How much breakage is too much?

[BeatriceFly]

When I am combing after a wash, I've been noticing less shedding woohoo!!

But now I am seeing breakage in the sink afterward!!
How much is too much??

Here is a pic... about 95% breakage for sure!



I'm thinking its more than usual.... should I be doing something about this?
And this may sound stupid but is my hair ruined now?

 

[PinkAngel]

That sounds like quite a bit of breakage to me. What's your regimen like, what are you using?

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

If you think thats a lot of breakage then you would think my hair is falling out by the amount of hair that is lost after my wash days!

Personally, I don't feel like that is a lot of breakage, especially if there is a week or more between your washes.

From experience, I have also observed that a lot of breakage during washing and detangling as a natural may mean that the hair is in need of a trim.
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[HoneyDew]

If that was all breakage for me, I would be concerned, but that is just knowing my hair and the amount of breakage I get.

Shedding, now that is a different story. That amount of shedding while detangling, for me, would be normal if I have lots of new growth, but WAY too much from weeks 1-4 (or 5) post relaxer.

 

[sareca]

Anyway amount of breakage that is above your normal amount is too much.

 

[preciousjewel76]

You know, I really think it's hard to judge how much shedding or breakage is "too much", because everyone's hair is so different. It also depends on how often you comb or manipulate your hair, too. For example, depending on how I'm wearing my hair, I may not run a comb through it for several days (I shampoo on the weekend and cowash 1x mid-week). So when I'm detangling or combing on wash/cowash day, I may have quite a bit of shedding - but it's from 4 days worth of shedded hair. I do still get more breakage than I'd like (I want NO BROKEN HAIRS!), but it's a lot less than it was before LHCF.

All that to say, how much breakage & shedding you get depends on how you care for your hair. After a while, you kind of get a feel for how much is "too much". Just my humble opinion!

 

[EbonyHairedPrincess]

To me that's alot of breakage. I wash or con wash then deep condition every 2-3 days I usually only get a few stands of shedding and maybe a few stands of breakage. I would re-evaluate your routine and maybe you need a better detangler or to braid your hair befor you wash and shampoo.

 

[patient1]

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How long am I going between washes? (Longer time lapses might mean your hair is either holding onto shed or broken hairs OR that it needs more water)
2. How much am I manipulationg my hair between washes? (Are you combing, brushing, running your hands through hair, pulling it into styles, etc.)
3. What sort of style am I wearing between washes? (Braids and twists HOLD shed or broken hair until she release it via combing, washing, etc. ALSO, buns and other "bound" styles do put stress on the hair especially at the connecting point between your holder and the hair. It can also stress the hair line.
4. Are you watering your hair daily?
5. What sort of leave-in are you using?
6. What's your nightly routine for your hair? (Some do pillowcases, some do scarves. If you're a wild sleeper (like me who often end up far away from the pillow, you might need a large satin wrap. Also, your hair might not like friction of any sort against satin, silk, or cotton and need to be held in place.)
7. Am I using a wide-tooth comb and detangling from END to root slowly?
8. Do I need a protein treatment?
9. Do I hear snapping when I comb? (A sure sign of breakage)

Those are just a few questions you can do to evaluate for yourself. Given that there's a bobby pin next to it and your hair is natural, I wouldn't worry. If you're doing all things correctly and still think you're having too much breakage, look into some of the protein treatments out there. I like New Era's mixed with a cholesterol treatment.

p1

 

[BeatriceFly]

I am having more than usual

I just dont know what to do to stop it