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Juliet15
July 25th, 2014, 06:22 PM
I have been co washing since I joined the LHC. For the past 5-6 washes I have used Suave natural coconut with great results. My hair seemed much softer and smoother and I had very, very little shed when washing. Tonight, when I washed my hair, I did have quite a bit more shedding. I felt like it was a lot, but I still don't know what is "normal". I know everyone looses hair on a daily basis. Has this happened to anyone else? Should I try it again next time, or try a different conditioner. Maybe it is not the conditioner at all? And what is too much hair in the drain???:confused:

Eastbound&Down
July 25th, 2014, 06:30 PM
I've been co washing for almost a year. At the very beginning your hair has to go through a transition phase which can sometimes cause itchy scalp, hair loss, etc. All of that is temporary until you get in to your routine. I would say stick with it unless it makes you uncomfortable. Also, you should look at NaturallyCurly.com, almost everyone co washes exclusively there, and you can get a lot of really good opinions :)

Juliet15
July 25th, 2014, 06:53 PM
OK, thanks Eastbound&Down, Not uncomfortable at all, just wondering why no shed 5-6 times, then shed. I guess I am just trying to figure it all out. I truly never even paid attention to my hair at all for so many years. Now maybe over thinking…lol! Will stick with the Suave for while as I have really liked how my hair feels.

Juliet15
July 25th, 2014, 06:54 PM
OK, thanks Eastbound&Down, Not uncomfortable at all, just wondering why no shed 5-6 times, then shed. I guess I am just trying to figure it all out. I truly never even paid attention to my hair at all for so many years. Now maybe over thinking…lol! Will stick with the Suave for while as I have really liked how my hair feels.

JennyP
July 25th, 2014, 07:35 PM
Could be seasonal shedding, could be hormones. Upheavals in both will make me shed. I'm summer molting right now. I know it happens every year, but it still makes me miserable.

Juliet15
July 25th, 2014, 08:18 PM
Well, it isn't hormones because I don't have any anymore…lol. But the summer molt could be right:)

Madora
July 25th, 2014, 08:27 PM
Juliet15, you might try giving your hair a good brushing before wetting it. Saves the hair from getting stuck in the hair strainer.

Also, how you use your fingers/manipulate your hair, might have a bearing on losing more hair. Since hair is weakest when it is wet, precautions should be taken to handle it as gently as possible when shampooing/rinsing.

sarahthegemini
July 26th, 2014, 04:18 AM
Ive been co washing for almost a year. At the very beginning your hair has to go through a transition phase which can sometimes cause itchy scalp, hair loss, etc. All of that is temporary until you get in to your routine. I would say stick with it unless it makes you uncomfortable. Also, you should look at NaturallyCurly.com, almost everyone co washes exclusively there, and you can get a lot of really good opinions :)

Sorry but I completely disagree with that. Co-wash is just a very gentle cleanser...it shouldn't leave you with an itchy scalp and excess shedding....

Johannah
July 26th, 2014, 05:41 AM
Losing up 100 hairs a day is normal. And like others said, a seasonal shed could explain it all.

lapushka
July 26th, 2014, 06:18 AM
Go look at the CO-washing thread! Some people experience extreme hair loss from CO-washing and have to stop because of that. It happens, and so CO-washing isn't for everyone.

Theobroma
July 26th, 2014, 12:03 PM
I co wsshed for a year and a half. It was fantastic initially, but after a while I started shedding more and more in the wash. It built up so gradually I didn't realise it was abnormal until I'd lost 40% of my volume.

When I went back to shampoo the shedding stopped INSTANTLY. Like flipping a switch. My hair is a foot longer now than it was then and the amount that comes out in the wash is still only about a quarter of what it was with co.

So please be careful. For some people co works, for others it's a disaster.

suckubism
July 26th, 2014, 12:42 PM
I am so sorry to hear about your bad experience! I have been CO-washing for about two months now. I initially started because I suffered a traumatic illness months back which caused my hair to stop growing, and then a month or so later, it all fell out in huge clumps. I am terrified to go through this again! Do you have any ideas why CO-washing did that to your hair? Does it weight it down, or perhaps make your scalp more susceptible to bacteria? Is it the act of vigorously massaging the conditioner into your scalp? I have had only positive results so far, but I want to keep it that way!

Nadine <3
July 26th, 2014, 01:27 PM
Sorry but I completely disagree with that. Co-wash is just a very gentle cleanser...it shouldn't leave you with an itchy scalp and excess shedding....

Yeah, a very gentle cleaner that your scalp isn't used to...thus you're going to have a transition phase. I guess the itchy scalp I got at first was all in my head, and the hair loss I experienced after using it for awhile was a dream?

Be careful OP...I CO washed for awhile and at first my scalp was a bit itchy but it did adjust so I went along using it and I ended up loosing handfuls of hair. I started shampooing and was back to normal after one wash, like a switch. Maybe shampoo your scalp and see if it helps you. You can cover your length in conditioner, shampoo and then condition again to keep the suds off the length.

I had a full blood work up at the time to check for medical reasons I could be loosing hair, everything came back normal. The shedding stopped as soon as I used some 'poo!

sarahthegemini
July 26th, 2014, 02:21 PM
Yeah, a very gentle cleaner that your scalp isn't used to...thus you're going to have a transition phase. I guess the itchy scalp I got at first was all in my head, and the hair loss I experienced after using it for awhile was a dream?
!

Don't quite understand the sarky attitude...I never experienced a transition period at all :rolleyes:

Juliet15
July 26th, 2014, 02:48 PM
Well, since I have been using the same conditioner for the past 6 or 7 washes and only had more shedding the last time, maybe it is what Madora suggested. Either I didn't brush as much before this last wash or maybe I scrubbed too hard. I had been working out in the heat and I did feel my hair was exceptionally dirty/sweaty, maybe I just overworked my scalp during that wash.. I'm going to use the same conditioner next time I wash and try and be more aware of my pre-wash and wash routine. And I didn't loose fistfuls or anything, just more than I had since I started cowashing. I have been really happy with cowashing, so maybe this was just an anomaly. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else experienced more shedding on some wash days, or if the shedding amount should always be constant. Thanks for all the advice!

SereneCurls
July 26th, 2014, 08:44 PM
Think back, were you handling your hair any differently just before the wash with the shedding? How long do you go between washes? Had you brushed it less, or worn it up, or things like that? Sometimes shedding during a wash can change depending on whether there are loose strands tangled up in the rest of the hair. My waves hold onto most of my shed strands till I wash and detangle, so what looks like a dramatic amount of hair is really just an accumulation. If it continues to worry you, keep an eye on your density, and if it isn't reduced then you should be fine.

Juliet15
July 27th, 2014, 06:08 AM
Yes SereneCurls, I'm sure I scrubbed more and harder as I felt my hair was sweaty/dirty! So hopefully that was the issue. I just feel better knowing that this happens to others sometimes too. I really like cowashing and feel it has made a huge difference in the softness and appearance of my hair. And I can stretch washes too!! I know a few people had to quit cowashing due to hair loss, so I was concerned. I will watch the density for awhile, and see how it goes, I guess it stands to reason that shedding will vary from time to time. Thanks again for everyones answers and support:D

Wosie
July 27th, 2014, 06:17 AM
Maybe you could try doing it like me if the problem continues--shampooing the scalp (and 1-2" of hair close to it) and doing CO on the length only. :) I use a see-through telephone cord hairtie for this (keeping my length out of the way of the shampoo as my hair goes dry like a bone otherwise), and my hair feels very soft and nice again. c:

Theobroma
July 28th, 2014, 04:13 AM
I am so sorry to hear about your bad experience! I have been CO-washing for about two months now. I initially started because I suffered a traumatic illness months back which caused my hair to stop growing, and then a month or so later, it all fell out in huge clumps. I am terrified to go through this again! Do you have any ideas why CO-washing did that to your hair? Does it weight it down, or perhaps make your scalp more susceptible to bacteria? Is it the act of vigorously massaging the conditioner into your scalp? I have had only positive results so far, but I want to keep it that way!

My hair wasn't weighted down; I have no idea whether bacteria came into it (would have had to get a culture done to answer that); and I'm not massaging it any less during washing now that I've switched to shampoo bars. (And my hair is just as soft and happy as it was with CO, with the added bonus that it's staying attached to my scalp.) I suspect that some scalps simply don't react well to anything rich getting on them. I shed handfuls from castor oil as well.

If you want to keep it up, just be careful and be aware that problems can arise down the line even if your scalp is fine with CO initially. If a routine makes your hair feel heavenly (which it did for me), it's easy to go into denial when issues arise. Back when I was reading the CO thread the standard explanation for increased shedding was often "it only looks like it's a lot because your hair's longer now / the slip from the conditioner is making all the shed hair fall out in the shower rather and not when you comb afterwards / you only think you're shedding more because you're paying closer attention now than you used to". All of which may be correct in any individual case. But sometimes it looks like it's too much because it really is too much.

Juliet15
July 28th, 2014, 06:30 AM
So, I co washed again last night with the same conditioner and was very aware of the process. I made sure to use only the pads of my fingers (I am guilty of sometimes scrubbing with nails if I feel my hair is super dirty), brushed hair well before washing, used warm, not hot, water, and had hardly any shed! I know some people cannot co wash a all, but for now I am going to continue and hope that one time was just a fluke. Thanks to everyone who responded.

jacqueline101
July 28th, 2014, 07:35 AM
I don't co wash so I'm not the best to ask about the subject. If your scalp is itchy and not doing well I'd say you're either allergic to the conditioner you're using or maybe you didn't rinse it all out or you just can't do it.

Theobroma
July 28th, 2014, 02:05 PM
So, I co washed again last night with the same conditioner and was very aware of the process. I made sure to use only the pads of my fingers (I am guilty of sometimes scrubbing with nails if I feel my hair is super dirty), brushed hair well before washing, used warm, not hot, water, and had hardly any shed! I know some people cannot co wash a all, but for now I am going to continue and hope that one time was just a fluke. Thanks to everyone who responded.

No reason you shouldn't continue if you're one of the people for whom it works! CO wouldn't be a thing if it made everyone shed excessively. If you're one of the lucky ones, more power to you!