Is This A Lot of Shedding or a Normal Amt?

[wyldcurlz]

i feel like i'm shedding a lot! but i don't really know what to compare it to. this was what was the amount of shedding i had in the shower after a wash! the clumps of hair concern me. i kinda gently finger combed, but when i finger comb or actually comb or brush it, i have a little bit more.

if this isn't normal shedding - what can i do to minimize it????

 

[LittleLuxe]

How long since your last wash? Are you currently using growth aids?

Regardless coffee and tea rinses have been reported to help decrease shedding.

 

[curlyninjagirl]

Totally normal amount. I have exactly the same amount of shedding.

I can't really for the life of me understand why some on this forum are so up in arms about the shedding thing. It's normal. Every once in a while I see a thread that boasts an anti-shedding miracle and I'm like HUH???

By the way, is this a day's worth or a week's worth?

 

[wyldcurlz]

How long since your last wash? Are you currently using growth aids?

Regardless coffee and tea rinses have been reported to help decrease shedding.

that was from today's wash...i think the last time i washed/wet my hair was a few days before. i'm losing that much hair (i feel like) everytime i wet it. i really need to keep better track of it. no growth aids. maybe i should try some? and i need to research coffee and tea rinses if they work! whatever works i'm willing to try.

 

[Platinum]

How often do you comb your hair? It's my understanding that the average person loses about 100 hairs day. Some people take garlic capsules internally, some ladies use garlic shampoo, or you can add a little garlic powder to your conditioner to help decrease shedding.

 

[LittleLuxe]

that was from today's wash...i think the last time i washed/wet my hair was a few days before. i'm losing that much hair (i feel like) everytime i wet it. i really need to keep better track of it. no growth aids. maybe i should try some? and i need to research coffee and tea rinses if they work! whatever works i'm willing to try.

And you're totally sure those are all shed hairs? Going through anything stressful in your life? Health issues, etc?

Basically hair can shed for a number of reasons, like the other poster said it's not really a negative thing as shedding is usually a sign of (you'll love this) your scalp physically getting ready to produce some thicker, stronger hairs. Apparently the follicle isn't that diverse and instead of being capable of merely transforming mid-growth it simply sheds the old weak strand and slowly creates a better one.

I think a coffee/tea rinse would work well for you, predominantly because of the caffeine within both which has been reported to help slow down shedding.

I think everyone's body is different and does different things at different times. I shed more now than I used to and it's anywhere from 1 or 2 shed hairs to 8-10 daily. If I didn't manipulate my hair for several days it would probably look like your amount of shed hairs.

Take heart, stay positive, I don't think you should worry.

 

[curlyninjagirl]

Shedding: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-question-was-emailed-to-me-quite.html
Garlic for hair growth: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/06/reader-questions-week-garlic-for-hair.html

Here's two interesting articles that might "shed" some light on the subject...hehe. Ok I'm a nerd LOL :blush3:

From the second article, it looks like garlic applied topically may help with hair growth because it prevents the immune system from attacking the hair follicles (a process that happens when one is under a lot of stress).

 

[Sapphire_chic]

Garlic is good. Also Amla oil.
I can't really say whether it is alot of hair, I see that your hair is BSL so i'm tryng to take that into consideration.
I keep my shed hair in a little zipzock bag from about the last 2 detangling sessions, sounds nasty but this way I can keep an eye on how much i'm shedding and if increases or decreases from one week to the next i can usually narrow down what may be causing it eg. stress, new product.
Try to be calm because it's totally natural to shed more during some seasons but there is nothing wrong with looking at ways to decrease it

 

[I Am So Blessed]

i dont think thats normal. if i combed my whole head right now id get about 5-8 long strands. so i dont know. everyone is different.

 

[Jetblackhair]

I guess it's relative to what is normal shedding for you. Some may say that it's really not that much. I've had similar amounts of shedding and it's not normal for me and I don't like it one bit.

Initially I assumed it was ok, but it's not, I can tell the difference in my hair. Ultimately you know your hair best. I think if you are still retaining your thickness then you are ok.

 

[cutiepiebabygirl]

I vote normal...I get hair like that too! I'm not bald yet..LOL

Are you stretching???

 

[lizzyb168]

i get way more than that some times but its normal for me. Use the garlic shampoo or tablets or even a hot oil treatment.

 

[Bublin]

Totally normal amount. I have exactly the same amount of shedding.

I can't really for the life of me understand why some on this forum are so up in arms about the shedding thing. It's normal. Every once in a while I see a thread that boasts an anti-shedding miracle and I'm like HUH???

By the way, is this a day's worth or a week's worth?

Some people shed excessively and if you are one of those women then you WILL know. You get that amount of shed hair whenever you comb, wash, finger comb, every single time you detangle during the washing and drying process - its non-stop hair everywhere.

It can be quite distressing and causes thin hair and breakage as those shed hairs and getting caught in your hair.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

once, my mother and I tried MSM and every time i combed, NO hair! maybe one! so i kept combing to really test it out, still no hair. it was weird. lol

this was after a month of taking them. i was taking 3 when the bottle says take 2 LOL.

 

[TLC1020]

Some shedding is normal and some shedding may indicate an underlining condition. My hair had been shedding excessively for years but I thought that was "normal".. It wasn't until a few years ago that I found out that I had very low iron and ferritin count, I wasn't anemic but my iron stores was very low thus caused my hair to shed more than the "normal" shedding.

Check with your doctor or a dermatologist b/c it may external or it maybe internal....

HTH

 

[ThickRoot]

If it's just normal shed hairs I wouldn't worry too much. But first I think you need to find out what's normal for YOU.

When I was little my mom would save her hair (her hair was MBL most of my life) anyway I found out later she was comparing it to see how much hair she was losing and when. When I started my HHJ this year I did the same thing for like 2 to 3 months. I bought some ziploc sandwich bags and I put the hair in it after wash day. Then the next wash day started a new baggie, and so on and so on. And I sometimes kept a baggie for combing during the week.

Sounds tedious but it's really not, it takes you 2 seconds to gather hair out of the shower, your comb wherever it is and drop in the bag. And repeat that the next time you wash. I'm telling you, for me that helped me really develop a baseline as to what was normal for me and what wasn't. Also, what products I used when I had more/less hair shedding.

And I know you already know to check for the white bulb and compare long strands to short strands to see if it's really shedding or breakage.

Hang in there and don't stress that will make it worse. You are gonna be alright. If it is indeed excessive shedding these ladies have given you good suggestions for stopping it.

 

[havilland]

i shed ALOT! and that's normal for ME....i lose 5-8 hairs whenever i touch my hair.

everyone's head is different.

if i were you, i would keep those shed hairs for each wash day for 4-6 wash cycles. ball them up and look at them so you know what is normal for you.

i did this for a month...kept them in a paper towel in an envelope under the sink....gross...but it taught me what is normal for me. now i don't stress about it anymore. i know how much is ACTUALLY too much.

what you had in the picture is about what i have each wash or co wash day. (i wash or cowash every 3 days or so)

 

[C@ssandr@]

Garlic is good. Also Amla oil.
I can't really say whether it is alot of hair, I see that your hair is BSL so i'm tryng to take that into consideration.
I keep my shed hair in a little zipzock bag from about the last 2 detangling sessions, sounds nasty but this way I can keep an eye on how much i'm shedding and if increases or decreases from one week to the next i can usually narrow down what may be causing it eg. stress, new product.
Try to be calm because it's totally natural to shed more during some seasons but there is nothing wrong with looking at ways to decrease it

I find nothing wrong with this . I collect my hair from everywhere it might have landed during my routine and analyze them (shed? broken? smooth cuticles? etc.)

As for the shedding issue I wouldn't worry. Just observe the patterns. Right after my last relaxer I was shedding more. but I'm also having a growth spurt and my hair texture has changed a little so I know there's something good going on up there. Have you changed products or styling techniques lately?

 

[Tiye]

I think it's normal. If you are only finger combing a majority of the time then you have a accumulation of shed/broken hair. If you detangled with a comb before washing you'd probably see less.

 

[NIN4eva]

Some people shed excessively and if you are one of those women then you WILL know. You get that amount of shed hair whenever you comb, wash, finger comb, every single time you detangle during the washing and drying process - its non-stop hair everywhere.

It can be quite distressing and causes thin hair and breakage as those shed hairs and getting caught in your hair.

I shed about that amount every day. Full length strands with bulbs on the end. I comb them out daily (daily if/when I wash and manipulate that is...there will be a day or too when I'm too busy or just in the house) until there's no more because leaving shed hairs in causes me serious tangling problems. So I guess I'm a moderate to heavy shedder. BUT, my hair is retaining thickness and length. So I don't think my shedding is abnormal or negative.

 

[NIN4eva]

I think it's normal. If you are only finger combing a majority of the time then you have a accumulation of shed/broken hair. If you detangled with a comb before washing you'd probably see less.

This is a must to combat breakage and tangling for me.

 

[wyldcurlz]

I guess it's relative to what is normal shedding for you. Some may say that it's really not that much. I've had similar amounts of shedding and it's not normal for me and I don't like it one bit.

Initially I assumed it was ok, but it's not, I can tell the difference in my hair. Ultimately you know your hair best. I think if you are still retaining your thickness then you are ok.

that's just it. my hair isn't as thick as it used to be!

once, my mother and I tried MSM and every time i combed, NO hair! maybe one! so i kept combing to really test it out, still no hair. it was weird. lol

this was after a month of taking them. i was taking 3 when the bottle says take 2 LOL.

Adora - what brand of MSM are you taking? have you ever switched brands? any difference between the two?

to answer a few of the other questions:
i can't take iron because i have high iron counts.
i'm not stretching - i'm natural, however, i did get my hair colored a few weeks ago (which was a disaster) but this much shedding is what i've always had the last year or so - meaning its not a result of the color.

i loser 5-8 hairs every time i touch my hair too!!

scary, scary, scary. so MSM might be the answer????

 

[TonicaG]

We're all different so we will of course respond to things differently. I discovered from my Long Hair Care Forum sisters that we shed at different times; winter, spring, summer or fall so don't be alarmed.

I found out last year that I can't take biotin. At first I thought it was normal shedding but I read someplace that biotin could cause shedding. I said to myself, nahhhhh, can't be. Well, I did my own little experiment and true enough, a sistah can't do biotin.

As the ladies mentioned, check your iron, thyroid and supplements and you may find your culprit IF there is one, it simply may be just your season for shedding. I personally didn't see an alarming amount from your picture.

When I use the jeri curl juice my shedding is minimal and I don't comb through the week, as I'm in spirals and as the curls fall, I'm able to manipulate my hair without combing. I comb on the weekends and if you think you're scared, I need to be stalking a dermatologist because I can make a Barbie wig - YEAH!!!!

 

[ScorpioBeauty09]

This thread's been interesting for me to read because I've been wondering if my hair shedding is normal or not. As for the OP's question everyone is different but if I shed that much I'd be concerned. I don't shed that much.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

that's just it. my hair isn't as thick as it used to be!



Adora - what brand of MSM are you taking? have you ever switched brands? any difference between the two?

to answer a few of the other questions:
i can't take iron because i have high iron counts.
i'm not stretching - i'm natural, however, i did get my hair colored a few weeks ago (which was a disaster) but this much shedding is what i've always had the last year or so - meaning its not a result of the color.

i loser 5-8 hairs every time i touch my hair too!!

scary, scary, scary. so MSM might be the answer????

well i havent took them in a while so im going to start again. i was using the pathmark brand, then the cvs brand. both did the same.

that was the only vitamin i was taking at the time so i knew it was the msm.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

msm is known to slow shedding. thats why i started taking them, even tho i didnt have a shedding problem but i wanted my hair to be thicker, and it WASSSS.

also look into garlic pills

 

[Arcadian]

If this is something you're not used to seeing, then no, its not normal for you.

During seasonal changes I can shed a ton. Its the way it is for me. During other times I shed a little here and there but nothing like seasonal changes. It's sometimes alarming but since I don't see any bald spots and my hair isn't thinning, I let it be.

I also think the longer your hair is, the more it can look like you've shed a lot based on the length of the strands.


I would go through the sheds to see whats up. If you're seeing white bulbs, definitely shed hair. If not, thats a whole other issue.

Either way, if its not normal for you, it may be time to look at your regimen.

-A