Brushing and combing and hair fall...what's normal?

[kitcatsmeow]

I'm probably being ridiculous but I try not to over brush or even comb my hair because I think it pulls hairs out. I'm sure that it's just the normal amount of hair that is already ready to fall and just gets taken out in the comb.

I also know everyone's hair is different so the amount is different. I'd say I have about 10-15 hairs fall per day when I comb or brush. I comb with a wide tooth comb about 3 times a day and brush maybe once but usually not.

I was hoping to get some insight on everyonce else's brushing/combing routine's and amount of hair fall just to gain some insight. Especially those with the same hair type...

[natural_shine]

2-3 hairs/brushing. I brush gently, with normal plastic brush.

9-10/washing, except when I apply honey mask before, and than it's less, 3-4. Oh, these numbers include the after-bath brushing. My hair detangles far more easy when it's wet, doesn't break or anything.

I have days when I don't brush at all, but when I do afterwards, it falls more, so I don't think not brushing it helps.

It helps if you don't pull it in tight styles, keep things more loose.

P.S.-I've experienced far more hair loss when using normal comb, so I gave it up.

[clichepithet]

I use a wide-tooth comb, occasionally while styling, on the crown. I'll stop at the nape of my neck and don't take it down the length, which I finger-comb. My shedding/loss is significantly less since I went finger-comb only, this past ~February.

Just couldn't find a comb I really liked. I'm a finey, and there's nothing going to be more gentle than my fingers. Win. I used a comb down the length a while ago, for some reason, and I cringed the whole time. There really is a difference.

[Madora]

Generally speaking, it is normal to lose 80 to 100 hairs a day.

I brush daily (100 strokes with a pure bbb) and my average ranges from 25 to 30 hairs).

I think that the way you manipulate your hair during the shampooing/conditioning process has great bearing on how many hairs you lose during those processes.

I found that my hair loss was less if I brushed my hair out thoroughly before I wet it.

For me, the benefits of brushing daily have proven themselves over the decades. Your mileage may vary, of course.

[Slug Yoga]

I'm sure I shed more than 10 hairs a day. I think some methods are better at getting shed hairs out, which is why you might suddenly be surprised after brushing through your hair thoroughly after you've only been fingercombing, or notice a lot of hair coming out after you wash. As far as I know those actions aren't making hair fall out, because that has to do with the growth phase your follicle is at. Supposedly a shed rate of about 50 hairs a day is average, but of course it will vary amongst individuals and the same individual isn't going to shed exact same number of hairs every day.

[intothemist1999]

No idea what's normal, but I seem to lose quite a bit. I don't comb or brush any more, and rarely finger-comb. I use a VERY wide-toothed comb just before my shower in the hopes of removing some so they don't clog the drain-strainer. No luck. I have to remove hairs many times per shower to make sure the water drains freely. I have no idea how many individual hairs I lose, I tend to go by what the size of the glob is when I finish my shower and also how many I finger out when I'm combing with the wide-toothed comb. The majority of it comes out during the conditioning. There's quite a bit, but I have a lot of hair. :shrug:

[Beckstar]

More comes out when I comb but I think it releases more of the tangled shedded hair than brushing.

[Natalia]

i dont count hairs anymore but i know its less with combing. i comb once a day in the AM i would probably do better with twice a day but i dont have bathroom privlages to leave stuff in there and i hate having to cart my but up the stairs again so once a day in bed for lazy ol me it is.

[palaeoqueen]

I seem to lose loads, particularly when I'm conditioning my hair, it's often quite a big lump of hair I end up fishing out of the shower. My hair isn't thinning though (and I do have a lot of it anyway) so I guess it's pretty normal to lose what looks like quite a large amount. 10-15 per day is definitely not an amount to be concerned about.

[pink.sara]

Wow I lose lots!

I've never really counted or paid much attention until very recently as they are getting longer and my co-worker found one wrapped around his little finger (eww).

So last week I washed dried oiled then French braided it in 2 braids Sunday night for Monday, took this out Tuesday morning without brushing and pulled it up into a loose (huge puffball) pony and left it there all day.

Then when I went to wash Tuesday night I combed through before washing and counted all the hairs that fell, I got bored at 200 and stopped. Thats's in 2 days of not manipulating it nearly as much as usual.

[nobeltonya]

Brushing and combing are beneficial because they stimulate the scalp and remove loose hairs so they don't get tangled in the rest of your hair. But too much [or too rough] brushing/combing is bad for your hair.. it can damage it. I can only comb wet, in the morning after washing, conditioning and applying leave-in, with a wide-tooth comb. I don't dare comb dry.. tried that a few times. My hair was a frizzy, limp mess, and I feel as if it'll all break off.. :eek: And I have no idea how many hairs I actually lose throughout the day and during combing.. but I do keep track of my hairballs, and have a general idea of what's normal.. :rolling:

[girlcat36]

I lose 100-200 hairs when I comb or tangle teezer my hair. I usually do that about 4-5 times a week. I lose a bunch more the rest of the time. My hair is extremely thin and I consider my shedding abnormal. :(

[swearnsue]

There is a difference between shedding and finding shed hairs. I try not to panic when my fingers are covered in hairs because I figure they were sitting there waiting to get removed! When I massage my scalp with castor/olive oil I get a bunch of hair stuck to my hands but it's not the oil that is making my hair shed, it's just the grippyness of the oil that it finding the loose hairs. I hope. Then I visualize the now open follicles or pores or whatever they are called and visualize baby hairs growing in, happy to be sprouting out of my scalp!

[henné]

I don't worry about hair fall unless I see noticeable thinning. Combing/brushing is the least cause of hair fall unless you're tearing through your hair like a dufus ... There is a way how you can keep ALL of your hair ALL of the time ... it's called dreadlocks :D