If you've noticed more hair in the shower drain, on your pillow, or in your brush, the first question isn't "how do I stop this"—it's "what actually is this." Not all hair loss follows the same pattern, and knowing which one you're dealing with changes what actually helps.
Hair Shedding: Temporary and Cyclical
Every strand of hair on your head is cycling through phases — growing, resting, and eventually releasing to make room for a new strand. When more hairs than usual shift into the shedding phase at once, it's called telogen effluvium. It's triggered by things like stress, postpartum hormonal shifts, illness, seasonal change, or nutrient deficiencies — your body responding to a disruption, not a permanent shift in how your hair grows.
Shedding tends to be diffuse (spread evenly across the scalp), temporary, and often improves once the underlying trigger resolves.
We've written in depth about stress-related shedding and postpartum shedding if either sounds familiar.
Female Pattern Hair Loss: Progressive and Localized
Female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) is a different process. Instead of shedding evenly, hair follicles gradually miniaturize over time — producing thinner, shorter strands with each cycle, typically concentrated along the part line and crown rather than spread across the whole scalp. It's progressive, meaning it develops gradually over months or years rather than showing up as a sudden spike.
Genetics and hormonal sensitivity play a role here — including sensitivity to DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a hormone that can affect follicle miniaturization over time in people genetically predisposed to it. It's worth being clear about what that means and doesn't mean: DHT sensitivity is one contributing factor among several, not the sole cause, and Bomme does not contain or claim to act as a DHT blocker. Our approach focuses on supporting the broader scalp environment rather than targeting a single hormone pathway.
How to Tell the Difference
A few questions worth asking yourself:
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Is it sudden or gradual? A noticeable increase over a few weeks points toward shedding. A slow thinning over months or years points toward pattern loss.
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Is it spread out or concentrated? Diffuse, all-over shedding vs. thinning concentrated at the part or crown.
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Can you trace it to a trigger? A stressful period, illness, or postpartum timeline often points to shedding. No clear trigger, and a family history of thinning, points toward pattern loss.
These aren't a diagnosis — a dermatologist can confirm which you're experiencing, especially if it's been going on for months without improvement. But recognizing the pattern is a useful first step before deciding what kind of support actually fits your situation.
Supporting Both, From the Scalp and From Within
Whether shedding or pattern-related thinning is closer to what you’re noticing, the scalp environment plays a role in both. Inflammation, oxidative stress, irritation, buildup, and imbalance can make the scalp less supportive of healthy-looking hair. This is why Bomme is built around consistent support from the outside and inside.
The Revitalizing Scalp Shampoo and Revitalizing Scalp Toner are formulated with the same core botanicals behind BLH308™—persimmon leaf, green tea, and sophora fruit—to support a balanced, healthy scalp environment. In 4-week clinical testing, the Shampoo showed a 65.2% reduction in hair shedding, while the Toner showed a 71.6% reduction in hair loss count with consistent use.
Root Renewal Supplements support hair health from within. In a 24-week, placebo-controlled clinical study, BLH308™ complex was associated with statistically significant improvements in the appearance of hair density and thickness versus placebo, with measurable results beginning as early as week 8.
Individual results may vary. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The Bottom Line
Shedding and pattern hair loss are not the same problem, and they do not follow the same timeline. But both benefit from a scalp environment that is supported consistently over time — with realistic expectations, not just reactive care once shedding becomes obvious. Understanding what you’re seeing is the first step toward choosing the right kind of support.
