Q: I have a couple of questions. Well, first of all my hair is always falling out, especially in the shower. Is this normal? I'm talking a lot of hair will fall out. Second, is there anything I could do or eat to make my hair grow longer? It seems as if my hair just doesn't grow like it used to when I was younger. A: It is normal to lose about 100 strands a day, but a sudden increase usually means something in your life is changing. It may simply be your estrogen levels or even the seasons (humans tend to molt in spring and fall, just as other mammals do). Major stresses - a move, a divorce, a serious illness, or injury, pregnancy, birth control pills, even a crash diet - can also induce follicles to go into a resting phase, leading to heavy shedding. (You may not realize hair loss is stress-related because it occurs three to six months after the traumatic event.) If skimpiness continues for more than a few months - and your hairline recedes, your part widens, or ...