Losing some hair every day is normal. When shedding increases or the hair thins, the cause is usually identifiable, and many types respond to treatment or recover on their own.
Reviewed September 2026 · For information, not diagnosis
Hair loss is rarely an emergency. But some types cause permanent loss if they are not treated early, and hair loss can be the first sign of another condition.
Each hair follicle cycles through a long growing phase (2–7 years on the scalp), a short transition, and a resting phase of about three months, after which the hair falls out and a new one starts. At any moment about nine in ten scalp hairs are growing, so losing 50–100 hairs a day — more on hair-wash days — is normal.
Hair loss becomes noticeable when many follicles switch to the resting phase at once, when follicles gradually shrink, or when they are attacked or damaged.
| Type | What happens | Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) | Inherited sensitivity to androgens. Men: receding temples and crown. Women: widening parting. | Slowly progressive. Treatment can slow or partly reverse it while it is continued. |
| Shedding after a trigger (telogen effluvium) | Heavy shedding 2–3 months after high fever (typhoid, dengue, COVID-19), childbirth, surgery, crash dieting or major stress. | Usually recovers by itself within 6–12 months once the trigger has passed. |
| Alopecia areata | The immune system attacks follicles, causing smooth, round bald patches. | Hair often regrows within a year; some people have repeated episodes. |
| Scalp ringworm (tinea capitis) | Fungal infection, mostly in children: scaly patches with broken hairs. | Needs antifungal tablets; creams alone do not reach the hair root. |
| Traction alopecia | Long-term tight plaits, buns or extensions pull hair out at the hairline. | Reversible if caught early; permanent if it continues for years. |
| Scarring alopecias | Inflammation destroys follicles and replaces them with scar. | Needs a dermatologist early; lost hair does not return. |
A doctor will look at the pattern of loss and the scalp, and may suggest:
Biotin supplements only help hair if you are actually deficient, which is rare. High-dose biotin can also distort some blood tests, including thyroid and heart tests — stop it a few days before blood tests or tell the laboratory.
Oils, serums and home remedies can make hair look and feel better but do not regrow it. Washing hair often does not cause hair loss.
Dandruff is a mild form of seborrhoeic dermatitis: an inflammatory reaction to a yeast (Malassezia) that lives on everyone’s scalp. It causes white or yellowish flakes and itch, and can spread to the eyebrows, sides of the nose and behind the ears. It is not caused by poor hygiene and does not cause permanent hair loss.
A homeopath asks about the pattern and timing of hair loss, any illness or stress before it, periods, diet, sleep and temperament, and chooses one remedy.
Using homeopathy safely with hair loss
There are no good-quality controlled trials showing that homeopathic remedies regrow hair or control dandruff.
More broadly, the largest independent assessment — the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s 2015 review of 176 studies — found no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition, and advised against using it for conditions that are chronic, serious or could become serious. People often do feel better after a long, unhurried homeopathic consultation; in one controlled trial in rheumatoid arthritis, the benefit came from the consultation rather than the remedy.
In practice: if you choose homeopathy, use it alongside the care described on this page, not instead of it — and tell each practitioner what the other has prescribed. More on the research →
These are the traditional descriptions (“keynotes”) from the homeopathic materia medica, listed so you recognise names a practitioner may mention. They are not evidence that a remedy works and not a guide to self-treatment. Homeopaths choose one remedy for the whole person rather than by diagnosis.
Described for early thinning and greying at the temples and crown, in people with digestive complaints.
Described for weak, falling hair and brittle nails, slow to recover after illness.
Described for hair falling in patches, with an itchy scalp.
Described for hair loss after grief or childbirth, with an oily scalp.
Described for hair falling from the scalp, eyebrows and beard together, with exhaustion.
Described for brittle hair and a scalp sensitive to touch, in warm-blooded people.
Described for dandruff with yellow, sticky scales, worse in warm rooms.
Described for thick, moist crusts on the scalp and hair loss with eczema.
If you would like to try homeopathy, see a registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or MD (Hom)) who will take a full history, knows your other treatment and will tell you when you need a medical specialist. Take your prescriptions and recent test reports with you.
No homeopaths have a profile on NeedsDoctor yet, so we cannot suggest one here. Choosing a homeopath explains how to check a practitioner’s qualifications and registration.
Are you a homeopathic doctor? Create your profile so readers of this page can find you.
This page is general information, reviewed September 2026. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine without talking to the doctor who prescribed it. In an emergency in India call 112 (ambulance 108).
