How many broken hairs is too many?

[taz007]

Every day, I see about 8-10 broken (not shed) hair on the floor.

I don't see any broken patches in my hair, so what is a normal amount of broken hair?

Also, while I am at it, I am so sick of washing my hair in the shower and feeling the shed/broken hair slide all down my back and legs. If feels like half of my hair coming out, I panic and start counting the hairs and realize that it is only about 3 hairs.

Am I trippin'?

 

[keysha1983]

I think that your hair is supposed to shed. Maybe you need to beef up your protein/ moisture balance. Hopefully that helps.


FYI: You hair looks beautiful and your pictures. It may just be your imagination.

 

[msa]

Well, I don't think it's possible to have 0 broken hairs if you are manipulating your hair (combing, brushing, washing, etc.) even if you are super gentle. 8-10 doesn't seem like a lot to me (especially considering the thousands of strands we have on our heads).

I don't think there is a "normal" amount of broken hair. I think if you are doing everything you can to minimize it, then you're probably fine. And like you said, you're not seeing any broken patches. Shed hair is perfectly normal though so no need to be worried about that.

 

[Galadriel]

Co-sign on being gentle and lessening manipulation. I get broken hairs sometimes and I freak out too. If you feel your hair snaps easily then do a protein treatment. If it feels dry/rough do a deep conditioning. Sometimes I even do kind of a half-and-half starting with a protein conditioner and then use a moisturizing one afterward. If you're using direct heat, maybe lay off for a while and do some co-washing and bunning. I always fall back on that when my hair starts to act up.

 

[sxyleogrl]

to piggy back on that question i have not combed my hair since Saturday when I washed my hair. Yesterday I co-washed my hair and OMG the hair that was coming out i almost cried. is that because I havnt combed my hair in a couple days?

 

[beans4reezy]

If you feel your hair snaps easily then do a protein treatment.

I thought this meant you needed more moisture?

 

[msa]

to piggy back on that question i have not combed my hair since Saturday when I washed my hair. Yesterday I co-washed my hair and OMG the hair that was coming out i almost cried. is that because I havnt combed my hair in a couple days?

It's not because you haven't combed your hair in a couple days that hair was coming out.

Hair sheds everyday no matter what. If you wait a few days to wash or comb then you'll see the accumulation of a few days worth of shed hair. It's nothing to worry about. Shedding is normal and natural. Humans shed on average 50-100 hairs per day.

Now if it was broken hair, then maybe no-combing or cowashing doesn't work for you.

 

[Galadriel]

I thought this meant you needed more moisture?

Sorry, should add that if it stretches and snaps (esp. when wet).

 

[ShiShiPooPoo]

Last night I washed my hair and it felt like a billion hairs sliding down. It was really only about 40 or so and that was after wearing my hair up for several days.


I always have a few broken hairs after I comb. I only worry when I see broken hairs on my clothes that just fall without any manipulation. That is when I know I need to step it up.

 

[Urban]

OP, how are you washing your hair? Maybe people can come with ways to help you minimize the breakage based on your technique.

8-10 hair's isn't much if you're combing etc ... but I can relate, I hate seeing ANY broken hairs at all. I know it happens, but still...

 

[mysoon2behair]

Ladies…

You mean all this time I thought I was the only one on this board that has broken hairs?

I thought even 1 broken hair wasn’t normal.

Daily I have about 5-8 broken hairs which is way less than what I was having before. Does this mean that even if I find my protein and moisture balance I will still have broken hairs. I was under the impression that once I found the balance that it would stop completely.

 

[shasha8685]

I think that even if you are doing everything right, if you manipulate your hair (e.g.--combing) it's going to break. That's just the way it is. I think as long as your hair isn't breaking for no reason (e.g.---the wind blows and your hair breaks) you should be fine.

Personally, I notice around 3-5 broken hairs after I comb my hair. That really doesn't bother me and it definitely doesn't compare to the number I had before I started my journey.

 

[luvn_life]

Ladies…

You mean all this time I thought I was the only one on this board that has broken hairs?

I thought even 1 broken hair wasn’t normal.

Daily I have about 5-8 broken hairs which is way less than what I was having before. Does this mean that even if I find my protein and moisture balance I will still have broken hairs. I was under the impression that once I found the balance that it would stop completely.

I thought I was the only one with a couple broken hairs. But, then I found that a couple of broken hairs are inevitable. Especially for me because I have fine hair. But, my hair did have too much protein back then. But, now the other day I realized that my hair is finally BALANCED!!! I was so happy, but I still get a couple of broken hairs because I am heavy handed sometimes. 8-10 broken hairs should be fine. If you cant do anything without hair all over the place, then you should worry.

 

[beans4reezy]

Thank goodness for this thread!! After cowashing yesterday, I noticed like 5 or 6 broken hairs and I was like: What am I doing wrong?????? I'm breathing a little easier knowing breakage comes with manipulation.

 

[aja1121]

Ladies:

Shedding and Breaking are too different things. Shedding is a natural process and you should see numerous shed hair on a daily basis. These hairs are usually long with the white bulb on the end. If you don't see a white bulb, then the hair is broken. This is what the OP is referring to. Broken hair is somewhat normal and needs to be kept at a minimum. To stop or keep breakage at a minimum, you need to test the elasticity of the hair. So the next time you see a shed hair or a long broken hair on the floor or your shirt, pick it up and pull it slightly. If it snaps back your hair is in pretty good condition and you should just be mindful of how you manipulate it. If it breaks with that slight tug then you have a problem. A good protein treatment followed by a moisturizing conditioner should help.

 

[mysoon2behair]

Thank goodness for this thread!! After cowashing yesterday, I noticed like 5 or 6 broken hairs and I was like: What am I doing wrong?????? I'm breathing a little easier knowing breakage comes with manipulation.

You know!!!! I was getting so frustrated that I was really thinking about doing a BC! I still haven't found that balance but hopefully I will soon

 

[msa]

Ladies…

You mean all this time I thought I was the only one on this board that has broken hairs?

I thought even 1 broken hair wasn’t normal.

Daily I have about 5-8 broken hairs which is way less than what I was having before. Does this mean that even if I find my protein and moisture balance I will still have broken hairs. I was under the impression that once I found the balance that it would stop completely.

Like Shasha said, hair breaks if you manipulate it. It is impossible to have 0 broken hairs. That is never going to happen even if your hair is balanced, even if you don't touch it for a month, even if you comb it with a silk comb.

As long as your hair isn't breaking all over the place then you're fine. You have over 100,000 strands of hair on your head. 8 or 10 broken hairs is really not a big deal.

And, anyone who says they have 0 broken hairs or no shed hair is either not paying attention or blatantly lying.

 

[mysoon2behair]

Like Shasha said, hair breaks if you manipulate it. It is impossible to have 0 broken hairs. That is never going to happen even if your hair is balanced, even if you don't touch it for a month, even if you comb it with a silk comb.

As long as your hair isn't breaking all over the place then you're fine. You have over 100,000 strands of hair on your head. 8 or 10 broken hairs is really not a big deal.

And, anyone who says they have 0 broken hairs or no shed hair is either not paying attention or blatantly lying.

Thank you msa. I feel so much better now!

 

[sexylonglegs]

WoW, thank you ladies for the information, I really appreciate it. Lately I have been wearing half and full wigs and only using the best products on my hair but I have to admit that I will go for 2 or more days just continuely wrapping and brushing and put my wig on. My hair has grown so much but on yesterday I was combing with a wide tooth shower comb and long and short hairs were falling in the sink. I did not panic because I hadn't really combed it in two days. I will check the health of my hair when I comb it again with seeing if it snaps easily but over all I am happy. My hair is the longest it has ever been and I have learned so much from you guys.

 

[Telle12345]

Thank god for this thread! I notice a few broken hairs and I was panicking! I do feel better now, but still keep an eye on things

 

[Christelyn]

This is really very reassuring. I once put up a post about broken hairs in the shower, and many responders said that they don't have any breakage, and I was like...huh?...what's the matter with me? I think it good to tell this because if people have the impression that people have no breakage and they do, they may rush out and buy products with proteins or heavy moisture that could actually create a problem that wasn't there in the first place.

 

[LushLox]

Breakage to me is when I run my fingers through my hair and I get lots of little broken pieces of hair. I haven't experienced that since late last year, but shedding - yes, I shed hair like anyone else.

 

[taz007]

Wow, ladies!

I love you all!!!! Thank you for all of the replies. I thought that I was going to have to start all over again, as well.

So, apparently 8-10 broken hairs is just about normal for hair that is manipulated.

I used the flat iron for the first time in MONTHS a couple of days ago. Otherwise, my hair is always bunned or in a braid out. I baggie several times per week, DC with steam 3 times per week, do a Joico reconstructor (without heat) one time per week, and henna at least once per month. Ya know what? Even with all of that, I still get 8-10 broken hairs per day.

So, I guess this is just normal for my hair.

 

[Kellum]

I manipulate my hair daily from co-washing. Sometimes I don't get any breakage and sometimes I get a couple of broken hairs. I know that you can't save every single hair so I don't trip. As long as I mainly see shed hairs then I feel like I am doing good.