Does My Hair Color Affect Hair Loss?

While you may have heard that blonds suffer more hair loss than brunettes, the reality is that your natural hair color doesn’t have any effect on your likelihood of experiencing hair loss.

“We don’t see any clinically significant differences in hair loss if you have blond hair, brown hair, black hair or red hair,” says Dr. Ken Washenik, Chief Medical Director of Bosley Medical Group.

Hear From Dr. Ken Washnick, Chief Medical Director of Bosley Medical Group

Physiological Differences 

The contrast between your hair color and scalp can affect how your male pattern baldness looks, but that has less to do with physiology and more to do with perceived eyesight. If you have dark hair and a light scalp, your male pattern baldness will be more apparent than someone whose hair and scalp have similar colors.

That being said, there are physiological differences between the hair of those with different natural hair colors. One of them is the actual amount of hair follicles they have. Whereas natural blonds have anywhere from 120,000-147,000 hairs, those with brown or black hair usually only have 100,000-120,000. And redheads typically average only 90,000 hair follicles. Scientists believe that this is due to the fact that darker hair contains more melanin (which provides a barrier to UV rays), so darker haired people don’t need as much hair to provide the same level of protection.

Abnormal Hair Loss

No matter what color your hair is, it’s normal to lose anywhere from 50-100 hair follicles a day. If you think that you’re experiencing an unnatural amount of hair loss, it’s important to see a physician to determine the true cause of your hair loss. If your hair loss is due to a hereditary condition (such as male pattern baldness), surgical and medical approaches to hair restoration might be options.

To learn more about your hair restoration options, download Bosley’s FREE guidebook, The Complete Book On Hair Restoration, to see how great your hair can look. Or schedule a free consultation with a Bosley specialist today.