Hair

Just a really quick note to say that I still have hair. Indeed, I still have all, if not most, of my newly curly hair. Every day in the shower as I rub shampoo or conditioner around my head, I notice that a more hairs appear on my hands than usual -- maybe 20 hairs each time I rub my scalp. All the popular sites (i.e. not medical ones) say that the average person loses up to 100 hairs per day. Still, I do not appear to be losing much hair to the Abraxane and hope that if anything hair-oriented has to happen, my hair will thin but I won't lose it all.

This popular eHow site says this about hair loss for the average person:


How Much Hair Does the Average Person Lose a Day?

By Lexa W. Lee, eHow Contributor

As your hair grows, you routinely shed it. The average person loses up to to 100 hairs a day. Normally, new hair grows to replace what you lose.

Growth and Loss 

A single hair typically grows less than half an inch each month, for a total period of a few years. Then it falls out, and new hair replaces it.

Hair Loss Factors 

How much hair you lose each day depends on factors such as how many active hair follicles your scalp has and how fast your hair grows. The more follicles you have and the faster it grows, the more hair you will lose.

Other Factors 

Genetics play a role in hair loss, as does your nutrition, health and stress level.

Reasons for Excess Hair Loss

You may lose more hair than normal (telogen effluvium) due to serious illness, major surgery, inadequate protein intake, childbirth, and medications including antidepressants, retinoids, beta blockers. You may also notice more hair loss from other areas of your body.

Excess Loss Not Permanent 

Excess hair loss usually decreases gradually after the problem is corrected. The amount you lose declines during a six- to eight-month period.

Lexa W. Lee, a writer based in New Orleans, has freelanced for 20 years. Her clients have included WebMD, EverydayHealth.com, "Self", "Central Nervous System News", "Journal of Naturopathic Medicine," and TennisDiary.com. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Reed College, a naturopathic medical degree from National College of Naturopathic Medicine, and was a postdoctoral researcher in immunology.