Hair changed from an ii to an i recently

[Annalouise]

Hi guys & gals,
I'm kindof freaking out because I measured my ponytail circumference and its gone from an ii (2") from the last time I measured it on October 14, to a i today. Today it measured at 1" & 14/16". And I know its not faulty measuring because
I've seen an increase in my shedding the past 2 months and it has worried me. So the measuring confirmed it.

I'll tell you what I was using on my hair up until Oct 14 when I measured it at 2".
I had been using Dr. Bronners peppermint soap diluted in a tea (made with distilled water and hair herbs like rosemary, basil, nettles, horsetail...etc). And doing a rinse with the same tea. And coconut oil on ends or length sometimes. (I had been doing this for over a year or altering it with a J.R. Liggetts shampoo bar).

On Oct 15 I switched to using Aubrey Organics shampoo & conditioner.
I also started brushing my hair daily with a bbb . (prior to that it was a sporadic use).
I also did a *scalp oiling experiment in October, and noticed more shedding so stopped it.
I also started stretching my washes from daily, to once every 3-4 days.

So what is making my hair shed more? (I didn't change my diet by the way.)

Is it:
1. brushing daily with a bbb
2. washing my hair less frequently (oil buildup on scalp)
3. Aubrey's organic shampoo & conditioner

What do you think?

I discontinued using the bbb on Dec 5 and switched to combing and I am seeming to be gradually losing less hair. To be specific, the shed numbers from day 1 of switching to combing were: 20, 75, 30, 18, 50, 25, 20, 50, 25, 20, 20, 15, 5, 4.

So you can see that the shed numbers are going down. I'm going to continue with the combing for a couple more weeks to see if the shedding stabilizes at a lower number. When I was using the bbb I was losing easily 50-100 hairs.

I'll probably continue with the Aubrey's shamp & cond during this time so that I keep that as a control.

If my shedding rate goes down and stabilizes then I know it was the brushing.
If my shedding rate stays between 50-100 then I'll know it wasn't the brushing.
Then I'll switch my shampoo and see if the shedding decreases.

I know this is a lot of analyzing but when your hair is THIN, it will never reach the lengths we want.

So if I don't decrease shedding, as I see it, I won't EVER have a hemline at waist.

There is one more possibility: TERMINAL length.

I have a lot of new growth on my head, but I notice that when I shed its MOSTLY the longest hairs on my head.
This leads me to believe that my anagen phase might be fairly short.

Please ADVISE me if you can!

I know Terminal length can change and whatever...its just that I've NEVER made it to waist. My hair gets so thin
after bsl or mbl that I fear that it will never get to waist.

Anyways....

[Isilme]

I have, like you found that oiling and excess manipulation of my scalp leads to increased shedding. Stretching washes can also have that effect. Try and stretch one day at a time to let your scalp get accustomed.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Have you been through any stress or lost weight? Those things can trigger a shed.

[Annalouise]

I have, like you found that oiling and excess manipulation of my scalp leads to increased shedding. Stretching washes can also have that effect. Try and stretch one day at a time to let your scalp get accustomed.

Yes, I have read that people with fine, and wavy hair should reduce manipulation of the hair. Maybe it's true? I have a book on hair loss and it states that when thinning hair is an issue the hair should be washed daily....something to do with excess sebum clogging the pores which can lead to increased hair loss. I might go back to daily washing to see if that is the issue.


Have you been through any stress or lost weight? Those things can trigger a shed.
No. In fact, I'm getting plumper by the day.:p

[meteor]

It could be so many things, e.g. being stressed or undernourished going back about 3 months, etc.
But seeing that your hair is both textured and fine and that you see a dramatic increase in shedding when you brush, I would suspect that your hair probably can't tolerate brushing - or at least brushing using your technique with that specific brush (maybe the tines are spaced too close...)
Try to gently comb hair with a snag-free wide-tooth comb, put it up in a very simple updo and leave it alone. Keep track of your shedding. The good news is that your shedding is down now, right? So maybe it was just seasonal.
Usually, if a shampoo causes this, you can tell right away: shedding is immediate and the scalp can get red, itchy or otherwise uncomfortable.

Of course, you can always ask your family doctor to run tests for you, if the shedding increases again.

[Annalouise]

Meteor- Thanks. I used a sulphate shampoo one time, about 6 weeks ago. I did get scalp irritation and had a burning hot feeling on my head.
I NEVER use chemicals on my head because I have MCS but I stupidly thought I could use a mainstream chemically shampoo and I just reminded myself why I don't use them.
However, I didn't notice any shedding right after the wash, just my normal MCS symptoms: burning feeling, migraine headache, cold and flu symptoms...etc
Yes, I shall continue with minimal hair manipulation. My shedding rate IS going down. THANK GOD!

Man, having thin hair sucks!:p

[Ambrielle]

I have found that keeping my hair routine to a minimal delivers the best results, less is more. Years ago i had a stress related shed that took me from a iii down to a ii, i didn't even notice it at the time as hair was the least of my worries until a family member pointed out my hair looked thinner, lifeless, uglier (yes, they used that term :() than usual. i was so upset about their blunt comment at the time but so glad now because it was exactly what i needed to hear. In my case what seemed to help was to re introduce more protein in my diet and changing my hair routine.

i also find that oiling one's scalp vigorously may trigger premature hair loss. Someone told me that it wasn't a good idea to leave the oil in one's scalp overnight because it softens/losens the follicles (?) and may result in unneccessary shedding. i still leave it on overnight once a week without a problem but i don't saturate my scalp/hair with oil (less is more). I was told the same thing about conditioner and co washing ( i lose up to 15 strands of hairs when i use a shampoo bar or co wash so no problem there and maybe up to 30 when i use a sulphate/clarifying shampoo every now and then but each scalp reacts differently as you know).

Is your hair/scalp on the oilier or drier side? I have a dry scalp myself so not sure what insight to give about washing your hair, as others have suggested i'd stretch the washes gradually. My feeling is too much or too little sebum can lead to scalp issues. Maybe if one's scalp gets oily fairly quickly the sebum may clog the hair follicles leading to hair fall? this would make sense as to why certain scalps wouldn't be happy with heavy oiling and/or over stimulation as it could easily lead to the production of more sebum.
As for BB brushes people either seem to hate or love them, i would always use a wide tooth comb to detangle/comb hair prior to any brushing, anything gentle with wide teeth to reduce mechanical damage is a bonus especially if your hair is on the finer side.

i wish you the best on your hair journey and keep us updated :flower:

[Annalouise]

Hi Ambrielle, I do have an oily scalp. For that reason I was an everyday or second day washer for most of my life as my hair looks
oily on day two (fine, thin hair plus oily scalp = oily sea otter look). I have also read that too little, or too much sebum can cause problems. I might just be better off washing it more frequently and then LEAVING IT ALONE.:p

Thanks for your well wishes!:blossom:

[Madora]

It'd stick with daily combing for the time being. Also, try and limit what you put on your hair. Since your hair is of an oily nature, you should just use what nature supplies and not use any additional oils. You also might try diluting both your shampoo and conditioner. And as far as stretching washes is concerned, if you can stretch to twice a week, fine. If not, fine too. Personally, it is more important to have a healthy scalp than one that is not. Also, be sure not to put anything directly on your scalp. The scalp has a certain PH balance and messing with that natural balance can bring all sorts of troubles.

Also, to take up some of the oil in your hair, you might want to consider placing a small white sock over your hairbrush, then brushing down your locks to soak up the excess oil.

[lapushka]

I have iii F hair and can't even manipulate it with a BBB or it gets knotty, tangly and sheddy. Besides, I have wavy hair, so that and a BBB don't mix. I'd try leaving the brush out of your routine for a while, for sure.

[Isilme]

I find the most important thing is to keep the scalp clean with a gentle shampoo. No oils or stretching the washes too much.

[Annalouise]

Thanks Madora! I'm glad you chimed in because I want to know if you thought perhaps I should discontinue the brushing.
I won't be putting anything on my scalp except shampoo. And I don't think I will stretch my washes for the time being.
My hair will have to be protected with conditioner on the ends when I shampoo.
I have to find the balance with not losing any more hair than I have to. I can't afford to lose hair.
My mother has VERY thin fine hair. And she recently told me that my great-grandmother, who had hair down to her thighs, went bald
late in life and wore a wig.
So I just don't want to loose my hair.:(
I can reduce shedding, so that's what I'll concentrate on.:)

[swearnsue]

I put conditioner on my ends only first. Leave on for a couple of minutes, rinse out, then put conditioner on the ends and up the length to almost the scalp. I leave this on for a minute or less, then rinse.

Keeping the conditioner off my scalp has helped me a lot.

[Annalouise]

I have iii F hair and can't even manipulate it with a BBB or it gets knotty, tangly and sheddy. Besides, I have wavy hair, so that and a BBB don't mix. I'd try leaving the brush out of your routine for a while, for sure.

Yes, it seems like it is a good idea. I'm even thinking about not even combing. Just using conditioner as that detangles my hair in the shower and then wear it up. Or just comb as needed. I think I'll reduce all mechanical things.:) I'm less concerned with tangles or dry ends then I am with loosing hair.


I find the most important thing is to keep the scalp clean with a gentle shampoo. No oils or stretching the washes too much.

Yes, it seems so. I decided thus far to not stretch washes. Indeed. Keep my scalp clean and just leave it at that for now.:)


I put conditioner on my ends only first. Leave on for a couple of minutes, rinse out, then put conditioner on the ends and up the length to almost the scalp. I leave this on for a minute or less, then rinse.

Keeping the conditioner off my scalp has helped me a lot.

Hmmm. Do you wash your scalp with shampoo you didn't say?:) I have heard that some people experience increased shedding with conditioner on the scalp and I'm going to take note of this.

[Annalouise]

Hi guys, I thought I'd give you an update.
I did an experiment with not using a bbb, and using a comb only. Then I did an experiment with ONLY using a comb. And then I did an experiment with using NO combs or brushes just detangling in the shower with conditioner.

The result is the same. The same hair loss. Soooo, I'm going back to the beloved bbb! My scalp MISSES it! And I'm going back to detangling with a comb. I probably won't do 50 strokes with the brush but maybe around 10-15 and then build up slowly. I do feel its good for my scalp. And not detangling everyday was leading to more tangles. :knit: Back to business.