Why am I losing hair?
Finding more hair in the brush, the drain or on your pillow is unsettling. The good news: most hair loss has an identifiable cause — and many causes are temporary.
Written by the HEADS Hair Knowledge Team · Last updated · Educational content, not medical advice
Everyone sheds 50–100 hairs a day — normal renewal, not loss (what many here call ordinary hair fall, or nalalagas na buhok). It becomes worth investigating when shedding clearly increases for weeks, your ponytail feels thinner, or your parting slowly widens. These are the eight causes we see most often:
1. Telogen effluvium — the stress response
Two to four months after a major stressor — high fever (including dengue or a bad flu), surgery, crash dieting, emotional shock — a large share of hairs enters the resting phase at once and sheds together. It looks dramatic but usually resolves on its own within 6–9 months once the trigger is gone.
2. Postpartum shedding
During pregnancy, high oestrogen keeps hairs in the growth phase; after delivery they catch up on shedding. Very common, very temporary — most mothers see recovery within a year. A clip-in topper can bridge the thin months without any commitment.
3. Androgenetic (pattern) hair loss
The most common permanent form in both women and men — genetically determined sensitivity of follicles to DHT. In men it shows as a receding hairline and crown thinning; in women usually as diffuse thinning along the parting while the hairline holds. It is gradual and progressive, which is why early action matters. Our detailed guides: hair loss in women and hair loss in men.
4. Thyroid and hormonal conditions
Both an under- and overactive thyroid can cause diffuse shedding, as can PCOS and perimenopause. A simple blood panel gives clarity — this is a classic reason to see a doctor rather than guess.
5. Nutritional gaps
Iron deficiency (very common in menstruating women), low ferritin, vitamin D deficiency, zinc deficiency and sudden low-protein diets all show up in hair first. Supplement only what a blood test says is missing — more is not better.
6. Traction and styling damage
Years of tight ponytails, heavy extensions fitted badly, or relaxers can thin the hairline permanently (traction alopecia). This one is preventable: looser styles, professional fitting, breaks between installs. (It is also why we insist on weight-appropriate, professionally fitted extensions — done right, they protect rather than damage.)
7. Alopecia areata — the autoimmune form
Round, coin-sized bald patches that appear suddenly. It is an autoimmune reaction, not stress or hygiene, and it needs a dermatologist. We cover it in depth — including the emotional side — on our sister platform alopecia.ph.
8. Medication and illness
Chemotherapy is the obvious one, but blood thinners, retinoids, some antidepressants and beta blockers can also trigger shedding. Never stop a medication on your own — discuss alternatives with your doctor.