shedding, is this normal?

[MayaBlue]

The past few months I've noticed that my shedding increased a lot...but I didn't notice exactly how much until this morning. I took my usual night-time braids out and combed my hair and this was what was left in the sink

http://i51.tinypic.com/11c5ssj.jpg

Is that a normal amount? I know everyone's different, but considering my hair wasn't tangly (i'd slept in braids all night) and the hair's just been coming off into my hand when I run my fingers through my hair lately...I'm a little concerned.

[Gumball]

People can shed on average 50-100 hairs a day, give or take. Seeing how much hair is shed often causes worry when it's compounded by longer lengths. The example for that is a hair that is an inch long takes up much less space than a hair that is halfway down your back. It doesn't look like you've shed that much, and seems like it's a bunch of longer hairs that are all curled up together in a bunch.

ETA: Usually the time to be concerned would be if you were shedding a lot and the circumference of your ponytail drastically reduced. That means you're shedding more than you're regrowing.

[christine1989]

It depends how much this differs from your regular amount of shedding and how long you have been shedding this much. Some people have periods of increased shedding followed by a return to their normal amount which is totally normal. From the picture it looks like it is on the high end of normal but if you are really concerned then I would reccomend a comprehensive blood test that covers iron level, thyroid function, kidney/adrenal function and b vitamin levels in particular. This would cover the most common causes associated with increased shedding and is usually covered by insurance. I used to shed quite a bit but after getting a blood test I realized it was due to low iron. All it took was an iron suppliment to drastically reduce my shedding in just a few weeks.

[MayaBlue]

Thank you :) I freaked out for a bit.

[MayaBlue]

It depends how much this differs from your regular amount of shedding and how long you have been shedding this much. Some people have periods of increased shedding followed by a return to their normal amount which is totally normal. From the picture it looks like it is on the high end of normal but if you are really concerned then I would reccomend a comprehensive blood test that covers iron level, thyroid function, kidney/adrenal function and b vitamin levels in particular. This would cover the most common causes associated with increased shedding and is usually covered by insurance. I used to shed quite a bit but after getting a blood test I realized it was due to low iron. All it took was an iron suppliment to drastically reduce my shedding in just a few weeks.

Low iron can cause hair to shed?
I've always been a little iron deficient...hmm.
Thank you

[mamaherrera]

I continue to have way more shed than that daily, if you saw my hair balls, you'd die! I have a low ferritin level but my stomach could only handle an 18 mg iron daily. Any more and I got sick. I've been taking it for a month and don't see much improvement. but then I did just start armour thyroid and they say that can cause an increase for a while. HOpe it calms down but I've shed super high like that for the last three years.

[spidermom]

If that's an unusually large shed for you, you're doing good! Every few years, all of a sudden my hair will start coming off in sheets; it's rather alarming. By six weeks after that, I will see hundreds of new hairs sticking up all over the place, making my head look like a dandelion seed-head.

[Lilli]

I was shedding this amount in September and October. I lost about 30% of my ponytail circumference. My doctor did say my iron was low, and I had been taking a prenatal with a lot of iron. I got Floradix and it has stopped. I think it is a better quality or more absorbable iron? It doesn't bother me at all.

[Amber_Maiden]

It might be a seasonal shed, never know!

[heidi w.]

The past few months I've noticed that my shedding increased a lot...but I didn't notice exactly how much until this morning. I took my usual night-time braids out and combed my hair and this was what was left in the sink

http://i51.tinypic.com/11c5ssj.jpg

Is that a normal amount? I know everyone's different, but considering my hair wasn't tangly (i'd slept in braids all night) and the hair's just been coming off into my hand when I run my fingers through my hair lately...I'm a little concerned.

Normal. Entirely normal that amount. Remember longer lengths look like MORE when it may not be.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Low iron can cause hair to shed?
I've always been a little iron deficient...hmm.
Thank you

Low iron is known as "anemia". It can raise the shed rate chronically over a long time. Fix the anemia, the hair in a few months will shed less.

heidi w.