Hair Sheds 50-100 Strands a Day, Right?

[LaShanne]

I keep hearing about how hair naturally sheds up to 100 hairs per day, yet I read threads almost everyday with people panicking if they lose more than 20 strands of hair. Whats up with that erplexed?
Since I joined LHCF I've learned so much about my hair and I'm grateful. However, I've also become real anal where my hair is concerned. Satin caps and pillows, co-washing, oils,lotions and potions, no-mo touchy, "protective styles" etc. Do I need to start counting how many hairs I lose per day too? I read that when your hair gets longer it appears that you're losing more hair, but you're really not. Is it possible to comb your hair without losing ONE strand? Dont seasonal changes affect shedding also? How do I know if the hair I'm shedding is my normal 50-100 or if I have something to be concerned about?
Sorry about rambling...I'm trying to KISS for '08, but I dont want to ignore something I need to take notice of. I also dont want to over-react and add shedding to my already stress-filled day. Comments?

 

[Dayjoy]

I must admit--don't bash me-- that when I hear about someone troubled over losing more than 10 hairs in a wash session, I think that just MAYBE they are overreacting. I've always heard that average is 80 strands per day and if you're not combing every day they just add up. I find it difficult to believe that one can lose only 3 strands when combing, but that's just me. Also, you know a hair is shed when you have that little whitish bulb at the root. If you have no bulb you know its breakage. I haven't gotten in touch enough with my hair to know my shedding cycles, but I usually notice if I am losing more hair than normal.

 

[daniemoy]

Good thread! I was thinking the same things. When I bun for a couple days I shed. And I am now constently looking to see if my hair has the bulb at the end and if its under 50. Its usually like 20. I was driving myself crazy trying not to shed at all... I also think losing only 3 hairs is impossible. For now on I am going to worry about breakage only

 

[*Muffin*]

On average people lose 50 to 100 hairs a day, but for some people it may be normal to lose less than 40 a day, and for others they may lose about 150 a day. It varies from person to person. As long as the hairs a person is losing have follicles attatched at the roots, then it is normal shedding. But I admit I am guilty of getting paranoid sometimes at seeing normal sheddage. Back when I was abusing my hair, I never saw sheddage, just breakage that fell like dandruff on my shirt. So when I see long strands coming out when I comb (sometimes a lot if I haven't combed my hair for a while) I can get kind of paranoid. But then I tell myself that it's normal .

 

[wheezy807]

I must admit--don't bash me-- that when I hear about someone troubled over losing more than 10 hairs in a wash session, I think that just MAYBE they are overreacting. I've always heard that average is 80 strands per day and if you're not combing every day they just add up. I find it difficult to believe that one can lose only 3 strands when combing, but that's just me. Also, you know a hair is shed when you have that little whitish bulb at the root. If you have no bulb you know its breakage. I haven't gotten in touch enough with my hair to know my shedding cycles, but I usually notice if I am losing more hair than normal.

I sooo agree with you. If that were the case i would've given up a long time ago. I don't count my hairs never have, never will. As long as i can tell my shedding from breaking. As long as my shedding is not much more than usual.

 

[MariposaSexyGirl]

I think they say 100 hundred hairs a day by breaking it down instead of using one lump sum a year. Every one doesn't really loose 100 hairs a day. Like one day I will have shedding then the next day none. A week will pass and I shed again.I think by the end of the year if you saved every last hair you lost and you add it up it probably would equal 100 hairs a day. Thats what I think. But who's counting their hairs every single day?

 

[Kawaii1]

I've found that it's best to ignore other peoples shedding/breakage patterns. If you try to have the same results as someone else you will be crazy paranoid. Your hair is different then others. I do count sometimes but that is when I notice more hair lose then normal. I am trying to learn when my hair need protein and I normally over moisturize my hair making it stretchy.

It's the breakage that counts or if you are shedding like crazy. Breakage is a problem just worry about your protein/moisture balance.

 

[changedlife]

I don't understand this as well, however I don't agree with people saying that shedding 100 strands/a day is normal . If I shedd 100 strands/day in one week I would be bald erplexed. Right now I am in shedding time, I am shedding like 15o strands on wash days and like 1o strands every day, I am so sad about this and I am desperate to find solution to stop my hair from shedding, it has been going on for a month now . Normally I shedd like no more than 5 strands a day.

 

[LaShanne]

thanks for your responses...I guess if I focus more on "breakage" and not so much on shedding, then I'm on the right track to healthy hair. I guess after reading all those shedding threads, I started wondering if I was missing something.

You guys dont realize how much you influence me. It's obvious I have a ways to go to become "one" with my hair

 

[EMJazzy]

I don't understand this as well, however I don't agree with people saying that shedding 100 strands/a day is normal . If I shedd 100 strands/day in one week I would be bald erplexed. Right now I am in shedding time, I am shedding like 15o strands on wash days and like 1o strands every day, I am so sad about this and I am desperate to find solution to stop my hair from shedding, it has been going on for a month now . Normally I shedd like no more than 5 strands a day.

Pay close attention to the products you are using. One day I was bugging at how bad my shedding would get everytime I used Victoria's Secret So Sexy Conditioner so I quickly determined that there is something in that particular conditioner that my scalp reacts badly too because it doesn't happen with any other conditioner that I have in my stash.

On your wash days when you lose 150 strands try a different poo and see if the same thing happens that way you can determine if it's the product you're using or if you are really going thru a "shedding cycle".

HTH

 

[Serenity_Peace]

I think they say 100 hundred hairs a day by breaking it down instead of using one lump sum a year. Every one doesn't really loose 100 hairs a day. Like one day I will have shedding then the next day none. A week will pass and I shed again.I think by the end of the year if you saved every last hair you lost and you add it up it probably would equal 100 hairs a day. Thats what I think. But who's counting their hairs every single day?

This is me. I'm the same way. But my hair has never really shed that much anyway, even when I wasn't taking care of it. They say that you're supposed to lose *on average* 50 to 100 hairs a day. So those losing less, that's just how their hair works. Everyone is different. For me, I'm much more concerned with breakage and must less concerned with shedding. I think I'm more anal when it comes to breakage because, as most fine-haired ladies, fine hair is prone to breakage. So I try to address that mores o than worry about shedding because that's normal, particularly during this time of year.

Those of you who are shedding right now. Don't panic, it's a normal phase of the growth cycle.

 

[Serenity_Peace]

I don't understand this as well, however I don't agree with people saying that shedding 100 strands/a day is normal . If I shedd 100 strands/day in one week I would be bald erplexed. Right now I am in shedding time, I am shedding like 15o strands on wash days and like 1o strands every day, I am so sad about this and I am desperate to find solution to stop my hair from shedding, it has been going on for a month now . Normally I shedd like no more than 5 strands a day.

Remember that often shedded is VERY fine, almost translucent and difficult to see. I found a few the other day and they look almost clear, with the white bulb on the end. It was weird.

 

[nicki6]

I'm a member of the constant shedder club and I've given up trying to solve it.


Its 'normal' for me and my hair isn't suffering for it so I have to stop obsesssing over it

 

[growinstrong]

I am another constant shedder. My hair is very fine too (sigh) I dont comb my hair during the week and I wash once per week (Saturdays). So when I see a lot of hair, I just figure its all the saved up hair during the week. This past Saturday, I washed and lost more than a 100 strands, but I also had breakage . So, I need to focus on my breakage issues versus my shedding issures.

 

[RainbowCurls]

I must admit--don't bash me-- that when I hear about someone troubled over losing more than 10 hairs in a wash session, I think that just MAYBE they are overreacting.

Ditto.

Unless it's breakage, or it's coming out far, far too much (like when I was taking a certain medication and losing nearer to 200 a day) it's best to just ignore shedding IMO.

 

[Jade Feria]

For some reason, it seems like I shed more when I have a considerable amount of new growth. I have fine hair also, and I sometimes panic when I notice 80-90 shed hairs in my shower comb. Then again I don't comb my hair outside of the shower, so it's most likely built-up from non-combing days. I tell myself that every time I detangle in the shower, LOL. As long as my breakage is minimal, I'm good.

 

[changedlife]

Thank you EmJezzy and Serenity. Jazzy, I am using the same products I have been using for six months now. I don't think it's products problem; it may be diet, shedding time, or healthy condition since I had many procedures done in my mouth in these few months. Still trying to figure out the cause .

 

[asubeauty]

I don't worry too much about shedding. It's part of a hair's normal cycle: it grows, then it stops growing for a little while and eventually falls out. Totally normal. I would be worried if it were obviously obsessive (very large clumps of hair or bald spots or something) and then I would see a doctor.

If I know that I am taking good care of my hair, I really don't let shedding bother me too much.

I also keep in mind that every short hair may not be breakage, but a shed hair growing back in. (Of course, several short hairs in one area makes me worried...)

 

[FutureMD]

There have been a lot of good responses here. 100 hairs a day is totally normal and healthy...that old hair has to be expelled for new hair to take it's place. Unless you are have some other issues, you won't shed enough hair to even notice. You have 10's of thousands of hairs on your head. 100 isn't that many. I'd like to add that in addition to the fact that shedding can fluctuate based upon hormonal changes (some people see a lot of hair growth or loss during pregnancy, other times, excessive loss can be indicative of other hormonal imbalances) and/or seasons(although in winter, it's probably dryness and thus breakage), to give yourself peace of mind, you should check the hairs that you are losing for the bulbs. Unless your hair is thinning out severely or you are developing a bald spot, don't stress about hairs that have the bulb on the end. If I think that i see more hair than normal, I check for the bulb. Also, do you comb your hair out every single day...b/c if you don't, you might see a lot of hair when you finally do sit down to detangle or whatever, and on other days if you don't comb as thorougly, you might see almost nothing.
But at the end of the day, hair that is TRULY shed will have a tiny white bulb on the end...you can usually feel it but it is visible to the naked eye in regular bathroom light. If you see the bulb, no matter how long the hair is, it's shedding. Hope that helps.