Can anyone explain how my sheds turn upside down?

[MeganE]

In my S&D sessions, I often find what looks like a white dot at the ends only to discover the hair slides right out.

At first I wondered if my hair was shedding my splits, like some kind of magic self-protecting beast, but then I kept finding them and looking more closely and realized that little white dot? It's a root bulb. The end that was towards my scalp? It's tapered.

I can only conclude that this is a shed that was upside down.

Especially considering that when I run these strange hairs through my fingers, I find the cuticles run away from the bulb, which seemed to be perfectly aligned with my hair, but facing the other way.

It happens frequently, in fact as I typed the beginning of this sentence I looked down, saw another white dot among the ends, took hold of it, and it slipped right out. Again with a tapered end, the end that was towards my scalp, and again with scales oriented back towards my scalp.

....annnnd how???

[MeganE]

...found two more since I first posted. Honestly I knew about this a while ago, but I didn't pay much attention because it seemed too weird to even have a chance of a reasonable explanation :lala:.

But now that I've asked, I feel consumed with a need to know HOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW is this possible? :justy:

[millyaulait]

I find these all the time, especially after washing! I'm not sure how it happens, but the shed hairs somehow turn themselves around, possibly through combing or washing, maybe just by shifting an updo. I do wonder how they turn upside down? All I know is I'm glad I'm not the only one, and that they aren't splits! :P

[lapushka]

Those white bulbs at the end are breakage. The white dot is from heat damage, usually that's how they get there. The white dot is where your hair will break. There's nothing you can do but S&D them, cut above the dot.

[Venefica]

I find these quite often and I have after growth since I dye my hair so I know the hairs are upside down, and often I find them in braids! I have no idea how that happens.

[RapunzelKat]

I'm afraid I have no explanation, but this happens to me too. I often find a root bulb sticking out of my bun and pull out a full length shed hair :confused:

Maybe it has something to do with the root bulb end being heavier?

[MeganE]

I find these all the time, especially after washing! I'm not sure how it happens, but the shed hairs somehow turn themselves around, possibly through combing or washing, maybe just by shifting an updo. I do wonder how they turn upside down? All I know is I'm glad I'm not the only one, and that they aren't splits! :P

I figured I couldn't be the only one, so glad to know for sure!!


Those white bulbs at the end are breakage. The white dot is from heat damage, usually that's how they get there. The white dot is where your hair will break. There's nothing you can do but S&D them, cut above the dot.

I thought that at first too, but it's not. It's a root bulb. It's squishy with a bit of flesh on the end. It is most definitely a shed hair with an intact root bulb, scales facing away from the root, with a tapered end.


I find these quite often and I have after growth since I dye my hair so I know the hairs are upside down, and often I find them in braids! I have no idea how that happens.

Oh wow! You know they're upside down, since you dye your hair and the hair near the root is your natural color.

Further proof of this craziness!!


I'm afraid I have no explanation, but this happens to me too. I often find a root bulb sticking out of my bun and pull out a full length shed hair :confused:

Maybe it has something to do with the root bulb end being heavier?

Probably does have something to do with it, but then how does the tapered end get back up near the roots???

It's an epidemic!!

We neeeeeed an answer!!!!!!!

[meteor]

I am curious about this, too.

I might have a theory.
I think the way the shed hair slides out of longer hair is different from shorter hair. When I had much shorter hair, shed hair would just get brushed/combed out quickly and end up on the floor, so I never noticed what you are describing. Now, there is more "sliding out" action required to get those long hairs out, as there are more opportunities for those long shed strands to tangle with other hairs. I need to actually pull out the hairs that stick out from my hemline, otherwise they sort of stay in the hair. Maybe, as we comb hair, some shed hairs are combed down, dragging the root down, but the hair strands remain in the hair. So next time you S&D, you see the roots of those shed hairs?

[Venefica]

Oh wow! You know they're upside down, since you dye your hair and the hair near the root is your natural color.

Further proof of this craziness!!


Yeah and usually there are no bulbs on them so they are not heavier than other hairs. Meteor do present a reasonable theory though, that do seam like a possible way this could happen on.

[RapunzelKat]

Those white bulbs at the end are breakage. The white dot is from heat damage, usually that's how they get there. The white dot is where your hair will break. There's nothing you can do but S&D them, cut above the dot.

Mine aren't breakage, they're clearly fully mature hairs with tapered tips (occasionally with a split, but this is less common).
I don't use heat, either :shrug:

[MeganE]

I am curious about this, too.

I might have a theory.
I think the way the shed hair slides out of longer hair is different from shorter hair. When I had much shorter hair, shed hair would just get brushed/combed out quickly and end up on the floor, so I never noticed what you are describing. Now, there is more "sliding out" action required to get those long hairs out, as there are more opportunities for those long shed strands to tangle with other hairs. I need to actually pull out the hairs that stick out from my hemline, otherwise they sort of stay in the hair. Maybe, as we comb hair, some shed hairs are combed down, dragging the root down, but the hair strands remain in the hair. So next time you S&D, you see the roots of those shed hairs?


Yeah and usually there are no bulbs on them so they are not heavier than other hairs. Meteor do present a reasonable theory though, that do seam like a possible way this could happen on.

So you're saying it sheds, stays in place until you comb, and then you detangle, and maybe just catch the bulb with the detangler, which pulls it straight down through the hair, bulb first, and then when the comb lets go of the rest of the hair, the bulb just stays right with the ends.

Well shnikeys.

That makes perfect sense!!!!!!!!

[meteor]

So you're saying it sheds, stays in place until you comb, and then you detangle, and maybe just catch the bulb with the detangler, which pulls is straight down through the hair, bulb first and then when the comb lets go of the rest of the hair, the bulb just stays right with the ends.

Yes, that's exactly my theory. I think I even saw it happen once in good light. I couldn't pick out a shed hair that was sticking out of the hemline, but as I was combing, I saw a hair getting dragged out by its loop by a tooth of the comb, and the root ended up much lower down my length than the tip. Maybe it was a one-off, but I don't see why this couldn't be happening frequently.

[redredrobin]

So you're saying it sheds, stays in place until you comb, and then you detangle, and maybe just catch the bulb with the detangler, which pulls it straight down through the hair, bulb first, and then when the comb lets go of the rest of the hair, the bulb just stays right with the ends.

Well shnikeys.

That makes perfect sense!!!!!!!!

I can understand how the root gets dragged down but not sure how the tapered end manages to end up right by the scalp, I would expect it to be tangled up in the bottom half of the hair?

I have found one or two of these hairs too. Amusing thread :D

[MeganE]

I think that the root is criss-crossed with other hairs near the root, and that as the root gets dragged down, the tip gets pulled back up towards the root until it's flipped. :) So grateful for Meteor's theory, my brain was hurting.

[truepeacenik]

And here I thought my hair was dancing in my sleep. Another good image shattered. ;)

[RapunzelKat]

And here I thought my hair was dancing in my sleep. Another good image shattered. ;)

Ha ha! Oh, I like this explanation better :bluebiggr

meteor's theory does make sense though, now that I think of it I know my comb picks up the ends of shed hairs. I can definitely see how I could comb the root end down, then transfer the tip up towards my scalp.

You know, it never occurred to me to wonder why this happened, but I'm glad we have an explanation now! :D

[Anje]

Realistically, I imagine many of them are just bent in half, with the root hanging down. However, I prefer to imagine that they're doing tricks as part of their last hurrah.

[MeganE]

Realistically, I imagine many of them are just bent in half, with the root hanging down. However, I prefer to imagine that they're doing tricks as part of their last hurrah.

Teehee!

Before we figured it out, I may or may not have been thinking about trickster fairies...