A Curly Girl’s Guide to a Shower Drain That’s Clogged With Hair
I have big, curly hair—and a lot of it. I only wash it once a week, but that’s enough for tons of dead strands of hair to fall out. You can imagine, then, that my shower drain is often clogged because of my hair. And, honestly, this is one of the most annoying things I deal with on a regular basis. Sometimes it gets so bad that I’m up to my ankles in dirty shower water. (Sorry for the TMI.)
I’m not mad that my hair falls out. After all, hair shedding is completely normal and we all stand to lose 50 to 100 hairs in the shower. What really grinds my gears is that the hair clogs my drain and I often notice when it’s too late. Luckily, I’ve dealt with this pretty much my entire life—so I’m well-versed in addressing it.
One note here: If you notice excessive hair loss, this may be due to one of many underlying medical conditions. These include telogen effluvium, which is a common type of hair loss that causes more frequent shedding due to high stress levels. If you notice more hairs falling out, contact your dermatologist or primary care physician.
With that caveat addressed, let’s get into how I deal when my shower drain is clogged with hair.
Shower Drain Clogged With Hair
Not to brag, but I have real-world experience with clogged shower drains, so I think you’ll find this post to be super informative. Of course, I’ll get into how to clean a shower drain that’s clogged as well as how to prevent that from happening in the first place.
Before getting into that, though, let’s talk about how normal shower hair loss is and what causes it.
Is It Normal For Hair To Fall Out In The Shower?
Yes, it is completely normal for hair to fall out in the shower. Again, when you wash your hair, it’s likely to lose 50 to 100 hairs as a result of shedding in the shower. This is usually true for people regardless of whether they have straight, curly, fine, thin, or thick hair. In fact, it’s more a result of stress, hormone changes, and where you are in the hair growth cycle. (For reference, you typically lose hair the most when you’re in the telogen phase—a.k.a. when your hair is naturally falling out.)
What Causes Hair To Fall Out In The Shower?
There are a handful of reasons why your hair might be falling out when you wash it. These include:
- Genetics
- Hormonal changes
- Increased stress levels
- Being in the telogen phase of the hair growth cycle
- Medical conditions like telogen effluvium
- Hair damage due to excessive styling or product usage
How To Clean A Shower Drain Clogged With Hair
As gross as it is (I gag almost every time I do it), I’ve gotten quite good at clearing the hair from my drain. Below, I share my step-by-step guide—for which I really suggest using a pair of heavy duty gloves.
Step 1: Remove hair from the external part of the drain.
Often, our hair gathers around the drain before fully going down it. You’ll want to start by removing these strands. It’s possible some of them will be partially in the drain. If this is the case, you’ll need to pull the hair out of the drain to completely remove it. (I told you that it’d be good to have gloves.)
Step 2: Grab baking soda and vinegar.
I’d like to thank my Mexican mother for this one. She taught me to pour one cup of baking soda directly in the drain. I like to use a funnel to prevent spillage. Right after that, I’ll pour a cup of vinegar down the same funnel. There’ll be a fizzy reaction, which is what breaks down hair lumps. Pro tip: When I go to the kitchen to get these ingredients, I’ll also set a pot of water to boil to have ready for the next step.
Step 3: Pour boiling water down the drain.
After I’ve left the baking soda and vinegar mix in the drain for five to 10 minutes, I’ll carefully pour boiling water to further clear it. In other words, if there’s a big-old hair clump, the boiling water will help wash it out.
Step 4: Consider snaking the drain.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never properly snaked the shower drain. I have, however, used deconstructed wire hangers to help pull hairs out of the drain. This is the extra disgusting part of the process, so make sure you’re using gloves. If you have a weak stomach, I suggest you skip this step. Some pretty gnarly stuff comes out of the drain.
How To Prevent Hair From Falling Out In The Shower
Use a drain cover.
Hair can’t go down the drain if you use a strainer-like cover for it. This tool helps you easily dispose of any hair that would’ve otherwise gone down the piping and clogged your shower.
Don’t brush too rigorously.
I’ll be the first to admit that I sometimes get rough with my hair when I’m in a rush. That said, it’s important to be more loving to your strands so that they don’t get knocked loose. My recommendation? Use a wide-tooth comb to brush your hair before the shower. This’ll help cut down on hair loss as a direct result of wash day.
Wash your hair with gentle products.
Harsher shampoos and conditioners might make hair follicles weak and lead to increased hair loss. At The Daley Dose, we’re big fans of Verb hair products because they’re on the gentler side. This help keeps your hair where it belongs: on your head. Another note that’s in line with this: Make sure you’re using a heat protectant—especially if you have natural hair. This will keep you hair in tip-top shape, meaning it won’t fall out as easily.
