Freaking out! Hair shedding

[wissles]

Hi, I am totally freaking out right now. My hair is really thick so at the moment it isn't really a disaster, but I'm still.. scared! I noticed yesterday when I was combing my hair that a LOT of hairs were falling off. Mostly one at a time though, but still! It wouldn't stop. Everytime I combed down my hair at least one hair fell off and it kept doing that!

Also, when I wash my hair I see a lot of them in the bathtub!
Why is this? Is is because it's autumn or what? I'm thinking I might be stressed but thing is, I'm ALWAYS stressed and have never noticed this before. I'm not at a diet either so it can't be that..

[Spring]

At least it's just single hairs, not 60 or 100s of hairs coming out everytime you comb.

[Heidi_234]

Well, if that was shedding I would be bald by now. There isn't one brush stroke I made that doesn't fish shed hairs. If you have access shedding it's very noticeable - when I had it, I used to pull out HUGE hairballs every single shower, ones that you couldn't compress to balls smaller than ping pong no matter what. I was brushing my hair often and losing hairs all the time, and eventually I noticed my braid lost third of its thickness, my hair lay very flat around my head.

You might have little seasonal or just periodical shedding, many people do. If it's not exceeding the 100-150 hairs a day scientists say everybody loses, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Shedding is perfectly normal and perfectly healthy process. No need to freak out. :flower:

[maegquare]

It sounds like seasonal shedding. I don't know what your current length is, but the longer mine got, even though I was really only losing 3 or 4 hairs whenever I combed it, it started to look like an alarming amount of hair when I would ball it up to throw it away after cleaning out my comb. It took awhile for me to get used to what looks normal for for longer hair. Could that be part of the problem?

[DragonLady]

I've been having a major shed since June. I don't know what has caused it or if it's ever gonna stop. Yesterday I must've lost 60 hairs, and for me that is far, far more than normal. :( I was losing clumps, too, not just single hairs. :(

If anyone has an answer or a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

[ambychelle]

I've been having a major shed since June. I don't know what has caused it or if it's ever gonna stop. Yesterday I must've lost 60 hairs, and for me that is far, far more than normal. :( I was losing clumps, too, not just single hairs. :(

If anyone has an answer or a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

I'm sooooo sorry, but this made me laugh so hard I couldn't breath. Don't get me wrong, I understand that 60 could be considered a lot for someone who rarely sheds, but I lost exactly 60 hairs yesterday and I was SO excited. In 2 months, that's one of my lowest hair shed counts. On wash days, I normally lose 160+ (110 is the lowest i've counted and 200 the highest) and on non-wash days it's more like 90 and often more.

When I saw 60 hairs in your post, I thought "HEY!! me too! yee haw for a low shed day!" and then I read the rest of the sentence.

It just goes to show just how wide the range of shedding is.

[DragonLady]

I'm sooooo sorry, but this made me laugh so hard I couldn't breath. Don't get me wrong, I understand that 60 could be considered a lot for someone who rarely sheds, but I lost exactly 60 hairs yesterday and I was SO excited. In 2 months, that's one of my lowest hair shed counts. On wash days, I normally lose 160+ (110 is the lowest i've counted and 200 the highest) and on non-wash days it's more like 90 and often more.

When I saw 60 hairs in your post, I thought "HEY!! me too! yee haw for a low shed day!" and then I read the rest of the sentence.

It just goes to show just how wide the range of shedding is.


Strangely enough, that makes me feel better. Thanks. :)

[Spring]

I've always had hair all over the bathroom floor, but I still panick when I shed more than 10 hairs..lol!! (I shed a lot more than 10). I can't stand to see clumps,... 5 strands coming out together is extremely unsettling to me. I can really understand being concerned if you're not used to shedding and then all of a sudden you start....

[lora410]

Welcome to winter shedding. I just posted about how bad my winter shed has been..ugh

[curlytiff27]

I'm sooooo sorry, but this made me laugh so hard I couldn't breath. Don't get me wrong, I understand that 60 could be considered a lot for someone who rarely sheds, but I lost exactly 60 hairs yesterday and I was SO excited. In 2 months, that's one of my lowest hair shed counts. On wash days, I normally lose 160+ (110 is the lowest i've counted and 200 the highest) and on non-wash days it's more like 90 and often more.

When I saw 60 hairs in your post, I thought "HEY!! me too! yee haw for a low shed day!" and then I read the rest of the sentence.

It just goes to show just how wide the range of shedding is.

Its great to read that your shed count is going down for you ambychelle!!! I know this has been a tough time for you just following some of the post we have both made regarding shedding.

As for the OP...I understand your fears. Back in July I (stupidly) asked my hair stylist to cut some layers in my hair. I have curly hair, but can also wear it straight but not too often here in the humid south. Well, about the beginning of August I noticed that when I was drying my hair, it just seemed like a lot less was there. So I started panicking and thought I was loosing hair, or going bald. Seriously.I have a cowlick in the back that has been there for years that I conceived in my head to be a bald spot. I never put the two together...that I had asked for layers. Well, after a month or so and the help of some ladies on here I figured out that it was from the layers being cut in that was making me freak out less hair being there...which in reality there is less, but still had the length. I normally wear my curls, but when my hair dresser does my hair, she cuts it wet and straight. Needless to say I have atleast 6 different lengths of layers in my hair. It was before the cut all one length, blunt cut. I've never had layers in my life. I thought I wanted to have hair like Jessica Simson...thats what I get for wanting what someone else has I guess. lol I still get stomach sick when I see how thin my hair looks compared to what it was. I literally have layers up to my ears when worn curly. I was also at BSL, now...APL. I had to have her cut off 4 inches of that last stringy layer this last time in september to make it look decent. Never again. Then, as for the thinning part, well I have highlights. When she did them in september, I had been taking too many vitamins in my opinion for my hair and was also taking msm. This softened my hair so much I lost some of my curl. Also, when the hair dresser did my highlights she added a deep conditioner to the highlight mix that she put on the roots. Well, this lowered the peroxide level (this info is courtsey of the lovely ladies on here again) which overall, made my roots feel alot softer than the rest of my hair because it didnt well, dry it out as much. Again, this was another month of pain because I thought that all my hair was suddenly growing in thin. I know...crazy right. And the highlights for me help hold my curls.

Well, I tell you all of that for this. From all this panicking that I did thinking I was loosing my hair I stopped washing everyday and also started finger combing instead of using a brush. I was one who, before finding LHC washed everyday and used a brush on my hair wet. So yea....I used to loose alot everyday. Ever since I stopped brushing and just gently used my fingers I loose alot less. Now, maybe 5-10 while washing and 10 maybe a few more while combing and scrunching while drying it. Maybe if you tried that it would help? Don't get me wrong, something different works for everyone. Some cant use SLS, but for me, its fine. I've always used it and have always had a good amount of hair. Some don't blowdry, I need to with my hair. And some need to use a brush, for me, this increases my shed count. Wet or dry. The other day I did my hair straight, and stupidly used a brush, well I lost easily a hundred hairs + and dwelled on it all day because I just had to count them. Also failing to take into account that I didnt wash it the day before either. It is NORMAL to loose up to 150 for the average person a day. Some may loose more or less. I know its hard to think of it like that when its YOUR hair your seeing more of in the brush, comb, on the floor, or in the tub. Being on here helps, but I must admitt, I became obsessive with counting my hairs. This I think caused more anxiety than I needed. I literally was loosing sleep and appetite over something that was not there. But...as women and even some men, our hair is a huge part of us! :-)

Ok, I just noticed I gave you probably more info than you wanted to know. :-) I'm sorry about the long winded post! :D

[Spring]

Curlytiff27, what is a cowlick?

[curlytiff27]

Curlytiff27, what is a cowlick?

Well, kind of like a swirl pattern in your hair where it all parts off in opposite direction of eachother or also where your hair may stick up while the rest of the hair lays more flat to your scalp. Some people have different names for them, I've always known them as cowlicks or hair swirl. :-) HTH!

[Amara]

Unless it's seriously prolonged, please don't worry about it. Everyone will shed more or less now and again. Some folks just have a lot of follicles that are on the same schedule - a lot of them drop their hairs all at once and then in a few months you'll notice lots of new growth. :)

[Pixna]

I'm sooooo sorry, but this made me laugh so hard I couldn't breath. Don't get me wrong, I understand that 60 could be considered a lot for someone who rarely sheds, but I lost exactly 60 hairs yesterday and I was SO excited. In 2 months, that's one of my lowest hair shed counts. On wash days, I normally lose 160+ (110 is the lowest i've counted and 200 the highest) and on non-wash days it's more like 90 and often more.

When I saw 60 hairs in your post, I thought "HEY!! me too! yee haw for a low shed day!" and then I read the rest of the sentence.

It just goes to show just how wide the range of shedding is.

Yup!!! I just got done washing my hair and I feel as though I lost 1,000 hairs in the process (slight exaggeration, but just slight). Seriously, if I only lost 60 hairs in a day, I'd be giddy, too!

[bushytailed]

I hate when my hair falls out too. I always worry too. It can be a very sickening feeling seeing all those hairs; makes me feels yucky just thinking about it. Try not to worry, and try the finger combing too. I do it and it's easy and feels better to see less hairs fall out.