Shedding - what a MESS!

[Lamb]

'Tis the season. My hair is falling out, new hair is growing in, my head is full of baby hairs. That's okay, I'm not freaking out.
But...

My desk/floor/bathtub/kitchen sink/toilet/bookshelf etc. are full of hair!! The amount of hair I lost was approx. the same last year, or so I think, but because my hair is longer now, the mess is a lot worse. Seriously, it is quite disgusting and annoying, I do like a clean place to live in!

I just cannot imagine what it is at greater lengths. How on earth do you, really long haired ladies and gents, deal with this?

I am so annoyed, I could grab the scissors right away. :mad:

[Shanarana]

It does get annoying. I sometimes find them in the dryer knotted up in my clothes and have to rip them off. I don't like that, I always think it's a spider or something.

[Vicky Veiss]

I just cannot imagine what it is at greater lengths. How on earth do you, really long haired ladies and gents, deal with this?


LOL! Yes, I'm in that boat right now -- having a good shed period and getting my hair all over creation, and I'm past knee length. :rolleyes: I can run my toes over the carpet in front of my dresser where I comb my hair, and pick up these incredible hairballs the size of my fist. Not solid hair, of course -- they just roll up that way! Then I can do it again a few days later. My bedroom trash can looks like it's full of brownish-blonde Tribbles. :p

I hardly dare vacuum the rug unless I've done a thorough toe-sweep first, because my hair does terrible things to beater bars. I actually burned out one vacuum by not cleaning the hair out of the motor soon enough. Boy, that smelled just great! I have to sit down with a box knife and cut and pull all the wrapped hair out of the machine each time I use it.

But even if I trimmed it all off to my ears, I'd still be finding my long hairs around the house for years to come, I'm sure. Hair lasts for millennia!

[burns_erin]

I fortunately tend to keep long haired cats. In some very strange synergy, the two types and lengths of hair tend to combine and trap themselves in corners, which i then pick up daily. When my hair wqas longer i would also detangle and scalp massage outside to get the vast majority of what would shed done outside. i figure that way it is out of my house and the birds can have it to nest with.

[dorothea-brooke]

I gotta say, I'm hearing you on this one! I am starting to get seriously grossed out by the shed hairs in my bathroom. It just seems like there's so much of it, and it seems so long -- when it's on the floor that is, unfortunately not so much when it's on my head. (And I'm far away from my goal length, so I can only imagine how I'll feel then!)

The worst part: cleaning out the shower drain trap. I actually felt kind of nauseated the last time I had to do it. :rolleyes:

The remedy: do something nice with your hair to remind yourself why you like it! Leave it down and feel it brush against your neck and/or arms. Run your fingers through it and enjoy it....

(Oops -- just ran my fingers through it -- more hair on the floor! :lol:)

[jojo]

'Tis the season. My hair is falling out, new hair is growing in, my head is full of baby hairs. That's okay, I'm not freaking out.
But...

My desk/floor/bathtub/kitchen sink/toilet/bookshelf etc. are full of hair!! The amount of hair I lost was approx. the same last year, or so I think, but because my hair is longer now, the mess is a lot worse. Seriously, it is quite disgusting and annoying, I do like a clean place to live in!

I just cannot imagine what it is at greater lengths. How on earth do you, really long haired ladies and gents, deal with this?

I am so annoyed, I could grab the scissors right away. :mad:

OMG I have just started shedding bad too, we did it at the same time last year, i remember! I washed mine today and a chunk just came out, freaked me out and it does look worse too with it being longer, will soon be over for us, we got through it before and we will again!

[MeMyselfandI]

Lamb,

The way I look at it, it is easier to tidy up long hairs then very short hairs.

I am going through massive shedding right now and I am getting very worried. I do not ever remember this much shedding, not even after giving birth and that was a shock.

[Lamb]

OMG I have just started shedding bad too, we did it at the same time last year, i remember! I washed mine today and a chunk just came out, freaked me out and it does look worse too with it being longer, will soon be over for us, we got through it before and we will again!

Gosh, yes... I remember! I thought it was from COing at the time. (That still makes my scalp uncomfortable, btw.) You're right, we must not despair!

[Kirin]

Ugh! Its not just me, but my longhaired daughters and newly longhair husband...... whom mind you never takes his hair out of the drain in the shower. I get to shower with water to my calves and then scoop his hair out entangled in mine, bleh!

His is worse, its in the sink, back of the commode, back of chairs, eghads!

[Lamb]

Oh yes, Kirin, I deal with hair from more than one head, too! I have a roommate (well, flatmate, rather, we have separate rooms thank goodness!) who has coarse, black, layered, just-below-sl hair. I have repeatedly seen her comb it, then just sweeping hair from her comb/hands on to the floor/in the washbasin with a careless, graceful movement. :rant: The floor is covered with it. Gross beyond expression. :no:

ETA: not much use talking to her about it, or anything else regarding cleanlines... :no:

[tina1025]

i wonder why we all shed hair around the same time...May be the weather!?!?!?!

[Lamb]

i wonder why we all shed hair around the same time...May be the weather!?!?!?!

Some say this is because in the "animal world", of which humans are more or less a part, hairy animals change their fur in preparation for winter. Makes sense to grow a thicker coat for the cold months. :D (of course, dogs don't have to deal with the vacuuming, that's what they keep humans for. :cool:)

[Tressie]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! Like burns erin, I try to go outside and do my detangling....weather permitting. It's a chore to clip the massive buildup around the sweeper rollers that's for sure! I seem to shed year round though, and I had supposed it was a menopausal/hormonal thing, and maybe my thyrod going sluggish too........need to get that checked out anyway! Falling apart here LOL!:D

[Curlsgirl]

Me too! And yes I am shedding more than usual too. I am SORT of getting used to it though. The first time the vacuum cleaner froze up I was mortified at the hair wound around the roller and the first toe sweep was indeed upsetting to say the least BUT I am getting fairly used to it now. I would say that longer hair is easier than shorter. I TRY to finger comb and comb with conditioner on in the shower but inevitably it does still get everywhere.

Love the "toe sweep" term by the way. We need a "giggly" smiley handy over there >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm too lazy to click the "more" button. Hee hee

[JessTheMess]

The amount of shed hairs that are floating around my apartment are terrible. I think I outshed my cat. My poor Fiance is always dehairing himself from either me or the kitty... With the two of us combined we could create another small animal of shed hairs:bigtongue:

[DMARTINEZ]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! Like burns erin, I try to go outside and do my detangling....weather permitting. It's a chore to clip the massive buildup around the sweeper rollers that's for sure! I seem to shed year round though, and I had supposed it was a menopausal/hormonal thing, and maybe my thyrod going sluggish too........need to get that checked out anyway! Falling apart here LOL!:D

Good idea about going outside! And I do think mine is hormonal/menopause. Its
making me depressed. My hair is feeling thinner,and that always makes me want
to chop or at least a big trim. sigh.

Deb

[walkinglady]

Shedding, yes, what a mess! Hair everywhere. Last year I nearly panicked I was shedding so much. Serious depression sat in! I am watching this August and September to see if it is seasonal. I am starting to shed a bit more but this time I am more equipped mentally for it.

[burns_erin]

A quick fix for the drain is Nair, just pour some down it and let it sit. Oh, and remember, do not rinse mud/clay masks off when you have not cleaned the drain recently, blurghh.

[Shorty89]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I usually shed around 20 hairs or so a day (just guessing here). Lately I've been shedding kittens! My garbage can (and floor) are covered in my hair. I used one of those roller brushes on the floor before I vaccumed to save the vaccum. A syncronized LHC shed, how well planned :D

ETA: It doesn't help that it's that time of the month so I'm shedding twice as much as usual.

[dorothea-brooke]

A syncronized LHC shed, how well planned :D


Perhaps we could start a synchronized shedding team?

AND: left arm up, sweep, pull, drop, bend, toe sweep, turn, garbage, turn.... :D

[eadwine]

I simply keep my hair up all day in a bun. I take that updo out when I am about to go to bed and put it in a braid, at which time I fingercomb and throw the sheds in the bin that is next to me.

Next morning same thing, different order. The more you keep it up, the less the mess spreads.

[harpgal]

In the morning, I do all of my preening and braiding, putting it up for the day. I stand on a black cloth and the shed hair falls on that. Then I simply shake the cloth off outside. I have found very little hair around our abode, and the vacuum is sighing a sigh of relief. :D

[NiAosSi]

Whew (sighs), I am glad I am not the only one! I just started shedding like crazy this week. My hair is driving me nuts, along with cats. I have a BUNCH of baby hair aroundmy hairline and in the back of my head. Oh well, necessary evil...

[Lamb]

Perhaps we could start a synchronized shedding team?

AND: left arm up, sweep, pull, drop, bend, toe sweep, turn, garbage, turn.... :D
ROFLMAO, dorothea... :rollin:

[DecafJane]

When I was young (current age divided by 2 *sigh*) with mid-back-length hair, my little brother would freak when we were in the car and a stray hair landed on him. It was so funny!

The worst bit about having long hairs that hide is when you find them after chopping it all off on a whim which you very quickly regret, and then you have to deal with growing it all back AND finding long hairs all at the same time. ;)

Oh, and long hairs in the poop in the cat litter. Poor cats!

[Missie]

the vacuum cleaner hates it !

[redbark]

Err.... I have been here this long...but am going to ask a dumb question...

Why is this a season for shedding? And is it the same for everyone regardless of where in the world they stay? As in - does it have to do with certain dryness in the air? Or what?

I am shedding massively - I wasn't the last time we had this kind of a thread so did not check in.

Can someone please enlighten me?

TIA :flower:

[ladyshannonanne]

Me, too! Me, too! Shed time!

Shedding Season always starts for me when I go back to school at the end of summer. My hair grows extra fast for a few months during the warmer weather and then I shed, shed, shed. The only time it freaked me out was last year after I had my son. When my little guy was about six months old (around November), I started to notice tons of baby hairs around my forehead and I thought my hair was breaking off. Turns out, you can lose a lot of hair after pregnancy. Luckily, my hair is thick enough that it didn't do too much damage, but for a few months, you could see short hairs poking up all over my head. Way worse than the usual Shedding Season.

Don't worry, we'll all get through this--though our vacuums may not.

[Lamb]

Err.... I have been here this long...but am going to ask a dumb question...

Why is this a season for shedding? And is it the same for everyone regardless of where in the world they stay? As in - does it have to do with certain dryness in the air? Or what?

I am shedding massively - I wasn't the last time we had this kind of a thread so did not check in.

Can someone please enlighten me?

TIA :flower:
That is the only explanation I have heard of, don't know if it is correct:

Some say this is because in the "animal world", of which humans are more or less a part, hairy animals change their fur in preparation for winter. Makes sense to grow a thicker coat for the cold months. :D (of course, dogs don't have to deal with the vacuuming, that's what they keep humans for. :cool:)

[jel]

I noticed increased shedding last September, but this year it has started a bit earlier - no surprise, based on the autumnal weather we've been having all month!

Still, my shed hairs are quite contained, because nowadays my hair is more often contained than loose. I shed in the shower (when I wash hair, every 3-5 days) and when I comb every evening above my white desk. Easy to see dark red hairs and pick them up. I tend to scrunch up my shed hairs together to bin them more easily... even 4-5 of them make a scary fuzzy spider, LOL!

[eadwine]

I guess I am counter animal then.. I shed for summer.

[burns_erin]

I seem to have both my fastest growth and my most shedding in the summer. Fortunately my shedding is starting to taper off now.

[redbark]

Some say this is because in the "animal world", of which humans are more or less a part, hairy animals change their fur in preparation for winter. Makes sense to grow a thicker coat for the cold months. :D (of course, dogs don't have to deal with the vacuuming, that's what they keep humans for. :cool:)

Thicker coat in preparation for winter? I hope that is true :(

<sigh>

[rubyann]

Oy, I've been shedding like the dickens, too! Just blogged about it today.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one, even thought I'm sorry to hear ya'll are going through this too. I just wish my hair would come back in thicker, as is grow a thicker coat. The animals get a much better deal IMHO:)

[redbark]

<bump>

Has anyone seen a decrease in their shedding? I got a fever (and sore throat and cold and cough - the works) for the last 3 days and I washed my hair today. Noticed that I shed a small rat :wail:

And while it is drying I am still shedding...., so two small rats. Double wail :wail:

sniffle

Please tell me you all are shedding too so I feel a bit better about this. My misery is asking for some company right now :oops: :blushing: ;) :(

[Lamb]

I'm right there with you, redbark, still shedding. :( It is better on some days, but overall, still more than I would like to see.
So sorry about your illness! Are you taking any vitamins to make up for what you have lost to the flu?

[Chromis]

Shedding is what drove me to find this very forum in the first place! LHC has taught me many, many things which reduced my shedding dramatically. For seasonal shedding, I simply sweep more often (bump it up to daily in the bathroom instead of every three-ish days like normal and every other day for the rest of the place) and sometimes comb my hair outside if it is a still day. Then I put it up and leave it alone. If it's up it has less chance to scatter everywhere so it mostly concentrates in the bathroom where I normally brush it. I sleep with my hair braided which also helps keep those shed hairs from partying at night. I use a mesh shower drain catcher mabob to keep the drains tidy and swear by something called a Zip-It for when hair gets past that and clogs or when moving somewhere new (why oh why do I always land up standing calf deep in water the first time I shower in a new apartment?!).

[LadyLongLocks]

The shedding hair can be a bit annoying! I usually take a damp cloth and go over the rugs first (only where I do my hair) before I vacuum. This collects the hair really good. I gave up on those sticky rollers long ago. It's kind of scary to see how much I collect this way.

[AnneAdeline]

I've been shedding more than usual in the last week or so. I keep my hair up most of the time, so I really notice when combing my hair at night/ in the morning. And my hair is just BSL. I can't imagine what it's like for those with longer hair.

[sedonia]

I'm glad to feel reassured that this is a normal pattern! I counted 80 hairs shed into my hand in a big wad yesterday morning and just about freaked out.