random question about breakage

[nostalgic]

What is the difference between breakage and shedding? I've recently tried to start keeping track of how much I shed and realized I didn't know if my hair was actually breaking.... I'm not too prone to split ends (very few here and there), my hair is virgin, and I don't heat style it in any way. What are some classic signs of breakage to differentiate? Also, I know it's been posted in quite a few questions but I can't remember any of the replies: how much shedding is "normal"? TIA!

[NurseMama]

If it is a shed hair, you will be able to see the white root ball on the end of the hair. If you see that then you know that it is a naturally shed hair. Breakage is when the hair breaks off midshaft (no root ball) usually from damage or rough handling.

[burns_erin]

What is the difference between breakage and shedding? I've recently tried to start keeping track of how much I shed and realized I didn't know if my hair was actually breaking.... I'm not too prone to split ends (very few here and there), my hair is virgin, and I don't heat style it in any way. What are some classic signs of breakage to differentiate? Also, I know it's been posted in quite a few questions but I can't remember any of the replies: how much shedding is "normal"? TIA!

Normal shedding varies highly from person to person, but conventional wisdom suggests 100 hairs per day is in the average range. This is affected by hair color and type, genetics, diet, environment, hormones, pretty much everything.

[nostalgic]

thank you!

[Fantak]

*resurrects thread*

I understand the difference between shedding and breakage, but what's worrying me is I'm getting shedding on hair much shorter than my length (the hairs are about 6-8 inches long), there aren't very many 2-3 when I comb it every other day. I've checked and these shorter hairs seem to have a root ball attached. Is it normal for hair that 'young' to shed?

[mew]

isn't this white blob referred to here as the root ball at the bottom of the hair when the hair is about to fall out? So in Fantak's case it could be that those shorter hairs actually are breakage of an almost dead hair (as opposed the whole hair from root to tip)... i feel i am not really making sense..sorry :)

[Fantak]

Hm I think I understand what you mean, like the white dots you can get on hair.. the short hairs are the other (no long attached) end of the white dots.. if that makes any sense

[Wind Dragon]

*resurrects thread*

I understand the difference between shedding and breakage, but what's worrying me is I'm getting shedding on hair much shorter than my length (the hairs are about 6-8 inches long), there aren't very many 2-3 when I comb it every other day. I've checked and these shorter hairs seem to have a root ball attached. Is it normal for hair that 'young' to shed?

This too is highly individual. My own hair is very thick for about the first three inches, then tapers steadily until the very longest, very few hairs reach about hip-length. Perma-layered. :face: Yes, I have hairs that are apparently terminal at 3".

You can tell by feeling of the end whether it's a root or a broken end. You can feel the increased thickness of the root.

[Fantak]

I'll pay more attention next time I'm combing maybe if I put the ends side by side in good light I'll be able to better tell whether or not they're the same. Thanks for the info ^.^

[ChloeDharma]

I get hairs that shed quite short, mainly around the hairline they tend to have a short terminal length (on me, but i'm not the only one). Take a look next time you find one, if it's a shed broken hair then the opposite end to the bulb will be kind of blunt. If it's a naturally short hair then the tip will just taper off into nothing.

[spidermom]

I shed out hairs that are only 2 inches long sometimes.

[Wind Dragon]

[...] if it's a shed broken hair then the opposite end to the bulb will be kind of blunt. If it's a naturally short hair then the tip will just taper off into nothing.

:doh:, that too, of course. Discounting hair that's long enough to have been trimmed at some point, that is. Not all of those will be the longest hairs, as some may have been in resting phase for a while before being released and/or have grown more slowly than the longer ones. But any trimmed ones on tailbone-length hair (assuming you hadn't cut layers) should certainly be more than just 6-8" long.

Right, rambling now. Just going to go back over there for a while.... :blossom:

ETA: spidermom, I thought you were a fellow perma-layered one from some comments you'd made, but wow -- your sig pic sure doesn't show it. Looking good there, gal. :thumbsup:

[Fantak]

I've just finished brushing my hair and inspecting the individual hairs on my brush (thankfully I am alone in the room). I stared and compared and did it against a light background and against a dark and in direct sunlight and in indirect light and I think there's no way around it the end on the long hairs and some of the short hairs are the same.. Thankfully it isn't very many of them, some of them are breakage but atm that seems a much much lesser evil lol

The oil I'm using atm is supposed to stop shedding I'll give it two weeks and count again and see how much it works out as.

[Elphie]

I don't think anything should stop shedding completely; it's a normal process. It would be like preventing your skin from shedding, it's necessary for new growth.

What oil are you using?

[Fantak]

I don't think anything should stop shedding completely; it's a normal process. It would be like preventing your skin from shedding, it's necessary for new growth.

What oil are you using?

Sorry it took me so long to reply!

I don't think anything would stop shedding completely but I think it strengthens/stimulates the roots so they don't come loose as often as they might if they were left to their own devices :D

I'm using Noor Concentrated Hair Oil, I don't know what exactly is in it. On the bottle it says that it consists of "four herbal oils in sesame oil" which means very little. I'm using it because a cousin used it a few years ago and she said her hair grew super long during the time she was using it so I thought I'd give it a try.

I've used it twice so far, I think I used too much the first time so had a bit more shedding than usual. The second time I used much less and my shedding rate is normal. It says on the bottle to give it a week but I'm willing to give it two to see if there's any decrease in the number of hairs on my comb!

Wish me luck ^.^

[mamaherrera]

I shed out hairs that are only 2 inches long sometimes.
That is my thing exactly. Every wash I find at least 2 "C's" shaped hairs that barely (sometimes not) make it to two inches!But my husband says they come from my hairline, I just hope they don't all come from front hairline, but he says I also have plenty of those hairs in the back hairline too.