Being Natural and Shedding...How much is too much?

For the past 2 years I have been transitioning. First I was transitioning from bone straight relaxed hair to texlaxed hair, and now I'm transitioning from tex. to natural hair. I'm about 70 % natural and 4a with a little bit of 3b mixed in. Lately I have just worn my hair naturally curly and my usual routine is just "fluffing" my hair before I go out. I usually only comb my hair when I'm in the shower with loads of conditioner.

Yesterday I was detangling my hair and the drain got clogged b/c so much hair came out! The hair ball was about half the size of a golf ball. My hair had been itching lately, but I have been taking more vitamins, and I was using the Sulfur 8 plus rosemary and peppermint. I also hadn't combed my hair and over a week. I know you loose about 100 hairs everyday, I'm just trying to make sure my hair ball is normal. I would have taken a pic of it, but it might be too gross.

I don't use any heat on my hair, except when I'm straightening it (which is maybe once every few months) and don't tug on my hair, or do any damaging things. I've basically followed the 10 LHC Commandments.

So for all you naturals who don't comb their hair everyday, how much do you shed at detangling time?

Half a golf ball to about a golf ball sounds about right for me, esp. in the winter - I shed more, and my hair grows slower, which can be really scary to see the first year. I've been combing about once a week, and I've noticed that it seems the BETTER I comb out/detangle my hair, the less hair I have shedding....or it could be that we are starting to come out of winter.... Hrrmm.

But yeah, that sounds about normal.

It will seem like alot more in comparison to being straight especially as your hair gets longer. I think that is normal.

nappywomyn said:

Half a golf ball to about a golf ball sounds about right for me, esp. in the winter - I shed more, and my hair grows slower, which can be really scary to see the first year. I've been combing about once a week, and I've noticed that it seems the BETTER I comb out/detangle my hair, the less hair I have shedding....or it could be that we are starting to come out of winter.... Hrrmm.

But yeah, that sounds about normal.

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I too am natural, but I only detangle 1x per month. I usually lose about a quarter size amount to shedding. I keep track myself. I know that having the protein/moisture balance is very important to keeping shedding to a minimum. I know in the winter I do shed a bit more, but not as much as you experience. I am EXTREMELY gentle with my hair, and finger combing while damp with my detangling lotion gives great slip and prevents hair getting snagged/torn. I rarely use a comb unless I am in the shower, and my hair's been "pre-detangled" with my fingers and sectioned off(when it's loose). Each section is then separately detangled with the comb while the force of the shower water helps the detangle process. I run the wide tooth comb through 2-3 times tops and re-twist that section moving on to the next. My whole "routine" is based round being as gentle as possible and minimizing the threat of roughness on my hair.

ETA: If I see that I am shedding more then usual, I will certainly kick up the protein tx. I have protein tx built into my regimine. I usually henna once a month or every other month and I aphogee (instead of henna) 3-4 times per year. You might want to do a protein tx followed by MOISTURIZING dc tx for the next couple of months to see if that extra protein/moisturizing will help. There's a great article that was on here the other day about that, and it listed moisturizing condish & protein tx products that you can get over the counter to help ya out.

Shedding is very different from breakage though - shed hair is hair that has hit the end of it's lifecycle, and there really isn't much you can do externally to keep the shed hair on your head - it's falling out to make way for a brand new hair to come out of that follicle, so all the moisture and protien in the world isn't going to stop that.....

Yes, I do actually go through my balls of hair to see how many have bulbs on the end, and I'd say about 90%+ of them have the little bulbs on the end. What? I'm bored, and in front of a computer screen. My husband thinks I'm insane, though.

I think that (having thought about it for a few seconds more) that the reason the good detangling/brushing might seems to lower the rate of my shedding is because I'me getting not only the hairs that have already released from my scalp, but also those that were ALMOST ready to release, but hadn't, just yet.

If you check the hairs, and it is clearly breakage (split ends, or no bulbs on the end) then yeah, double-checking your protien/moisture balance is the right way to go....

I shed a lot, and because my hair is about 12" of super curly hair, it looks like a lot. I also detangle about once a week.

Since I've been using yogurt weekly and garlic powder occasionally, I think my shedding has decreased slightly.

I have been transitioning for a year now. I have taken my braids out and now I am noticing my hair is breaking more then shedding and I still can not seem to get the protein/moisture balance down.

My hair does not fell or respond as if there is too much moisture, but I am still confused on what products, I need or where in my regimen to I add more protein. Once a week, I use a prepoo of yogart and buttermilk for an hour, then shampoo with DE moisture retention, ORS Hair Mayo for 15 mintues , DE stimulations conditioner, kid's organics shea butter to detangle, seal with castor or Kemi oil and air dry. Any suggestions?

sweetpea99 said:

I have been transitioning for a year now. I have taken my braids out and now I am noticing my hair is breaking more then shedding and I still can not seem to get the protein/moisture balance down.

My hair does not fell or respond as if there is too much moisture, but I am still confused on what products, I need or where in my regimen to I add more protein. Once a week, I use a prepoo of yogart and buttermilk for an hour, then shampoo with DE moisture retention, ORS Hair Mayo for 15 mintues , DE stimulations conditioner, kid's organics shea butter to detangle, seal with castor or Kemi oil and air dry. Any suggestions?

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I don't think you need more protien - the yogurt and buttermilk should be giving you plenty of that, esp being done weekly.
I don't see any deep conditioning - when do you do that? Or is that what the ORS Mayo is for?
Have you tried skipping the shampoo? Why aren't you detangling with the conditioner in?
Also, I've discovered, much to my horror and regret, that my hair + oil = breakage - almost as soon as my hair dries fully, too.
So, the sealing with castor/Kemi oil might not be best for your hair - have you tried going a week or two focusing on using water-based moisturizers and avoiding the oil? What was your hair like before you started the sealing?

nappywomyn said:

I don't think you need more protien - the yogurt and buttermilk should be giving you plenty of that, esp being done weekly. The pre poo the yogart and buttermilk is was I call myself using as a deep conditioner
I don't see any deep conditioning - when do you do that? Or is that what the ORS Mayo is for? I added the ORS because I thought I needed the more protein.
Have you tried skipping the shampoo? Why aren't you detangling with the conditioner in? I have not skipped the shampoo.
Also, I've discovered, much to my horror and regret, that my hair + oil = breakage - almost as soon as my hair dries fully, too. That may be part of the problem. I have used diluted Givonni Leave-in and oil on braids, but I did not see the the breakage during or after I took them down.
So, the sealing with castor/Kemi oil might not be best for your hair - have you tried going a week or two focusing on using water-based moisturizers and avoiding the oil? What was your hair like before you started the sealing?

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My stylist had restored my hair to the point where it had stopped breaking (she got married and stopped doing hair temperarly) and I wasn't loosing hardly any hair so I started to braid it and left them in for 4 months( taking care of them of course) now it seems by hair is starting that same breaking pattern and most of them are my relaxed ends, but recently I have noticed that a few curlies have broken along with the relaxed ends so I am getting nervous.
erplexed

Oh, dear, ORS Mayo is protien too?? I think you are going overboard with the protien, and just don't have enough moisture.... I'd replace the ORS with a good moisturizing conditioner (I'm sure the ladies have suggestions - personally, I use Elasta QP's intense moisturizing con - but if you add honey to almost any conditioner, it'll help it be more moisturizing) and try that for a few weeks.

I found that if I diluted the oil, the breakage was slower to show up - oil soaks/rinses though, I see the breakage immeadiately, so that might be why it wasn't as bad with the Giovanni...

If you have fine hair, there is a limit as to how much protien it can take - it'll get 'too' strong and thus brittle, and instead of stretching and bending it will snap and break like a dry piece of wood.... I'd realllly suggest ramping down some on the protien, and upping your moisture.

Ok thanks, I'll stop the ORS because it just seems that something I was doing or not was making it break.

Thanks a bunch!

That sounds normal for not combing all week.