Isn't hair going to shed anyway no matter what cleansing routine you use?

[Curlsgirl]

I see so many posts about shedding being worse when COing or not COing or when using one product vs. another product. I always wonder "Isn't the hair going to come out anyway"? I don't understand how using a certain product can stop or help the sheds. At best I can see how it might delay it a day or 2 or even a week or 2 but help it stay IN the follicle?

I guess I just want to be set straight if I am wrong and maybe hear a scientific reason that products can make a difference on hair shedding. I am NOT saying it is NOT true or is true but it just doesn't make sense to me. Could it be more of a coincidence that hair shedding might intensify with a product or a certain way of washing than the product itself? Maybe it is a time that a heavy shedding would occur naturally anyway? Just thinking this through. Happy to hear any comments about this and especially a scientific explanation. TIA!

[ktani]

Here is an article on "Season hair shedding"
http://www.keratin.com/aa/aa015.shtml

and here are some hair facts by P&G
http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_23.htm

[Thumper]

I do not have a scientific explanation.

However, as you have already mentioned, I as well notice that certain products do seem to make more hair shed then other products.

Yes I agree, if a hair is damaged perhaps some products just expidite their demise. And given that they are damaged, then evenutally they will fall out anyways.

Then again, maybe some products are weakening the hair at the scalp?

Additionally, I'm of the notion that if something is causing a hair to fall out quicker then naturally occuring, then I want to avoid that. Just because when I've used the epilady on my legs, I believe that all that force of the hair out of the folicle over time and time again, is the reason that I barely have any leg hairs left.

[Silver Strands]

I rarely shed with CO but there is 1 shampoo that makes me shed more than any other.

It's odd because it has so few ingredients: Queen Helene Mint Julep.
I just assume i'm allergic to something in it because not only do I shed a lot, but my scalp itches like an allergic reaction until I use something else on it.

ETA: But as to your question, yes I think hair will shed no matter how careful you are with it or what products you use.

[mira-chan]

Hair sheds more from inflamed spots. If whatever you are using irritates your scalp you get more shed because the scalp when irritated becomes inflamed and puts resources to heal itself, instead of hair. Similar if you are very sick, hair sheds more and doesn't grow as much because the body puts all the energy and nutrients to the essential systems. Hair follicles lacking the energy to support hair growth and keeping it in the follicle, release the hair.

Also if it's an allergy to an ingredient, it has the double effect of immune system overreaction on top of the irritation. With an autoimmune response hair follicles can be attacked and killed thus causing more
shed.

The reason you get such variety in what causes shedding is the differences in body chemistry (sensitivity, allergies, etc.) of different people.

[Darkhorse1]

My hair dresser said that our hairs go through a life cycle (ktani posted it). I would venture to guess perhaps some shampoos can cause more pulling during washing, thus pulling hairs that are going to be shed, sooner. That's just my theory :D

Shedding is, indeed, part of a hair's life cycle. So, I would think that using a certain shampoo and finding you shed a lot might just be around your natural shed cycle. The only way to tell is to stop using a certain shampoo, then go back to it and if you shed, you know it's tripping something in your scalp.

[Katze]

I've had the same question!

My hair seems to shed based on hormones and seasons, not on whatever products I am using. However, at times when my scalp's been "unhappy" (crusty, flaky, itchy) I seem to shed more. Massaging my scalp seems to make my scalp "unhappy", thus my hair seems to shed more. Getting my scalp really clean (with sulfates) regularly seems to make me shed less.

IMO I don't think it is as easy as "just" using one particular product or routine. There seem to be other factors involved.

[rhubarbarin]

I think it's very possible for certain products to decrease or increase shedding. Irritation can cause hairs to shed prematurely; Monistat, somehow, gives some people's individual hairs a longer life as well as promoting faster and new growth.

For me, though, product doesn't make a difference. I shed a lot - with WO, CO, soaps, non-sulfate poo, and sulfate poo. I like sulfate poo the best because it gives me soft, clean hair that stays ungreasy for a few days (with everything else hair looks great on wash day and is flat and greasy the day after), and makes my scalp clean and less itchy.

The one thing I have found it that if I rub my scalp, a lot of hair is going to come out - whether I'm washing or trying to massage. This is another reason I like sulfates, because I get clean with a lot less rubbing and shedding.

[Anje]

I'm not sure I understand it myself, but I know I shed substantially less with WO that with S&C or CO. A part of that might be that the hairs don't slip out as easily in the shower, but I didn't fill brushes and combs with many hairs during WO either.

[Curlsgirl]

Okay it does make sense if the product you are putting on your scalp irritates or causes an allergy. And it also makes sense that disease, medications and diet would make a difference. I liked the articles and appreciate all your input!

[LaurelSpring]

Hair sheds more from inflamed spots. If whatever you are using irritates your scalp you get more shed because the scalp when irritated becomes inflamed and puts resources to heal itself, instead of hair. Similar if you are very sick, hair sheds more and doesn't grow as much because the body puts all the energy and nutrients to the essential systems. Hair follicles lacking the energy to support hair growth and keeping it in the follicle, release the hair.

Also if it's an allergy to an ingredient, it has the double effect of immune system overreaction on top of the irritation. With an autoimmune response hair follicles can be attacked and killed thus causing more
shed.

The reason you get such variety in what causes shedding is the differences in body chemistry (sensitivity, allergies, etc.) of different people.

Thanks this makes sense to me. Since I came on board here and started trying different things, I have tried some that have caused a noticeable increase in shed. The shed was usually precipitated by a reaction to the product (Queen Helen Mint Julep was one of them). Also when I had to take some antibiotics this caused a shed. I had a reaction to the antiobiotics also. I noticed slight increase during Fall but moslty my sheds have been very much in response to a product that caused irritation.

I also noticed that the shed did stop when I used castor oil soaks. I dont know why exactly it just did. I think the garlic capsules might have helped also but I was using castor oil also so dont know. So in my experience I can go from a normal for me shed to an increased shed due to product reaction back to a normal shed from castor oil.

[Silver Strands]

Thanks this makes sense to me. Since I came on board here and started trying different things, I have tried some that have caused a noticeable increase in shed. The shed was usually precipitated by a reaction to the product (Queen Helen Mint Julep was one of them).


It's very interesting that you had a reaction also to a shampoo that has so few ingredients.
I thought I had to be wrong about it but I have used it from time to time and I ALWAYS shed so much hair using it compared to anything else.
Factor in the itching also and I have just this past week started using it to wash sinks, etc.

[Arctic]

I have a theory that has no scientific background:

When people experience more shedding when oiling their scalp or COing, my theory is that those hairs are hair that are reached their resting phase (telogen) and are ready to shed any day and the oil (or conditioner) somehow helps the hair slip out of the follicle. If we are talking about healthy scalp (and person), I have hard time believing the product would cause hairs that are in active growing phase (anagen) to shed. If the oiling (etc) continues, I assume the shedding gets back to normal.

Ofcourse this is just a theory :)

[mira-chan]

I have a theory that has no scientific background:

When people experience more shedding when oiling their scalp or COing, my theory is that those hairs are hair that are reached their resting phase (telogen) and are ready to shed any day and the oil (or conditioner) somehow helps the hair slip out of the follicle. If we are talking about healthy scalp (and person), I have hard time believing the product would cause hairs that are in active growing phase (anagen) to shed. If the oiling (etc) continues, I assume the shedding gets back to normal.

Ofcourse this is just a theory :)
A hypothesis you mean, a theory has cto have experiment data backing it. A hypthesis is an educated guess.

If there is inflammation, especially an autoimmune (allergy) reaction, the hair will go from anagen, to dead, to shed, very fast. In an autoimmune reaction, the antibodies and white blood cells over react and attack healthy cells. So if you get an allergic reaction at the scalp, your hair follicles and scalp skin cells are being attacked and killed.

[rymorg2]

I have a theory that has no scientific background:

When people experience more shedding when oiling their scalp or COing, my theory is that those hairs are hair that are reached their resting phase (telogen) and are ready to shed any day and the oil (or conditioner) somehow helps the hair slip out of the follicle. If we are talking about healthy scalp (and person), I have hard time believing the product would cause hairs that are in active growing phase (anagen) to shed. If the oiling (etc) continues, I assume the shedding gets back to normal.

Ofcourse this is just a theory :)

That's food for thought, but I've been oiling etc for some time now and am having a heavy shed just now...I don't think it's that. It varies depending on what I use on my hair.

[heidi w.]

YES

heidi w.
*ALERT: this just may be the shortest post I've ever done

[30isthenewblack]

YES

heidi w.
*ALERT: this just may be the shortest post I've ever done

:laugh:

25 words