Heavy Shedders...

[Daina]

Hi Ladies,

I'm just trying to determine if the shedding I'm seeing is normal. Is anyone else a heavy shedder? I always shed roughly the same amount on wash day regardless if I wash weekly or wait longer but sometimes I worry that it's too much and my hair is trying to tell me something. How do you know when it's too much and somethings wrong? Below is a picture from my latest wash day.

 

[vevster]

Lately I've noticed what I consider increased shedding. I bought a treatment, Olaplex to help fix.

 

[Autumn~Tint~Of~Gold]

That looks totally normal to me. Loss of 100 strands per day is normal...
I find that I sometimes seem to barely shed any and then another week I shed a lot. I have no idea what gives.

If you're not brushing or combing as much you may find more on wash day because the shed hair will have been hanging out amongst your hair till it's washed out.

 

[EzrasNumberOneFan]

if that's heavy than I'm in a world of trouble. And how often do you wash? If you wash one a week or less, I'd say it's normal. Or it could be breakage. Try adding tea to your shampoo, maybe?

 

[Autumn~Tint~Of~Gold]

Lately I've noticed what I consider increased shedding. I bought a treatment, Olaplex to help fix.

Olaplex can't alter the amount of shedding one gets. It may stop breakage but it can't alter the mechanisms of the hair follicles where is where shed hair comes from.

 

[Daina]

Lately I've noticed what I consider increased shedding. I bought a treatment, Olaplex to help fix.

@vevster, thanks Olaplex is HG for me and I use it every wash day as a pre-poo with Philip Kingsley elasticizer. The shed hair above was from waiting 2 weeks to wash.

 

[Daina]

That looks totally normal to me. Loss of 100 strands per day is normal...
I find that I sometimes seem to barely shed any and then another week I shed a lot. I have no idea what gives.

If you're not brushing or combing as much you may find more on wash day because the shed hair will have been hanging out amongst your hair till it's washed out.

@ShredsofDignity, thanks I guess I get nervous with so many people saying they shed no hair on wash day and I just don't see how that's possible since I too thought shedding daily was normal.

 

[EzrasNumberOneFan]

This is two weeks? That's normal.

 

[Daina]

if that's heavy than I'm in a world of trouble. And how often do you wash? If you wash one a week or less, I'd say it's normal. Or it could be breakage. Try adding tea to your shampoo, maybe?

@Israellabaht, thanks I typically wash weekly but the picture above is from waiting 2 weeks. Trying to see if I can stretch my wash cycle to 2 weeks for the winter.

 

[Daina]

Thanks ladies, the above shedding is from 2 weeks and my hair was in a twisted bun the 1st week and I only took it down once to M&S. Week 2 was a low sleek bun and I didn't take it down till wash day which was yesterday so that was 5 days. I also only use a wide tooth comb on wash day in the shower with conditioner, other than that I finger detangle when I M&S every 2 days.

 

[Autumn~Tint~Of~Gold]

@ShredsofDignity, thanks I guess I get nervous with so many people saying they shed no hair on wash day and I just don't see how that's possible since I too thought shedding daily was normal.

No hair???

Either they must have detangled thoroughly pre wash and gotten all the shed hair out or they are not washing thoroughly enough because some shed hair has got to be present.

 

[Saludable84]

@Daina

You forget, us kinky curly girls are forever cursed with hair that always looks like more than what it is.

I actually thought the same a while back and one day I took the ball of hair and began separating strands, only to find the ball of hair contained maybe 20-30 hairs. Since my hair is 4A and APL-BSL, depending on the area some hair is looser (wavy) or tighter (curlier), so it really affected perception.

From what you have shown in the pictures posted, you seem completely normal.

 

[Sally.]

I lose more hair than that after only a week! Two weeks I lose nearly bundles of hair. I'm not sure if its normal or not. I don't think it is because I don't think my hair is really growing anymore since its not retaining much. I'm trying to up my protein.

 

[Evolving78]

@Israellabaht, thanks I typically wash weekly but the picture above is from waiting 2 weeks. Trying to see if I can stretch my wash cycle to 2 weeks for the winter.

You are fine! Those people that get one hair a week are an anomaly.

 

[sunnieb]

You are completely normal.

Sometimes I think I lose that amount of hair every other day! You'd think I'd be bald by now, but I'm still rockin' a head full of hair.

 

[bajandoc86]

I lose WAY more than that on a weekly basis.

 

[GGsKin]

I lose about the same or more weekly. You don't want to see my two weeks. My longest layers are a little past APL.

 

[Daina]

Thanks ladies you all have made me feel a lot better! I had secretly been struggling with this for a few months thinking what I was shedding was abnormal. I was starting to doubt what I was doing was working.

 

[Curls&Justice417]

Yeah, that's definitely a great amount for two weeks. That's even good for one week, I'd say!.

 

[DST1913]

I was actually going to start a thread like this. I was reading if it doesnt have a bulb on the end then you have breakage and this shouldn't happen. I was wondering how women have zero shedding especially on wash day??!!! Had me thinking my hair was damaged. I have a little more than this every week when I wash my hair. You ladies made me feel its normal.

 

[PlatinumBronze]

I'm a heavy shedder. I did a hard protein treatment last night because my shedding was getting worse.

My shedding is always worse when I don't wrap my hair at night and wear a ponytail or bun.

 

[Curls&Justice417]

I was actually going to start a thread like this. I was reading if it doesnt have a bulb on the end then you have breakage and this shouldn't happen. I was wondering how women have zero shedding especially on wash day??!!! Had me thinking my hair was damaged. I have a little more than this every week when I wash my hair. You ladies made me feel its normal.

I still don't understand when people say they have found a product/technique that has STOPPED their shedding. Because that's impossible, all hair sheds. Just like we shed skin cells all the time, we just don't see it. It's natural. As long as my hair is not coming out in clumps I ain't worried lol. Maybe they just mean reduced their shedding? Either that or they're confusing shedding with breakage...

 

[Daina]

@AriellePatrice, your post is why I was worried! On here LHCF, you tube, instagram all the time folks talking about they had zero shedding on wash day. I truly thought something was wrong with me. I think you are right maybe folks are confusing shedding with breakage? I'm just glad to know mine is in the normal range.

 

[MileHighDiva]

In the late fall, I start shedding on a whole nother level. Alter Ego Garlic Mask and HV's Methi treatment help reduce the extra hair fall tremendously,

 

[kxlot79]

It's possible to have very little to no shedding, but that would involve interrupting your hair's normal follicular life cycle. That usually only happens with a chemical or hormonal reaction. Many pregnant women have extreme reduction of shedding (like every other day, once a week, or less) but that's the hormones extending the anagen stage. Some people (including myself) see reduced shedding with coffee/tea rinses, and that's thought to be the caffeine stimulating the follicles.
Whenever you remove the stimulant, all the hair that was supposed to come out (usually suddenly) does. So if you're uncomfortable seeing your little 100 strands, imagine going on a anti-shedding regimen and then stopping or having it fail, you'd see clumps fall out all at once that were overdue.

 

[Daina]

It's possible to have very little to no shedding, but that would involve interrupting your hair's normal follicular life cycle. That usually only happens with a chemical or hormonal reaction. Many pregnant women have extreme reduction of shedding (like every other day, once a week, or less) but that's the hormones extending the anagen stage. Some people (including myself) see reduced shedding with coffee/tea rinses, and that's thought to be the caffeine stimulating the follicles.
Whenever you remove the stimulant, all the hair that was supposed to come out (usually suddenly) does. So if you're uncomfortable seeing your little 100 strands, imagine going on a anti-shedding regimen and then stopping or having it fail, you'd see clumps fall out all at once that were overdue.

@kxlot79, thanks makes sense and I experienced this with my last pregnancy...very little shedding but I still had some. It just perplexes me when people claim they don't loose a single hair, that's just not normal.

 

[kxlot79]

Unicorns definitely exist, but they're statistically irrelevant. Like someone posted up thread, it's much, much likelier that they aren't thoroughly detangling. That or they're doing something to extend their anagen phase.

@kxlot79, thanks makes sense and I experienced this with my last pregnancy...very little shedding but I still had some. It just perplexes me when people claim they don't loose a single hair, that's just not normal.