Hopefully you’ve read my previous article on brushing and combing your beard, and how important these elements are to proper grooming. If you haven’t, go ahead and check it out here.
Keeping you hair tangle-free and your follicles massaged are important to maintaining a healthy well-kept beard, but maybe you’ve noticed a few hairs left in your brush or comb? Or perhaps a few running down the drain after a wash? Should you be worried? Is your beard falling out? Probably not, hair loss is a normal part of a hair’s life cycle, and when doing research for this article I found that most people lose hair at a rate of 50-100 per day. Keep in mind, this data relates to the hair on your head, there have yet to be any definitive studies specific to beard hair, but we can gather that some hair loss is absolutely to be expected.
There are three widely accepted phases to the life cycle of hairs-- the growing phase (anagen phase), the inbetween phase (catagen phase), and the resting phase (telogen phase). At any given time 80-90% of your hairs are in the growing phase leaving 10-20% in the resting phase. So what exactly does that mean? The anagen or growing phase is exactly what it sounds like, the hair is growing. This phase lasts for the first 2 to 6 years of a hairs life, the hair growing at an average rate of 1/2 an inch per month, longer hair growing at a slower average rate of 1/4 an inch per month. Next is the catagen phase, a short transition period between the anagen and telogen phases lasting approximately 10 days. And finally the telogen or resting phase, the end of the hair’s life cycle, as it is released and falls out. The follicle remains inactive for 3 months and then the cycle is repeated.
You could drive yourself crazy trying to keep track of the number of hairs that either fall out naturally during the course of your day or what comes loose during the maintenance of your beard, but as I said at the start losing some hair is completely natural and nothing to worry about. Maybe your beard is getting rather long and you feel more hairs are coming out than before? Again, don’t worry, longer hairs are more noticeable when they fall out or accumulate on your brush, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re losing more hairs, just longer ones. If you would like a simple test to check your hair loss level, try to get roughly 60 or so hairs in between your thumb and a finger, lightly pull as you run through the length of the hairs. According to Dr. James C. Marotta (a New York based hair restoration specialist) anything up to 5-8 hairs pulled free would be considered normal, whereas an excess of 15 could indicate something other than the normal life cycle of the hair could be the cause of the hair loss.
While I can’t speak to every case, I can say that the loss of hairs is completely normal, natural, and healthy. These can fall out during brushing, washing, oiling, or just walking around. To minimize hair loss, include an effective conditioner such as beard oil or beard dry oil (beard balm) into your routine and make sure that you are grooming your beard with a high quality comb or brush. I hope this information has helped put you at ease concerning the hairs you see in the shower, sink, floor, or brush. Stress can also be a contributing factor to hair loss so take what comfort you can in this article, as we certainly don’t want you to lose any more than will naturally fall out on their own!




Tim says...
Hi Karamveer,
Tim here. Thank you for stopping by the blog. I understand you are concerned about losing hair as well as what a daily routine looks like. I’m happy to help!
Let’s start with the routine. I’d suggest making sure you are washing your beard with a beard shampoo or conditioner at least twice a week. After washing, rinsing, and towel drying your beard you’ll want to apply a beard balm or oil. The helps clean up dead dry skin, condition the beard and then lock in the moisture with the balm or oil. Give it a nice comb or brush after you apply the balm or oil.
On the days you are not washing your beard, you’ll still want to apply balm or oil at least once to help keep things conditioned and clean. If your face or beard feels dry before bed, apply the balm or oil again. Again, comb or brush your beard every time after you apply balm or oil. This helps distribute the balm/oil evenly as well as remove any loose hairs.
After you practice this routine for a month or so, you should see a decrease in those loose hairs when not brushing or combing.
The color, growth, and fullness of your beard is pretty much determined by your genetics. I have all sorts of different colors in my beard and actually enjoy how it looks. There are ways to dye a beard but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Most dyes will be harsh on your hair.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Take care,
Tim
On July 25, 2021
Karamveer Singh says...
whenever i put hands on my beard or beard brush it i got so many hairs on my hand and in beard brush what should i do now . Some of my hairs of beard are becoming brown and one hair become grey.It looks to odd, I don’t use any oil and nothing.I only wash my beard when I wash my face.Please suggest some products name which are less costly as i am a student and can’t purchase costly items . And please give me full day routine to take care of my beard and products with there name too.
On July 25, 2021
Tim says...
Hi Harpreet,
Tim here. Thank you for checking out the blog. I understand you are concerned about how many beard hairs you are losing when washing and combing your beard. May I ask, how often do you wash and comb your beard? Have you noticed the hair loss is just in your beard or also in the hair on your head?
I’m not sure what your beard care routine looks like or what shampoo you have been using but if it seems harsh and does not have natural ingredients that promote hair health, I certainly would switch to something else.
Beard oil won’t solve the issue but it also won’t hurt to use if you haven’t. Your main goal should be to keep your skin and beard clean and conditioned. I accomplish this by using our Beard Shampoo 2-3 times a week. After towel drying my beard I use some Face Lotion and then beard oil to lock in the moisture. After applying beard oil I comb my beard. On the days I do not wash my beard with the shampoo, I use beard oil and comb as well. Hopefully that helps some. Happy to help with any other questions.
Take care,
Tim
On June 04, 2021
Harpreet singh says...
Whenever i wash my beard i get so many hair loss or whenever i put hands on my beard or comb it i got so many hairs on my hand and comb what should i do now i started using beardo oil should i change the comb and shampoo plss let me know
On June 04, 2021
Tim says...
Hi Vyankatesh,
Tim here. Thanks for checking out the article and for your question! As we discuss in the article, the normal loss varies per person but 10-15 sounds well within the norm. Should you start to see the number increase or see clumps coming out, that would be something to cause concern.
Coconut oil is a helpful ingredient for your skin and hair which will help make sure your beard hair is strong. No ingredient or product is going to cause your beard to grow though. Your beard growth comes from your genetics and then you just want to be sure to maintain what you have.
Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
Take care,
Tim
On May 05, 2021
VYANKATESH PILLAY says...
What is a normal beard hair loss?
Should coconut oil is good for beard growth?
I’ve lossing 10 to 15 beard while combing
On May 05, 2021
Tim says...
Hi Nimish,
Tim here. Thanks for checking out the blog! I understand you are concerned about beard hair loss. 10-15 per day could be on the edge of being bad. What do you mean your young beard hairs fall out? They just fall out by themselves or when you touch your beard or comb it?
It could be that you just need to give yourself some time to get a little older and let those beard hairs getting a little stronger and more confident. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and have a well-balanced diet as that can certainly factor into beard hair health.
Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Take care,
Tim
On March 23, 2021
Nimish says...
Sir i an 19 years old and i loose 10 to 15 beard hair per day .my young beard hair also falls out.the beard hair which i have grown in last 6 -8 months are also falling out.i don’t think that this is normal .plz tell sir 🙏🙏🙏
On March 23, 2021
Tim says...
Hi Sean,
Tim here. Thanks for checking out the blog and for your question. If you are losing hairs when applying wax, that means you have not warmed the wax enough and you should definitely stop and warm the wax more if you start pulling hairs out. If you are using an extra firm hold wax like Secondary, I would recommend using a hair dryer on low heat to heat until the wax is soft and pliable. You may have to warm it up a few times during the application and styling process. This will ensure that you are not needlessly pulling those hairs out.
For wax removal, please check out this blog article (https://www.canyouhandlebar.com/blogs/moustache-care/how-to-wash-moustache-wax-out-of-your-moustache-moustache-wax-removal-tips) with tips. Basically, you can use some mild soap, beard shampoo and/or beard oil to safely remove the wax and then use beard oil to condition and soften the moustache.
Our Primary wax is a nice medium hold that is easier to apply for those short points and is easily washed out. Sadly we are out of stock right now but I can let you know the moment we have more in stock.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Take care,
Tim
On February 16, 2021
Sean says...
Hi Tim,
I notice when I use a wax that I frequently lose hairs about 4-10 depending on how long I spend trying to wax and style. Is this natural? I have a hard time massaging wax in after heating it up by either keeping the tin in my pocket or letting the hot water in the bathroom sink run on it.
I’d like something firm to hold the ends together for some nice short points, but I want a product that is also softer on my hair and easier to wash out (water-soluble maybe?) Would a sculpting mud of some kind work?
On February 16, 2021
Tim says...
Hi Jerin,
Tim here. Thanks for checking out the blog and for your comment! I understand you are concerned about beard hairs falling out when you massage your face/beard. It can be normal for a few hairs to fall out but you shouldn’t see large amounts. Do you brush your beard often? If not, it could be that those loose hairs come out when you touch your beard. If you brush your beard often and still see hairs falling out when you massage your beard, that may not be good.
To minimize hair loss, include an effective conditioner such as beard oil or beard dry oil (beard balm) into your routine and make sure that you are grooming your beard with a high-quality comb or brush.
Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Take care,
Tim
On November 01, 2020
Jerin Paul says...
My beard falls out while doing massage…..Is it normal? Or what should I do to stop it?
On November 01, 2020
Tim says...
Hi Nimish Kumar,
Tim here. Thank you for stopping by the blog and for your question. I understand you are concerned about beard hairs coming out when you oil your beard. 3-4 is well within the norm, especially if you haven’t recently brushed your beard when you oil it. If you start to see a very large number of hairs coming out when you oil then it may be a cause for concern but 3-4 is quite normal.
As to the patchy beard, it may very well grow in time but it really comes down to your genetics. We have written an article about patchy beard which you can read here: https://www.canyouhandlebar.com/blogs/beard-care/can-you-cure-your-patchy-beard?pos=1&_sid=360dde51e&ss=r
Please let me know if I can help with anything else. Thank you for stopping by the blog. Stay bearded!
Take care,
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On August 27, 2020
Nimish Kumar says...
Sir I am having 3 or 4 beard hair lost every time I oil my beard. is it normal .and I am 18 years old.and I also have some patchy beard .will it grow by time.
On August 26, 2020
Tim says...
Hi Priyanshu,
Tim here. Thank you for checking out the blog! I understand you are concerned about a part of your beard that has been losing hair and then growing back white hair. How much hair did you lose? Is the white beard hair filling in the same amount? I am not sure how old you are but it might just be that phase of life for you and your beard. I started getting some white places in my beard before I was 30. If the white hairs growing back are the same amount as what you lost, I wouldn’t be too concerned.
Let me know if I can help with anything else. Stay bearded and take care!
Tim
On July 07, 2020
Priyanshu Das says...
Losing Beard Hair in a particular place & grow some white beard hair in that place
On July 07, 2020
Tim says...
Hi Ahmed,
Tim here. Thank you for checking out the blog and for your comment. I understand you are concerned with your beard hair falling out when touching it.
As the article discusses, there are healthy amounts of hair loss and then there are unhealthy amounts. If you feel you are in an unhealthy amount, try to make sure you are keeping your skin and beard clean and conditioned. Make sure you are not touching your beard or tugging on it either.
Additionally, you want to make sure you have a good clean diet to encourage strong and healthy hair. Water and vegetables will go a long way. My advice would be to let your beard grow and try really hard not to touch it unless you are applying oil. Use a brush or comb to gently brush/comb your beard. The bulbs at the end may mean you have some ingrown hairs or that your skin and hair are really dry. This could be from touching your beard too much.
We talk about how touching your beard too much can damage your beard in this article: https://www.canyouhandlebar.com/blogs/beard-care/touching-your-beard?pos=1&_sid=000978808&ss=r
Hope that helps!
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On June 17, 2020
Tim says...
Hi Aarshiya,
Tim here. Thank you for checking out the blog. I understand you are concerned about too much beard hair coming out and having a patch of hair on your face. As the article discusses, there are healthy amounts of hair loss and then there are unhealthy amounts. If you feel you are in an unhealthy amount, try to make sure you are keeping your skin and beard clean and conditioned. Make sure you are not touching your beard or tugging on it either.
Additionally, you want to make sure you have a good clean diet to encourage strong and healthy hair. Water and vegetables will go a long way. As to the patch, you can read our thoughts on curing patchy beard in this article: https://www.canyouhandlebar.com/blogs/beard-care/can-you-cure-your-patchy-beard?pos=1&_sid=25ccbde4f&ss=r
Hope that helps!
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On June 17, 2020
Ahmed Alajely says...
Hello, I’m 21 i grow out my beard for about 3 months and i noticed that my hair is falling out when i touch it, so i decided to shave it and now i am growing it back it has been a month and it is still falling out and the falling hair is so short and it has a bulb at its end and it’s falling when i touch my beard like striking it.
I don’t know what it concerns me is the falling hair is too short.
On June 17, 2020
Aarshiya shaikh says...
Sir i want information about loosing of lots of beard hair at one time or loss of one big patch hair on face that make me worried about my friend plz help us
On June 17, 2020
Tim says...
Hey Akshay,
Tim here. I’m glad you found the article and that it helped you have some peace of mind about that hair loss. I know it can definitely be a concerning experience. Thanks for checking out the blog and for leaving the comment. Be well and stay bearded!
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On June 15, 2020
Akshay Parab says...
God I was so worried! Thank you so much
On June 15, 2020
Tim Kramer says...
Hi Mike,
Tim here. Thanks so much for checking out the blog! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and info. Olive oil is one of many excellent ingredients for healthy skin and hair. Thanks again for checking out the blog! Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On March 16, 2020
Mike says...
Good info thanks slot ,I use olive oil anyway Thanks!
On March 16, 2020
Tim Kramer says...
Hey Jean-Marc,
Tim here. Thanks for checking out the blog! I understand you are concerned about how many beard hairs you are losing and your beard feeling thinner. Thanks for checking with us!
How tight is your braid when you braid your beard? How heavy are the Viking beads? I’m wondering if you are pulling too much on your beard from the braid and beads which would cause more hairs to come out. I recommend a light braid when braiding your beard so you are not pulling and putting too much pressure on your beard hairs. The extra weight of the beads could add to that as well.
Also, if you take the braid out to wash, oil and comb, I would expect you would see hairs coming out as they are probably held in the braid but may have already detached from your face.
I’d recommend either doing a looser braid or taking a break from braiding to see if that helps improve retaining some of those beard hairs.
Hope that helps some!
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On March 05, 2020
Jean-Marc says...
I’m losing a lot of hairs every day when I comb and oil. I keep my beard braided with three viking beads at the end (it’s about 270mm long braided, about 2 1/2 years growth) and I’ve noticed in the last month or two, the beads slip on much easier, and go much higher on the braid. The braid is much much thinner due to the constant clumps of hair coming out when I comb. I’m concerned that I’m going to end up with 3 hairs on my chin.
Jean-Marc
On March 05, 2020
Tim says...
Hey Jerry,
Tim here. Thanks for checking out the blog! I can definitely understand your concern with losing those hairs. You are right, 10-15 a day does add up in a year. The good news is, typically your beard growth keeps up as well. Unless you start noticing big clumps or patches where you used to grow, I wouldn’t be too concerned.
Billy has a great beard and has for years. The whispy part at the end is normal as every beard has a terminal length. Rather than starting over (he’s been growing that beard for decades), he could just trim the end where it is whispy. I do this once or twice a year as my best length is around 10-11"
My advice for you would be to stay patient, let it grow and see what happens. If you start getting whispy at the ends but the rest is full, maybe consider trimming occasionally.
Cheers,
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On July 23, 2019
jerry says...
I’m about 27 months in and i’m concerned about the shedding. 10 to 15 a day adds up in a year. If normal and nothing to worry about, check out Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. His is so whispy, he should start over. That’s my main concern. The Billy Gibbons affect.
On July 23, 2019
Tim says...
Hey Frank,
Tim here. Glad you found us and thanks for checking out the blog. Great question! We actually have an article that address how often you should wash your beard. You can check that out here (sorry, don’t have a way of linking directly): https://www.canyouhandlebar.com/blogs/beard-care/12805169-how-often-should-i-wash-my-beard-or-moustache
The day you are seeing hair loss is the same day you wash it? Or the same day you use beard oil? Sorry, wasn’t sure which you meant. If it is the day you wash it then that is completely normal. If it is a different day and you are losing hair when applying beard oil, that may be normal as well. How often are you combing or brushing your beard?
As addressed in this article, I wouldn’t worry too much unless you are seeing lots and lots of hair loss often and notice your beard feeling thinner.
Hope this helps! Let me know if I can help with anything else, ok?
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On May 08, 2019
Frank says...
Hi there,
Just discovered your website and pretty interesting, wanted to ask you; been growing a beard for 1 year and 2 weeks now; I have to say it´s been growing big and huge. i wash it once a week with beard shampoo and organic beard soap and use beard oil not everyday…that particular day it falls lots of hair. Is this normal? and how many days a week you recommend me washing? I heard washing it everyday is not recommended. Thanks
On May 08, 2019
Tim says...
Hey Gable,
Tim here. Thanks so much for checking out our blog post!
I can certainly understand your concern with the hair loss. From what we’ve learned and what you shared, I think you’re still well within the norm.
Have you had any diet changes or moved or anything like that since the last time you grew out your beard? Those are some of the only other factors that I can think of. Stress, lack of sleep, or a diet lacking proper nutrients could all factor into hair loss in general.
The only other advice I would have would be to be patient, let your beard grow, keep maintaining it with a good beard shampoo, beard oil or balm, and consistent combing/brushing.
Hope this helps some!
Tim
- Can You Handlebar
On January 28, 2019
Gable Rondon says...
Hello, I read the article and a lot of it makes sense, but I still worry my hair loss is abnormal. I’ve been growing a beard for a little while now, and while it’s not thick its definitely full, as it covers most of my face and chin. My concern is randomly and suddenly, I started noticing hairs coming out when I would stroke my chin or when I was washing it. Today for instance I was washing it and counted 8 hairs on my hands that had come out. And this happens fairly often as I wash it about twice a week. I also notice some come out when i put wax into it, and I always make sure to be gentle to not pull any put by force. I’ve never noticed this before when I’ve grown it out and I’m wondering why its happening now. I’m worried at the rate these hairs fall out my bears will soon have thin patches. Any insight you could give me would be great.
On January 28, 2019
Tim says...
Hey Abrat,
Tim here. Thanks for reading! Really sorry to hear you’re seeing a lot of hair loss daily. How often do you wash or condition your beard? And how often are you brushing it?
Some hair loss is expected and not all beard will grow long and thick. There are definitely some genetic limitations that factor in your beard growth. Having a healthy regimen of washing, conditioning (with conditioner or beard oil), and grooming can help to a certain extent.
Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
Tim
Can You Handlebar
On January 22, 2018
abrat says...
i loss my beard many times a day and i have curly beard and my beard thins day by day and i do not grow longer bear and thicker
On January 21, 2018
Tim says...
Hey Carl,
Thanks for reading! Glad that perspective resonates with you. It is easy to get nervous and think something is wrong. Sorry to hear you started completely over but glad you will have a new perspective this time around. Stay bearded!
Tim
Can You Handlebar
On June 29, 2017
Carl says...
The perspective “you’re not losing more hairs, just longer ones” resonates rather well. My last beard bid was 10 months and I believed I was losing hair more frequently, subsequently causing me to restart and take some biotin along the way. But, now I feel all was fine and miss my mane.
On June 27, 2017