I've been looking online everywhere for a opinions on health care and came across this and many articles that were similar to this and decided to post it. It has encouraged me to just wait this out and continue with my normal routine until the shedding is so severe that I can see my scalp. I was going to cut it but im going to wait and see if this is just a phase.
In reponse to this question:
"Hi Dr Lee, I hope you can help me with my problem. I'm 23 years old female and for the past 2 or 3 years have been shedding huge amounts of hair on a daily basis. I find them on the floor in my room, in the bathroom, on sofa, in the car etc. I don't count them but it could be 100 hairs or even over. I brush my hair once a day because I'm scared I might lose more hair. I'm very worried about this, my hairdresser says it's due coloring my hair. I only color my hair once a year so I'm not sure if that is the cause of my hair loss. There don't seem to be any changes in my scalp except for the top of my forehead which seems to be thinning. My hairdresser gave me 1 box of L'oreal AMINEXIL, I'm not sure if I should try it because it could be too strong. He also gave me L'oreal hair loss shampoo. Do I have a case of hair loss or is this normal? I don't know what doctors I should see to confirm this. And also should I use the products my hairdresser gave to me? If I do use the products and just say I DID NOT have a case of hair loss, then will the products trigger the start of hair loss? I'm so confused and worried. Thank you for your help Dr Lee."
This is from a Dr. Richard Lee:
There is no way for me to know for sure whether you are having excessive shedding of hair or whether you have just become more aware of normal shedding. Although it is normal for the human adult to shed 50 to 100 hairs per day, it would be abnormal to be able to actually observe 100 hairs that are shed daily. Most of the hairs are lost in the wind or accumulate in the shower drain or contribute to the dust balls under the furniture, etc. So, if you’re seeing ‘100 hairs or even over’ on a daily basis, it’s more likely that you are experiencing excessive shedding and are having a period of telogen effluvium.
One of the best evaluations of an abnormal loss is to do a 'hair pull'. Normally, approximately 10% of the hairs on the scalp are in the telogen phase and are ready to be shed. Pinch a group of hairs between the thumb and middle finger. This will usually include 25 to 30 hairs. Give the hairs a single, sharp, quick tug. You should not be able to dislodge more than one or two hairs. Repeat this test over several areas of the scalp. Most of the hairs which are dislodged will have a small, grayish bulb on the scalp end. If you obtain more than two hairs per pull, you are probably experiencing a period of telogen effluvium.
There is no effective treatment for a telogen effluvium, because the inciting factor that caused many of the hair follicles to suddenly change into the telogen phase occurred approximately 100 days ago and those hairs are destined to shed in any case. They are no longer anchored into the dermis of the scalp, which is why they can be easily dislodged in a ‘hair pull’.
The shedding is not due to ‘coloring your hair’. Although the exact cause of a telogen effluvium often remains elusive, the inciting factor has to be a systemic insult to the body (e.g. crash diet, severe trauma, high fevers, emotional distress, etc.). You can learn more about a telogen effluvium by reading the information at
http://www.minoxidil.com/journal.htm#Telogen or do an Internet search under ‘telogen effluvium’.
The L’Oreal Aminexil and the L'Oreal hair loss shampoo will not be of any benefit in preventing the shedding of your hair, but neither will it aggravate the telogen effluvium.
Another good article: http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/10836.html
I read a lot of articles saying it natural and that everyone goes through a phase of shedding but its more noticeable to some then it is to others. I'll post more if anyone wants to read them.