Shedding or Breakage

[bonedacious99]

How can I tell which is which?

 

[LadyJay114]

you know when a cat or dog sheds hair, you see strands all over the place. well if your hair is doing that after washing and combing/brushing, then that's shedding.

 

[Elizabeth26]

When you hair sheds it has a white bulb on the ends. Look at the hair closely. When it's breaking it doesn't have the bulb on the ends. Also, some of the pieces can be short pieces.

 

[vickyd]

When you hair sheds it has a white bulb on the ends. Look at the hair closely. When it's breaking it doesn't have the bulb on the ends. Also, some of the pieces can be short pieces.

I agree with Liz25 -- normally hair that is shedding is longer and it is coming from the root. Breakage tends to occur along the hair shaft usually near the ends and are shorter. HTH

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

When I shed it so weird. Since I never brush or rarely comb my hair, I'll wake up in the morning with these little balls of hair right at the ends. It's kinda funny because I pull them out and it's like I'm taking wads of hair out (but it's all good though). I was casually talking with my moms today and without even thingking about it, started pulling loose hair out. My mom was like "is your hair coming out"? Naw mom, just my routine molting.

 

[BroadstreetBully]

Also there are different types of shedding. You can tell the difference by examining the bulb of shedded hair. Some shedding is natural and can't be prevented. Other shedding can be the result of poor diet or lack of vital nutrients. If you were to pull out a strand of hair and examine the bulb, the bulb will look different from the bulb of naturally shedded hair.

 

[sareca]

Although the bulbs at the root are normal shedding, bulbs at the end are not. They are technically called trichorrhexis nodosa. It's a preventable disruption of the hair's cortex. Basically the outer cortex explodes revealing the non-colored keratin (white).
They can occur anywhere along the hair shaft (including the end) and cannot be repaired. Once you have them there's little else to do but cut them off. Most experts believe it results from rough handling and excessive heat on chemically treated (relaxed, permed, colored) hair. I had them when my hair was natural, so I don't agree with the chemically treated part. I rarely have them now (texturized), but I do have more split ends than I used too. Anyway, here's my source http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_74.htm. It also discusses the knots AA's occasionally see on their strands.

 

[BroadstreetBully]

Although the bulbs at the root are normal shedding, bulbs at the end are not. They are technically called trichorrhexis nodosa. It's a preventable disruption of the hair's cortex. Basically the outer cortex explodes revealing the non-colored keratin (white).
They can occur anywhere along the hair shaft (including the end) and cannot be repaired. Once you have them there's little else to do but cut them off. Most experts believe it results from rough handling and excessive heat on chemically treated (relaxed, permed, colored) hair. I had them when my hair was natural, so I don't agree with the chemically treated part. I rarely have them now (texturized), but I do have more split ends than I used too. Anyway, here's my source http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_74.htm. It also discuss the knots AA's occasionally see on their strands.

I LOVE that site. It has sooo much information. The pictures of hair damage are scary however.

 

[sareca]

I LOVE that site. It has sooo much information. The pictures of hair damage are scary however.

LOL! I thought it was just me. I'd rather watch knee surgery on the Discovery Channel than see pics of damaged strands.