Massage and shedding

[CindyLea1]

Ok I KNOW this has been covered before. I just can't find it. Help out the blonde here! :D

Just to give you a bit of background:

I recently changed my routine;

1) I use V05 Shampoo and conditioner; Moisture milks honeydew-- I used to use Tresseme so this is basically a change to no cones. I made this switch a month ago.

2) Also, about the same time I started taking a hair skin and nails multi-vitamin, and went back to using Monistat.

Now, my problem is shedding. If I comb (using fingers, or a wide tooth comb), either wet or dry I get a lot :confused: of hairs wrapped around my fingers.

This is ALOT worse if I actually rub my scalp at all. I am really gently when I rub my scalp. Even, if I use oils. I know it is average to lose about 100 hairs a day, but I never loose that many. That I notice anyways.

I freaked out this morning and inspected most of the hairs. Most had tapered ends, and a knob, bump type thing at the other end. I seem to remember this meant a natural shed and not a breakage. Is this right?

Most of these were really long, maybe they hit terminal and feel out? Does messageing the scalp make them fall out faster? Or am I just loosening ones that are ready anyways? I'm hopeing it's a spring shed and next month I'll be back to normal. I measured my ponytail circumference at the nap of my neck this morning while it was soaking wet and it was 4 inches.

Any support, advice ect. will be greatly appreciated.

[RancheroTheBee]

Well, I've always noticed a lot of shedding if I massage the scalp, no matter what I'm doing, but especially while using oils on the scalp.

Remember that the amount of hair you're losing a day comprises an average; when people say that you lose, on average, 100 hairs, that can mean that your natural or daily average can be three or two hundred, depending on circumstance.

And yes, the ball and taper means they weren't breaking, but rather falling of their own accord.

And this may seem like cold comfort, but being a blonde, you have more hair on your hair per square inch than anyone else.

PS: Yes, this is likely a spring shed. But since your circumference is four inches, I wouldn't panic unless you started getting bald spots.

[Honey39]

Hair sheds, and in spring, our bodies will shed more hair ready for the summer. I think unless it's a massive amount you're losing, this is pretty natural. I think it's something like 80% of your hairs will be growing, 10% falling out and 10% in the resting stage before the new hair comes through.

Try not to worry, you have lovely hair!

[CindyLea1]

Thank you Ladies!

I'm shooting for knee length, and I am at almost classic. I freaked out a bit this morning, thinking I might have hit terminal. Or something I changed in the last moth was actually causeing issues.

But after reading your posts I feel better.


RancheroTheBee-- If I start getting bald spots, YOU will know! You WILL hear me scream! LOL You are correct about the average being more one day and not so much the other. I was thinking average being one day 300 people tested and the average was 100 per day. Your way sounds much better! LOL

I also did not know that blondes have more folicles on their head-- Does this mean that if a blonde and say a brunette or redhead all have 1b/m/ hair the blonde will have a larger poytail beacuse they have more numbers of actual hairs?

Honey39-- It had not clicked, that maybe I was just having a normal seasonal shed. I should have because my 2 dogs are loosing patches of winter hair BLECK! I'll try not to stress, I'm now almost certain this wont last more than a week or 2.

[Rebelkat]

And yes, the ball and taper means they weren't breaking, but rather falling of their own accord.
Well, it IS also possible that breakage can occur that makes the hair shaft appear thinner OR thicker (when the splits haven't split enough to be recognized as such). There's a thread somewhere on here illustrating all of the different kinds of splits there are. But it is safe to assume that it's an undamaged hair that just fell out. It can be confusing sometimes. :o

[mira-chan]

Hair sheds, and in spring, our bodies will shed more hair ready for the summer. I think unless it's a massive amount you're losing, this is pretty natural. I think it's something like 80% of your hairs will be growing, 10% falling out and 10% in the resting stage before the new hair comes through.

Try not to worry, you have lovely hair!
Well my hair is confused then. It sheds in autumn. :lol:

I had plenty of shedding when I started massaging and scalp oiling. Now I hardly lose any hairs from it.