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View Full Version : I barely shed; am I alone?



Runzel
April 15th, 2009, 03:49 PM
Let me first clarify that this is probably a temporary thing, as I have dealt with alarming sheds in the past (probably related to severe health issues) and I suspect that it's a direct result of the changes I've made in hair care management. But I'm curious to see if I'm the only one who has experienced this.

I've been keeping my hair in updos and finger combing thoroughly every morning and every night along with a good scalp massage. I use a plastic comb as soon as I get out of the shower. Each time I work through my hair I'm only noticing two or three hairs shed. It's not like they're easy to miss or anything...over a foot long and dark brown, contrasted to my white clothing/floor/sheets/etc! At first I thought nothing of it, be I've been checking around the forum and the low number seems unheard of.

Is it?

About three weeks ago I gave up my plastic brush I had been using every day that regularly got a good amount of hair in it, and switched exclusively to combing and then to mostly just finger combing along with the scalp massage. Could it be that the brush was ripping out so much hair that there's just not much more that needs to be shed for a time? Or is my hair just unnaturally happy?

I'm not complaining or anything(:lol:); just curious as to what's going on.


P.S. (I'm not trying to make anyone jealous-:couch:-I truly feel for those who are struggling with massive sheds right now. A few times my hair was falling out so much I thought I would lose all of it, so I feel your pain! Most likely this is a temporary thing and I'll be in the same boat as the rest of you sooner or later. :rolleyes:)

Aisha25
April 15th, 2009, 03:52 PM
I dont shed alot either maybe 0-5 hairs now a day. I only have one massive shed and that happens around winter time. If I had heavy fall all the time I would freak out!

Euphony
April 15th, 2009, 03:54 PM
Nope you're not alone. I think during the course of the day I lose 20 at the very most, average is 100 shed per day. During my combing I only lose 3 or 4 so my figure of 20 is due to ones I don't see/notice.

Last summer I went through a huge shed though, it was so weird. Hubby and I finally chalked it up to me being stressed. We'll see this summer if the same thing happens.

Rebel_Dream
April 15th, 2009, 03:56 PM
I shed mostly during the summer.

spidermom
April 15th, 2009, 04:01 PM
I don't notice many shed hairs during things like combing and washing, but during cleaning I find extra-long hairs all over the place. They can't belong to anybody else but me. They must sneak out when I'm not looking.

Arctic
April 15th, 2009, 04:02 PM
I shed very little normally. I do have seasonal sheddings, but even then I don't think I loose even the 100 hairs per day that is said to be avarage.

I once went through a really huge shed in my early 20s, it was horrible!

Runzel
April 15th, 2009, 04:06 PM
Is it really possile to shed hairs from buns and other such complete updos without realizing it? I was thinking the hair has to be somewhat loose.

Deborah
April 15th, 2009, 04:17 PM
You are not alone. I shed very lightly, about 5 hairs per day, maybe a few more when I wash (once a week). I brush at least twice a day, and use a comb when I feel like it, so for me the brush is not an issue. I have always thought the 100 per day figure sounded outlandishly huge, but maybe it is true, probably for those with super thick hair or something. I don't really know. I never said anything because I figured I must be a freak. I'm glad to learn that there are plenty of us with hair that apparently doesn't need to shed heavily. :)

For those who DO shed large amounts of hairs per day, don't worry about it if it is normal for you. My guess is that there is a really wide range of what is 'normal', and it is only worrisome if it is a big change for each person's own normal shed. Vive la difference. :)

RancheroTheBee
April 15th, 2009, 04:27 PM
About once every few months, I shed about 100 hairs at a time. This is pretty scary when you're in the bath and BAM you're covered in piles of your own hair. But normally, I shed about... 10 hairs a day, if that. I shed normally, just not at normal times.

Honey39
April 15th, 2009, 04:54 PM
I don't count...

Since I stopped brushing or touching my hair during the day, when I wash my hair in the morning, I shed probably about 20 hairs? Then maybe another 10 combing it out, and probably about 10 through the day - about 40?

But the thing is, we only have so many hair follicles on our head, and I think that usually 80% are growing, 10% are terminal (falling out) and 10% are dormant.

Shedding is actually really positive. I would be slightly worried I think if I *didn't* shed, because it would potentially mean that when the hairs reached their terminal growth cycle (6 years?), there would be too many falling out at once! So it's actually pretty healthy to have a regular daily shed throughout the year, sometimes heavier, sometimes lighter, so there is always consistent growth at every length.

(This is my way of not being jealous of all you lucky ladies who don't shed like me, lol - I should be a spin doctor, huh???!)

enfys
April 15th, 2009, 05:18 PM
Honey, that was very mean and clever of you lol.

I don't shed much, and I am paranoid about cleaning my brush and the plug hole!

Everyone else sheds loads; I find a lot of everyone elses hair in the sink etc at home. I think short hair is easier to play with and fiddle with too much. N.b. I know shedding is natural, not just from fiddling.

I've never noticed a major shed ever. It's a bit worring. Maybe my hair will just get thicker and thicker and thicker!

jojo
April 15th, 2009, 05:42 PM
I used to hardly shed anything like say 10 hairs a day, though i am a seasonal shedder and September is my biggest shed month. I did undergo a lot of stress during February and March and it has effected my shed rate. I am hoping this is only a phase due to the stress and I go back to normal.

Runzel
April 15th, 2009, 05:46 PM
Wow, so this minimmal shedding might not be a temporary thing after all? :cheese:

It's so good to know I'm not the only one!

Elphie
April 15th, 2009, 06:41 PM
I don't seem to shed many hairs a day either, 10-15 perhaps. I don't find them on my clothing either. The only huge sheds I can recall were after the births of my children.

Teazel
April 15th, 2009, 06:59 PM
I'm having a 'light shed' period at present. My daily combing only produced 10 sheds this morning - I counted because of this thread! :silly:

I know it won't stay that way, alas! It can go up to about 200 per day. :undecided

charlotte meve
April 15th, 2009, 07:02 PM
I don't normally notice that I shed. But I've had a change in my thyroid medication, and had some slight drop. Not anything to notice but enough to give me a great scare. This is a bit odd because I thought that my hair was growing pretty rapidly as of late.:confused:

Elenna
April 15th, 2009, 07:06 PM
I'm normally a low shedder, but had a big shed last fall and winter. Which was scary because I'm not used to it. Finally, hair is back to being low shed again which is about 3-10 hairs loss per day.

Euphony
April 15th, 2009, 07:06 PM
~threadjack

Jojo your hair has gotten so long, it's so pretty and shiny!

jojo
April 15th, 2009, 07:57 PM
~threadjack

Jojo your hair has gotten so long, it's so pretty and shiny!

thank you so much, that is a huge compliment from one of my inspirations xxx