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Mufasa
January 2nd, 2016, 10:34 PM
I've been shedding wigs in the shower for the past two weeks and have noticed that the thickness of my hair has decreased. I have counted them and they are around 80-90 strands whereas I used to shed about 20-30! I don't think its related to stress/well-being/health because I've been doing the whole eating well/exercising/living stress free mumbo jumbo.

The only thing that has changed was that I recently started using a Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner. At first it made my hair feel amazing, but now I'm wondering if it could be causing it? Before I run out to the drugstore, I want to hear from others if certain shampoos and conditioners can cause major shedding for you and what products you use that do not trigger shedding.
Thank you :blossom:

P.S. Do rosemary rinses cut down on shedding if you suspect that is unrelated to products?

Dessi
January 2nd, 2016, 10:41 PM
I think it might have something with the shampoo, so I'd go back to the one I usually use if I were you. But I'll let others speak, I'm sure they'll know better.
As for the rosemary rinses, I haven't tried them, but I'm very pleased with nettle rinses. Since I started rinsing my hair with nettle, I definitely shed less.
Don't worry too much about it, I hope everything will be alright soon. :flower:

khryz
January 2nd, 2016, 11:10 PM
I was on Pantene for a while and it made my scalp itch, then as my hair grew longer the shedding became more apparent. I then switched shampoo and conditioner and the shedding stopped. I then went to Sunsilk and it had the same effect, BUT only after a while of using. I was told the new shampoo (that stopped the shedding) was free of silicone and sulfate, so I figured it had a clarifying effect to get rid of all the build up. Perhaps that's why it made my hair feel great for a while before I started shedding again. I'm still experimenting to see if this is true by alternating new shampoo with Sunsilk.

Maybe someone else could pitch in about this?

Anje
January 2nd, 2016, 11:11 PM
I'd switch back to your usual products, see if it stops.

It's worth asking, though: Were you stressed out maybe 3 months ago? 3 months after stress seems to be when the increased shedding kicks in, if it's going to happen. That's what others have told me, anyway, and it seems to hold true for me.

renia22
January 3rd, 2016, 07:42 AM
I agree with others to go back to a shampoo and conditioner that you used before and didn't have a problem with and see what happens. This happens to me too. Not with Pantene (for me certain Pantene shampoos I shed the least from), but if something contains essential oils or is sulfate free (sulfate free with essentials oils....eeeek), I end up with twice as much hair in the shower. Maybe it's just coincidence for you, but it'd be a good idea to switch back to something you liked before, just in case. Rosemary is good for shedding, you can try a little on your scalp and see what happens, but if it makes the shedding worse you can simply discontinue that too.

Silverbrumby
January 3rd, 2016, 08:19 AM
Which Pantene are you using? Also, how does your scalp feel? Have you switched or changed birth control recently?

lapushka
January 3rd, 2016, 08:37 AM
Which Pantene are you using? Also, how does your scalp feel? Have you switched or changed birth control recently?

Yes, has something internally changed recently? It is easy to blame products, but it is true, some things can make people shed. Some can't do CO-washing because they shed bears when using conditioner on their scalp. So please go back to what did work for you, and if you have it then too, then it is *not* the new shampoo/conditioner.

Mufasa
January 3rd, 2016, 09:43 AM
I'd switch back to your usual products, see if it stops.

It's worth asking, though: Were you stressed out maybe 3 months ago? 3 months after stress seems to be when the increased shedding kicks in, if it's going to happen. That's what others have told me, anyway, and it seems to hold true for me.

I read that in WebMD also, but there was nothing out of the ordinary that occurred 3 months ago except maybe a week of stressful exams? But I don't think an event like that would be traumatic enough, but I don't exactly remember that far back :confused:


Which Pantene are you using? Also, how does your scalp feel? Have you switched or changed birth control recently?
I've been using the Pantene Smooth and Sleek line.
My scalp feels normal, and nope to the birth control ..... BUT I have started drinking about 2 large cups of spearmint tea for the past 2-3 weeks! I read online that spearmint tea has effects on hormones (it has anti-androgenic effects) but I didn't think much of it... I just drink it because I like the taste. Could that be the cause or is it a stretch?

Mufasa
January 3rd, 2016, 09:47 AM
And here are the ingredients if anyone can maybe pinpoint what the problem might be if it is a problem with the product choice:

Pantene Smooth and Sleek Shampoo:
Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Citrate, Cocamide Mea, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Fragrance, Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-76, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Edta, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

Pantene Smooth and Sleek Conditioner:
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

renia22
January 3rd, 2016, 05:05 PM
It's hard to say because it could be nothing (shedding could be because of some internal issue & not related to a product), or it could be the overall formula, or some ingredient that is irritating for you, but that someone else might be okay with. It's pretty much a guessing game, unfortunately. Which shampoo & conditioner were you using before making the switch?

meteor
January 3rd, 2016, 05:19 PM
It could be a reaction to something in the shampoo (say, some natural extract, something in the fragrance or even not tolerating cones in shampoo or something...), but it doesn't sound like a typical reaction (usually the scalp will develop an itch or redness or other signs of irritation, as well). You can always go back to whatever products worked before in order to rule out this product being a culprit.

If switching products doesn't work and you feel hair thinning, it's a good idea to see a doctor to get blood tests done, to see if there is any nutritional deficiency or a health issue that this shedding could be symptomatic of.

But shedding 80-90 strands a day is not necessarily a problem (100 strands is often cited as the norm, though it's highly individual), it might be just seasonal, so I would try not to panic yet. :flower: I hope the shedding will stop very soon for you! :pray:

Yarrow
January 4th, 2016, 01:49 PM
And here are the ingredients if anyone can maybe pinpoint what the problem might be if it is a problem with the product choice:

Pantene Smooth and Sleek Shampoo:
Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, .

my money is on the shampoo.
you have in the first four ingredients 3 cleansing ingredients. Sls and sles by themselves are considered to be very strong and potentially drying, plus they threw in coca betaine which actually is an alternative to the sles/sls in a lot of sulfate free shampoos.
so very cleansing, could be very drying and causing your hair to break off near the scalp.

I don't use conditioners or understand how conditioners work, so can't say anything about it.
but if you switch to a gentler shampoo, you should be fine and might be able to continue using the conditioner.

lapushka
January 4th, 2016, 03:05 PM
my money is on the shampoo.
you have in the first four ingredients 3 cleansing ingredients. Sls and sles by themselves are considered to be very strong and potentially drying, plus they threw in coca betaine which actually is an alternative to the sles/sls in a lot of sulfate free shampoos.
so very cleansing, could be very drying and causing your hair to break off near the scalp.

We'd have to know what she was using before this, wouldn't we? To just say that the cleansing agents are the culprits.

Yarrow
January 4th, 2016, 03:24 PM
It definitly would be helpful to know that.
But since the opening post states that the shed only occurs in the shower, I'm going to assume that there is no shed happening outside. Which would indicate a problem with the products used and not a hair loss shed, which happens every where.
And since the top ingredients are the ingredients used the most, we can assume there are large quantities of three very harsh cleansers which can be potentially drying. A lot of people find shampoo with either sls or sles drying. Here they are combined. Drying can lead to breakage, and broken hair especially in the scalp area can look like shed hair.
So there is no way of knowing what exactly is going on here, but I personally think it's the shampoo.
Of course OP should take everything with a grain salt and explore all options.

lapushka
January 4th, 2016, 03:30 PM
OP, what products were you using before this happened?

meteor
January 4th, 2016, 03:52 PM
my money is on the shampoo.
you have in the first four ingredients 3 cleansing ingredients. Sls and sles by themselves are considered to be very strong and potentially drying, plus they threw in coca betaine which actually is an alternative to the sles/sls in a lot of sulfate free shampoos.
so very cleansing, could be very drying and causing your hair to break off near the scalp.

I don't use conditioners or understand how conditioners work, so can't say anything about it.
but if you switch to a gentler shampoo, you should be fine and might be able to continue using the conditioner.

Interestingly, having a combination of surfactants can result in milder detergency sometimes, compared to using SLS alone. In this specific example, Cocamidopropyl Betaine (used in the same product with SLS and SLES) makes other anionic surfactants milder (specifically SLS and SLES), it helps reduce irritation caused by other surfactants, instead of making it harsher, when used at the right ratios. Usually, seeing a blend of surfactants instead of just one is more of a signal of milder nature of the cleanser to me... of course, we don't know the exact % concentrations used, so it's hard to predict the cleansing power without trying it out first, but the marketing as a moisturizing product for "Smooth and Sleek" hair and the inclusion of some conditioning ingredients (even dimethicone) makes me think it's probably a milder kind of cleanser. I think in this product, I'd be more worried about fragrance (fragrance is an umbrella term that can contain hundreds of ingredients, so hard to pin-point something, and this is a problem for sensitive, reactive skins), dimethicone and oil in that shampoo. Some scalps react to that... Regardless, this issue would be easy to fix by moving to previous products that agreed with OP! :)

(A few quick details on surfactants and their interactions here: http://thebeautybrains.com/2014/09/how-to-pick-a-mild-shampoo/, http://www.cctfa.ca/site/consumerinfo/Ingredients%20101.pdf, http://itsallinmyhands.com/2013/04/23/on-surfactants-and-formulation-face-wash-shampoo-and-shower-gels/, http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/2009/03/surfactants-short-guide-to-things.html)

Annalouise
January 4th, 2016, 04:21 PM
I don't tolerate cocomidapropyl Betaine well. I would check your previous shampoo and see if it has c.b. in it. :shrug: It might also be the 'fragrance'. Because the ingredients in 'fragrance' are never listed, that is something that could be giving your scalp problems.
BUT, I think *most of the time, shedding is caused by your health and not usually what product one uses. But I do believe that some products are poorly formulated and can cause issues. Remember, when it comes to ingredients...that its not just what is in them, but also the COMBINATION of ingredients that can also be an issue. If you knew how many chemicals alone are in 'fragrance' you would be shocked. shudder: We're talking a hundred in one fragrance! So personally, I tend to think its the fragrance that doesn't agree with you. Because the fragrance alone can have 100 chemicals and that is way more chemicals than is in the ingredients... if you catch my drift..:popcorn:

Mufasa
January 4th, 2016, 05:24 PM
Thank you everyone for all of your replies and sorry for my delayed response. I was initially using the Dove Daily Moisture Therapy Shampoo:

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Glycerin, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Amodimethicone, DMDM Hydantoin, PEG-45M, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Cocamide MEA, Lysine HCL, Arginine, PEG-9M, Cetrimonium Chloride, PPG-9, Propylene Glycol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Mica (CI 770919), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Red 33 (CI 17200).

I repurchased it today and MUCH less shedding. Not nearly as much as when I was using that particular Pantene line thank goodness :)
Because it had Cocamidapropyl Betaine and the dimethicone I am going to have to guess that the culprit must be the fragrance (or maybe even the combination of the surfectants?) It is completely unfair that screening through ingredients with regard to "Fragrance" does not tell the user anything. Buying fragranced products are like gambling with your hair or skin because you have no idea of how irritating the combination of fragrance ingredients are. I wish that there was more transparency here, but the industry would certainly not be into that :(
Fragrance-free products are not very accessible where I live, either. If I ever get bored again with what I'm using, I'll definitely see if I can get my hands on some. I know that Desert Essence has one, but for now I'm not going to deviate

Thank you all for your help :flowers:

renia22
January 4th, 2016, 05:41 PM
^ Glad to hear your shedding is back to a respectable rate! Since the Dove has the usual surfecants and fragrance too, it could very well be that the overall formula of that particular Pantene irritated you, and maybe it wasn't linked to one ingredient specifically. Sometimes overall formulas just don't work out, but similar ingredients in another formula are fine. It's so hard to pinpoint sometimes without a ton of experimenting, but it sounds like you don't need to do that since you figured out that Dove doesn't bother you. Yay!

meteor
January 5th, 2016, 10:12 AM
Yay, Mufasa, I'm so happy to hear that your shedding has already decreased dramatically by going back to the Dove product you used before! :thumbsup: That's awesome! :D

I definitely agree with you about the limited availability and small range of fragrance-free products. It makes me sad too, that they are sometimes available only by ordering online, and for a high price. :( We know that, practically speaking, it's hard for companies to break down the "fragrance" on their ingredients lists, because fragrance can contain hundreds, if not thousands of ingredients, but for a person with an allergy even the tiniest amount would be a trigger.
I think a possible solution for this conundrum in this day and age would be breaking down all ingredients of fragrance online for each specific product. A company could just put an asterisk next to "fragrance" on the label on the bottle, but produce full breakdown on their website. However, it would still be a compliance and cost issue for companies... after all, even brands like Pantene or Garnier Fructis have those small script disclaimers saying that the ingredients may not be up to date compared to what's sold locally...

Mufasa
January 5th, 2016, 09:52 PM
^ Glad to hear your shedding is back to a respectable rate! Since the Dove has the usual surfecants and fragrance too, it could very well be that the overall formula of that particular Pantene irritated you, and maybe it wasn't linked to one ingredient specifically. Sometimes overall formulas just don't work out, but similar ingredients in another formula are fine. It's so hard to pinpoint sometimes without a ton of experimenting, but it sounds like you don't need to do that since you figured out that Dove doesn't bother you. Yay!

Thank you!! :hifive: It definitely could have been the overall formula, but from now on, I'm going to give Pantene a side-eye :P



Yay, Mufasa, I'm so happy to hear that your shedding has already decreased dramatically by going back to the Dove product you used before! :thumbsup: That's awesome! :D
Thanks meteor!! :cheer:


Yay, Mufasa I think a possible solution for this conundrum in this day and age would be breaking down all ingredients of fragrance online for each specific product.

That is such a smart solution! I agree that companies would never do that for their consumers unless mandated to do so. I can't imagine what it must be like for people with severe fragrance allergies to find fragrance-free products when they are so highly inaccessible and oftentimes more expensive. :(