A gentle hair-care routine while you're shedding: what to do and what to skip

First, why gentle care matters

The AAD says it's normal to shed 50 to 100 hairs a day. Shedding a lot more than that is called telogen effluvium. It often follows a stressor, such as losing 20 pounds or more, giving birth, a high fever or a lot of stress. Our guide to telogen effluvium explains why it happens and when it usually stops.

A gentle routine won't stop that kind of shedding. The hairs that are going to fall out are already on their way. What a routine can do is keep the hair you still have from breaking. The AAD says thinning or shedding hair is fragile and easily damaged, and that everyday habits like rough towel-drying, tight styles and heat can add breakage.

So think of this routine as protecting your hair while your body readjusts. The AAD says hair from stress-related shedding tends to regain its normal fullness within six to nine months.

Washing: gentle, and on the scalp

Many people cut back on washing when they see hair in the drain. The AAD notes that some women scale back on how often they shampoo when facing hair loss, and that this rarely gets to the root of the problem. The hairs you see in the shower were already loose.

What the AAD recommends instead:

• Use a gentle shampoo. Some shampoos can strip moisture from your hair.
• Wash your scalp, not the length. Apply shampoo to your scalp, then let it rinse through the length of your hair rather than rubbing it in.
• Wash based on your hair. The AAD says people with straight hair and an oily scalp may want to shampoo every day, while dry, textured, curly or thick hair may need it less often.

Our guide to shampoo for thinning hair covers what to look for in a wash routine.

Conditioning: every time

The AAD says to apply a moisturizing conditioner after every shampoo. Conditioner coats your strands, which reduces breakage and split ends.

• If your hair is fine or straight, the AAD suggests putting conditioner on the ends.
• If your hair is dry or curly, apply it along the full length.
• Add a leave-in conditioner or detangler after each wash. The AAD says this helps reduce breakage, split ends and frizz.

Hair care is one part of the picture, and steady meals are another, especially when shedding follows eating less. Olive is a health companion that checks in with you every day, looks at what you eat, and helps you build small habits that actually hold. It doesn't diagnose or treat anything, so the shedding itself is a question for a dermatologist.

Drying: blot, don't rub

Wet hair is at its most delicate. The AAD's advice:

• Wrap, don't rub. Wrap your hair in a towel or T-shirt to absorb the water. The AAD says rubbing hair dry can cause damage.
• Use a microfiber towel. It helps hair dry faster, which cuts down on blow-drying time.
• Air-dry when you can. If you use a blow-dryer, use the lowest heat setting.

Combing and brushing

The AAD says tugging on your hair while brushing or combing it can lead to hair loss. To keep it gentle:

• Use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair instead of a brush.
• Straight hair: let it dry a bit before you comb.
• Thick, curly or textured hair: comb while it's damp. The AAD says the best time for thick, curly hair is in the shower, before you rinse out the conditioner.
• Start at the ends and work up toward the scalp.
• Brush only enough to style. The AAD lists brushing 100 strokes a day as a habit that damages hair.

Heat and styling

Heat weakens hair, and the AAD's advice is to cut back while you're shedding:

• Save curling irons, flat irons and hot combs for special occasions.
• When you do use heat, use a low or medium setting and a heat-protecting product.
• Skip hot-oil treatments. The AAD says they heat up the hair and further damage fragile hair.
• Try styles that don't need products with long-lasting hold.

Styles: loose, not tight

This one matters more than most. The AAD says that frequently wearing a hairstyle that pulls on your hair, such as a tight bun, ponytail, pigtails, cornrows or braids, can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. Over time, anything that pulls on your hair can cause permanent hair loss.

While you're shedding:

• Wear your hair loosely pulled back, or down.
• Use covered elastic bands made for hair.
• If you wear a weave or extensions, the AAD says to choose light ones that don't pull and to have them put in at a salon.
• If you have a habit of twisting or pulling your hair, try to stop. The AAD says it can weaken already fragile hair.

Color, perms and relaxers: wait

The AAD recommends stopping at-home coloring, perming, chemical straightening and relaxing when you're losing hair. If you want one of these services, go to a salon that specializes in it, and make sure it uses a moisturizing conditioner afterward.

The AAD also suggests spacing out touch-ups and choosing one chemical service rather than several at once.

Habits beyond the bathroom

The AAD lists a few habits that affect your hair beyond your wash routine:

• Eat enough. Not getting enough of some nutrients, such as iron or protein, can lead to hair loss. Eating too few calories every day can also cause significant hair loss.
• Stop smoking. The AAD says smoking causes inflammation throughout the body, which can worsen hair loss.
• Be careful with supplements. The AAD says hair-growth supplements aren't regulated by the FDA for safety and effectiveness before they're sold, and that getting too much of certain nutrients, including selenium, vitamin A and vitamin E, has been linked to hair loss. A blood test can show whether you're actually low in something.

If your shedding started after quick weight loss on a GLP-1 medicine, our GLP-1 hair loss guide covers that pattern.

When to see a dermatologist

A gentle routine helps, but it doesn't replace a diagnosis. The AAD says hair loss has many causes, and the sooner you find the cause, the better your chance of getting results. See a board-certified dermatologist if:

• Shedding lasts longer than a few months or keeps coming back.
• You see patches, a widening part or a receding hairline.
• Your scalp is itchy, red, scaly or painful.
• You can't link the shedding to any trigger.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Talk with a board-certified dermatologist about your own hair, and don't start, stop or change any medicine or supplement without your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Should I wash my hair less while it's shedding?

Not necessarily. The hairs you see in the drain were already loose. The AAD recommends a gentle shampoo on the scalp and conditioner after every wash, rather than skipping washes.

What's the best way to dry shedding hair?

Wrap it in a microfiber towel instead of rubbing, let it air-dry when you can, and use the lowest heat setting if you blow-dry.

Can tight hairstyles make shedding worse?

Yes. The AAD says styles that pull on your hair, like tight buns, ponytails and braids, can cause traction alopecia, which can become permanent over time.

Should I stop coloring my hair while it's shedding?

The AAD recommends stopping at-home coloring, perming and relaxing. If you want a service, go to a salon that specializes in it.

Do hair-growth supplements help with shedding?

The AAD says these supplements aren't regulated for safety and effectiveness before they're sold, and too much of some nutrients is linked to hair loss. Ask your doctor about a blood test first.

How long until my hair looks full again?

For shedding after a stressor, the AAD says hair tends to regain its normal fullness within six to nine months. See a dermatologist if it doesn't.

Steady habits while your hair recovers

Shedding settles as your body readjusts, and steady meals help that along. Olive checks in with you every day and notices what's keeping your body stuck.

If steady habits haven't moved stubborn weight, Olive's Protocol is one option to look into. Prescriptions are only written after a medical consultation with a licensed provider. Not everyone qualifies.

See how Olive works →