Has anyone else noticed this?

[rose_in_bloom]

For about 2 months, I've been washing my hair only once or twice a week (used to wash every day). My hair gets nasty by the 2nd day, but I've been putting up with it for the sake of healthy hair. HOWEVER, I have been noticing major shedding ever since I started stretching out the washes. My hair is already super thin, so I can't afford to loose this much hair. It's all coming out in huge clumps every time I wash it.

Does anyone else shed more when not washing as much?

Thanks!

Erin :)

[eaglefeather71]

There's probably a couple reasons, none of which are too alarming. The main one being, you are not washing out and removing the hairs you are losing daily like you were before so it seems like so much more, when it's actually a weeks worth of hair loss minus what comes out with brushing.

Are you wearing your hair up more now than you were before? I wear mine up more when I'm stretching out my washes, and depending on how you wear it up, you may be getting some breakage.

[EllisGurl]

Eaglefeather71 is right. The longer I wait between washes, the more shedding I have. I haven't made it past 4 days though before I couldn't stand it anymore. :shrug:

[embee]

I'm going a couple of *weeks* between washings, but I wear my hair up always. I shed a small amount ever single day of the world, it comes out in combings and brushings. It looks like a good many hairs all tangled up, but I counted it all out once or twice and it was well under a dozen hairs per brushing, so I'm not complaining.

Before washing, I'll do a thorough brushing. This is to save my tub drain from hair clogs. I also have a little drain-strainer/hair-catcher thing I use when I wash my hair. Usually I find two or three hairs caught in the drain strainer after a washing.

The most heavy shedding is after the hair dries and I comb it out. Some is breakage and some is shedding. But it's not *that* bad. I've noticed no particular decrease in ponytail thickness over time.

[Curlsgirl]

Absolutely I have a lot more hair come out the longer I stretch my washings and also the more I wear my hair up. It's just logical that the less you mess with your hair the more hair that has already shed will stay in there and all come out at once when you do wash or brush/comb.

[mew]

i agree with eaglefeather's explanation. I don't often go without washing for more than a couple of days as i need to wash after sports etc, and my hair is frankly disgusting after more than 24 hours (the oily top - dry bottom problem). But if i stretch it out for whatever reason i seem to shed more during the next wash.

[Bianca]

Yes, and it freaked me out in the beginning, but like someone else mentioned, it's probably just due to the fact that your losing hair for several days at once.

I thought I was losing ALL my hair, began looking for bald spots and what not :p

[Forever_Sophie]

1st, as others have said, it's the accumulation of hair you'd normally lose over those extra days.

My experience last fall was much different though, and I remember some others here related. I washed my hair every other day normally, then when I stretched to just ONE extra day, I'd lose tons, much more than I should w/ just one added day. I switched back to every other, just b/c I couldn't afford to be losing so much.

Now, the shedding has dramatically lessened. I can wash my hair twice a wk if I want and not lose outrageous amounts.

[rose_in_bloom]

Whew, thank you SO much to everyone who replied! It all makes sense, and I feel much better now. For a minute there, I thought I was going bald! :o

[Hypatia]

My hair works opposite of reason. :( It sheds more if I wash it everyday. If I can go four or five days, which I usually can because my hair isn't very oily, then the amount of shedding and breakage is cut way down.

[MandaMom2Three]

yup, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw how much I've been shedding lately, but then I realized I went from washing everyday to washing every 3 or 4 days. Divide the clumps by 3 and it's not nearly so bad :p

[tiny_teesha]

nope, if i let my hair get oily it falls out. So the more i wash my scalp the happier my hair. If i don't wash for 5 days my ends are VERY happy...there are just...less...of them ;)

[Gothic Lolita]

I'm like Teesha, if my hair gets really oily, it'll fall out. Plus, I can't stand an oily scalp, I'll scratch myself until I bleed. When it all heals, then I'll look like I've got dandruff. I rather wash daily than having that.

[suicides_eve]

i'll echo every one else, it's probbly from not messing with it every day to get the shed hairs loose, i know a soon as i do a "pre" fringer combing before i get in the shower,i have a bunch fallout. creepy i know, but i've kinda gotten us to it now, nothing to really fret over unless your balding along with it..

[Autumnberry]

Yes, I agree that no more hair sheds in total, it's just more noticeable (and disturbing) because it's cumulative. As far as stretching out washings, Kirin recently posted an article for fine hair with some good advice on stretching out washings. I've discovered that it's just not worth it to me to deal with the greasies.

[Countess_Rae]

My hair use to shed like crazy every time I washed it until I started making my own shampoo, now it hardly does at all if any. So maybe you should try that?:)

[Anje]

It's funny. Some people shed if their scalps get dirty. I shed more when I put anything on my scalp. Just rinsing my scalp with water and not getting anything on it (no shampoo or conditioner, at least) seems to minimize my shedding. Just another example where your mileage may vary.