Quick answer: losing around 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, and wash day always looks worse. Check a fallen hair. A small white bulb on the end means it shed from the root. No bulb and a short, snapped end means breakage. Sudden heavy shedding after a baby, an illness or a stressful stretch needs your GP. Breakage is what Genesis Sérum Anti-Chute Fortifiant is made for: Kérastase says it reduces hair fall due to breakage, and it is our price $76.50 (RRP $102).
Updated 15 November 2026 by the stylists at Next International, an authorised Kérastase salon in Oxenford and Upper Coomera on the Gold Coast since 1992.
Is it normal to see this much hair in the shower?
It is the question we hear most from the chair: someone has been pulling clumps out of the plughole and is sure they are going bald.
Usually they are not. Every hair grows for a few years, rests, then lets go so a new one can come through. Losing somewhere around 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, and the Australian health service Healthdirect puts it at around 100.
Loose hairs sit in your hair until something moves them, and shampoo and conditioner do exactly that. Wash every three days and you see three days of shedding at once. Long hair makes it look like even more.
What matters is a change from your normal: clumps, patches, a wider part or more scalp showing.
Is my hair shedding or breaking?
Pick up a few fallen hairs and look closely at one end. This is the quickest self-check we know.
| Shedding | Breakage | |
|---|---|---|
| What the end looks like | A small white or pale bulb at the root end | No bulb. A blunt, frayed or split end |
| Length | Full length, often your longest hairs | Short pieces, often a few centimetres long |
| Where you see it | Shower drain, pillow, all over the scalp | Brush, towel, bench and on your shoulders |
| Common causes | Normal hair cycle, or a trigger such as a baby, illness, stress, low iron or thyroid change | Brushing, tight styles, heat, bleach and colour, dryness |
| Who to see | Your GP if it is sudden, heavy or patchy | Your stylist |
| What helps | Treating the cause, then patience while it settles | Gentler handling, a trim and a strengthening routine such as Genesis |
The white bulb is not a piece of your scalp. It is the end of a hair that finished its cycle, and the follicle will grow a new one. Many people find some of each.
Why is my hair suddenly falling out?
When shedding suddenly ramps up, doctors often call it telogen effluvium. A shock to the body pushes more hairs into the resting stage at once, and they fall out together two to three months later. That delay is why it catches people off guard.
Common triggers include:
- Having a baby. Postpartum shedding usually starts two to four months after the birth. It can be confronting, but it is very common and usually settles by your baby's first birthday.
- Illness or surgery. A high fever, a bad virus or an operation can show up in your hair months later.
- Stress, crash diets or big weight loss.
- Low iron, thyroid changes, other health conditions or a new medication. Your GP can check these with a blood test.
No product fixes this kind of shedding on its own. See your GP if it is sudden or heavy, lasts more than six months, comes out in patches, or comes with tiredness, weight changes or a sore scalp. They may refer you to a dermatologist. We would rather you get an answer than spend money on the wrong thing.
What does Kérastase Genesis serum actually do?
Genesis is for weakened hair prone to hair fall due to breakage. It is cosmetic hair care. It does not regrow hair or treat medical hair loss.
Genesis Sérum Anti-Chute Fortifiant is a leave-in serum you apply to the scalp once a day. Kérastase lists its key ingredients as Aminexil, which it says helps anchor the hair fibre at the root, ginger root extract to help protect against everyday stress on the hair, and caffeine. Edelweiss native cells feature across the wider Genesis range, including the mask.
What Kérastase says:
- A clinical study of 99 people found it helps reduce the rate of hair fall after 6 weeks.
- Up to 84% less hair fall due to breakage. This figure comes from using the shampoo, mask and serum together, not the serum on its own.
- A stronger hair fibre when used with the Genesis system.
What our clients notice is hair that feels stronger and fuller, with fewer snapped pieces in the brush. That is a realistic goal. A thicker ponytail in two weeks is not.
Which Genesis product should I start with?
Start with the Genesis serum if you only buy one thing. It is the daily scalp step, it is our best seller, and it suits all hair types. Use it every day for the full 6 weeks.
Add the Genesis shampoo next. Bain Hydra-Fortifiant is for thin or oily-rooted hair. If your hair is thick or dry, choose Bain Nutri-Fortifiant at the same price.
For men, Genesis Homme is the version made for weakened hair prone to thinning and hair fall due to breakage. Pair it with Bain de Masse Épaississant, our price $48 (RRP $64).
What is the full Genesis routine for hair fall?
| Step | Thin or fine hair | Thick or dry hair |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | Bain Hydra-Fortifiant, our price $48 (RRP $64) | Bain Nutri-Fortifiant, our price $48 (RRP $64) |
| Conditioner | Fondant Renforçateur, our price $57.75 (RRP $77) | Fondant Renforçateur, or go straight to the mask |
| Mask, 1 to 3 times a week | Masque Reconstituant, our price $75 (RRP $100) | Masque Reconstituant in place of conditioner |
| Daily scalp serum | Genesis Sérum Anti-Chute Fortifiant, our price $76.50 (RRP $102) | Genesis Sérum Anti-Chute Fortifiant, our price $76.50 (RRP $102) |
| Heat protection | Genesis Thermique, our price $57.75 (RRP $77) | Genesis Thermique, our price $57.75 (RRP $77) |
Shampoo, mask and serum, the trio behind the 84% figure, comes to $199.50 at our prices. Shampoo, conditioner and serum comes to $182.25. Prices are ours, checked on 15 November 2026, and are 25% below the RRP Kérastase lists for Australia.
If your hair is fine and lacks density rather than snapping, Densifique may suit you better. Start with Densifique Bain Densité, our price $48 (RRP $64), and read our Genesis vs Densifique guide.
How do I use Genesis serum?
- Use it once a day, morning or night, for at least 6 weeks.
- Start on a dry or towel-dried scalp.
- Part your hair into sections. Kérastase says to apply 4 doses in total, with 1 dose being a pipette filled to the mark.
- Drop it onto the scalp, not the lengths, and massage in with your fingertips.
- Do not rinse. Style as usual.
Consistency matters more than quantity, so tie it to something you do every day, like brushing your teeth.
How can I stop my hair breaking?
Habits do a lot of the work:
- Detangle from the ends up with a wide-tooth comb.
- Swap tight elastics for scrunchies or claw clips.
- Use heat protection every time and turn the straightener down.
- Book a trim. No product joins a split end back together.
For more detail, read our honest guide to Kérastase Genesis for hair fall, or compare every serum in our Kérastase serum guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much hair loss is normal in a day?
Most people shed somewhere around 50 to 100 hairs a day, and Healthdirect puts it at around 100. Wash days look worse because several days of shedding comes out at once. If you suddenly lose far more than usual, or it comes out in clumps or patches, see your GP.
Why is my hair falling out in the shower?
Usually because washing releases hairs that had already finished growing, so you see a few days of shedding in one go. Short, snapped pieces with no white bulb point to breakage instead, which is what Genesis is made for.
Does Kérastase Genesis serum actually work?
For hair fall due to breakage, Kérastase says yes: it reports a clinical study of 99 people over 6 weeks, and up to 84% less hair fall due to breakage when the serum is used with the Genesis shampoo and mask. It is a cosmetic hair care product. It does not regrow hair or treat medical hair loss.
Can Genesis stop postpartum hair loss?
No product can stop postpartum shedding. It is driven by hormones and usually settles on its own within the first year. Many new mums use Genesis in that time to cut down on breakage. Check with your GP first if you are breastfeeding or worried.
How long does Genesis serum take to work?
Kérastase says to use it once a day for 6 weeks, and its clinical results are measured at that point. Give it the full 6 weeks before you judge it.
Is there a Genesis serum for men?
Yes. Genesis Homme Sérum Fortifiant Anti-Chute is made for men with weakened hair prone to thinning and hair fall due to breakage. Our price is $76.50 (RRP $102), the same as the original Genesis serum.
Need help choosing?
Next International is an authorised Kérastase stockist with salons in Oxenford and Upper Coomera, and we sell the current range online at 25% below RRP.
Not sure if you are shedding or breaking? Bring a few of the hairs you have been finding and ask us at your next appointment. We can look at your hair and scalp and tell you whether Genesis makes sense or whether it is time to see your GP: book online in Oxenford or book online in Upper Coomera, or shop the Genesis range. Standard shipping is free Australia-wide on orders over $200. Otherwise it is $14 standard (2 to 8 business days) or $18 express (1 to 5 business days), and click and collect from our Oxenford salon is free.
