Comparing pictures taken at different points can reveal changes that are easy to miss day to day.

The more of these changes you notice, the more useful it may be to have your hair loss assessed.

More shedding does not always mean permanent hair loss

There is another reason shedding can be confusing: sometimes the amount of hair being shed increases temporarily.

A period of physical or emotional stress, illness, major changes in weight, nutritional problems and hormonal changes can affect the hair cycle. In some cases, more hairs enter the resting phase and are shed later.

This can make the timing particularly confusing. The event that affected the hair cycle may have happened weeks or months before the extra shedding becomes noticeable.

So, seeing considerably more hair in the shower does not automatically mean your hair follicles are permanently being lost.

On the other hand, persistent thinning should not simply be dismissed as normal shedding. Some types of hair loss develop gradually, with individual hairs becoming finer over time. Others produce a more noticeable change in particular areas of the scalp.

The reason behind the hair loss is important because different causes can call for different treatment.

What if the change is happening gradually?

Gradual hair loss is easy to overlook.

There may be no obvious moment when you realise something has changed. Instead, your hair may slowly become less dense over months or years.

You might notice it when styling your hair differently, looking at an old photograph or seeing your scalp more clearly than before.

This is one reason it can be useful to pay attention to changes rather than waiting until hair loss becomes pronounced.

If you are concerned, a doctor can assess the pattern and ask about factors that may be relevant, including your health, medicines, recent changes and family history. In some cases, they may also consider whether further tests are needed.

When should you get it checked?

A change in shedding for a short period is not necessarily a reason for concern. However, persistent or noticeable hair loss is worth discussing with a doctor, particularly if you are seeing clear thinning or changes in specific areas.

Sudden hair loss, distinct patches or hair loss accompanied by other changes should also be assessed.

The goal is not simply to find a way to make the shedding stop. It is to work out what may be causing the change in the first place.

That can prevent you from spending time and money on products that may not address the reason your hair is changing.

• RELATED POST: 4 Common Myths About Hair Loss Treatment in South Africa

Get access to hair loss treatment in South Africa with Zapmed

If your hair has changed and you are unsure why, Zapmed gives you access to registered doctors who can assess your concerns and discuss the options available to you.

For anyone looking into hair loss treatment in South Africa, a medical consultation can help establish whether you are experiencing increased shedding, a particular type of hair loss or another issue affecting your hair. From there, your doctor can advise on whether treatment is appropriate and what may be worth considering for your individual situation.