Thoughts on shedding

[Pixna]

Do you think that we each shed a certain number of hairs each day (though that number varies from person to person) and that they will "come out" regardless of what we do (combing, brushing, washing) or not do? Or do you think that manipulating the hair causes it to shed more, and if we don't do anything to our hair, we just won't shed as much?

[katha]

I think there's a fine line between shedding and shedding.
Shedding is something that happens naturally, like you say. It's a fact of life that we lose hair, just like that.
But if we treat our hair a little more careless than we could, we may "violently" remove single hairs. If you pull too much, it'll come out. Of course you'll notice. Shedding, you wouldn't. Shedding doesn't hurt, this does.

[Dani]

Pixna! :D :rolling: For me, handling my hair (scrubbing scalp, finger-combing in shower, combing dry hair, etc.) makes hairs shed that were ready to. My dd hasn't had one thing done to her scalp or hair for over a year now- just rinsing with water in the shower whenever that happens to happen, and no manipulating the head of hair :p of any sort except me combing it once or twice a week, and no products at all.

When she was 3 last fall, she just stopped wanting me to wash and condition it; she didn't like it anymore.. or maybe I should say she wouldn't 'let' me anymore. ;) But I have definitely noticed that her hair sheds like, Rarely. Seriously, when I comb it only one or two hairs will come out. Her hair is a ton thicker than it used to be and I only just now thought of the difference with regard to what she does (or doesn't) do with her hair these days, because you posted this. A couple times recently I thought of how thick her hair is now and I assumed it was because she's getting older. But I bet it's both. :)

I'm always amazed at how she doesn't shed hair like I do, because if I go a couple days without finger-combing or something, I have ridiculous amounts of hairs coming out! I wonder where her shed hairs are, and what they're up to, and why aren't they actually shedding?? :p It's pretty trippy. She's got blonde fine wavy hair that is mid-back. It used to be corkscrew curly when she was little! But it was shorter then. Her hair gets these gorgeous long mermaid curls now that look so neato, but only after her hair dries after getting water on it. It's usually just wavy/straight otherwise. Anyway.. I can't talk about this stuff anywhere else. :p

I have no idea if we shed a certain number each day, but my guess would be no. Sure, there's an average, but everyone is so different and our bodies change every day, that it's entirely individual, and there's no answer that will apply to everyone anyway. :pumpkin:

P.S. Just wanted to also say that in my experience, I don't lose whole hairs with roots on them unless I pull one out on purpose, and only then. For me, rough handling or brushing or anything like that doesn't make whole hairs come out, or I'd feel it when they did! It's always just hairs that were ready, and that's it.

[Pixna]

Thanks, Katha and Dani (:waving:)! It's interesting about your daughter, Dani, and the whole hairs. I do shed a lot, but these are not broken or pulled hairs -- just ones that gently come out when I comb or brush. They do not hurt. Some seem full length and others are shorter. I'm curious whether other people experience more or less shedding with more or less manipulation, or if it doesn't seem to matter. In the case of your daughter, Dani, it seems as though the minimal manipulation has made a difference (either that, or just her getting older, or a combination of the two).

[hairobsessed1]

try researching hair life cycle, there are three stages
Anagen - Growth Phase
Catagen - Transitional phase
Telogen - Resting Phase
and eventually the hair reaches its optimum length and falls out (eveyone has a terminal length) in which your hair cannot grow any longer.
so most of the shedding will be your hair falling out so a new hair can take its place.
i think about 80 hairs a day is about average.
reduced brushing may help- i only comb my hair when i apply conditioner and then as soon as i get out of the shower, i don't brush or comb my hair at any other time as excessive brushing can really damage hair.

[Kyaatje]

funny but I do think we shed always. I had my hair in (synthetic) dreads last year, which means that they are put in your hair with tiny elastics and your hair stays where it is ... of course no signes shedding. But then when you take them out all the shed hairs are coming out to ! At first a really scary sight LOL
While my hair was in dreads I didn't manipulate it a lot (save for it being in the elastics off course) no combing, barely washing ...

[Tiina]

I'm going through a major postpartum shed. Two days ago I did a gentle but thorough brushing. Lost over 200 hairs (yes, I counted :o). However, since then I have only shed a few hairs whereas before that brushing session I was losing 20-30 hairs every time I combed and there were hairs literally everywhere around the house. So my theory is that what isn't meant to come out, won't come out. Not manipulating may keep the hairs stuck to the scalp for a while but that doesn't mean it isn't time for those hairs to come out and they will come out anyway. Nor does manipulating magically force hair into telogen (shedding) state.

[JenniferNoel]

Well, obviously, if you're ripping through your hair and putting enough force on the follicle to force a perfectly growing hair out of your head, then yes, manipulation will, in fact, cause some extra shedding. Generally, I agree with the above posts, if it's not meant to come out, it won't. Hair is generally in there pretty good unless it's in the telogen/final phase.

[EdG]

Agreed. Hair that's reached the end of the growth cycle will shed out no matter what one does. This is the body's way of regulating hair length (most apparent for eyebrows and bodily hair).

Some hairs inevitably get pulled out prematurely. That can be minimized with care. One can tell if a hair was meant to shed out by whether one says "ouch!"- normal shedding is painless.
Ed

[phistash]

funny but I do think we shed always. I had my hair in (synthetic) dreads last year, which means that they are put in your hair with tiny elastics and your hair stays where it is ... of course no signes shedding. But then when you take them out all the shed hairs are coming out to ! At first a really scary sight LOL
While my hair was in dreads I didn't manipulate it a lot (save for it being in the elastics off course) no combing, barely washing ...

Yes. I shed a lot no matter what, which would freak me out if I couldn't see all of the new growth replacing the shed hairs. It is especially freaky when I go several days with my hair tied up and under a scarf, as I did this week because I was so busy. When I let my hair down and washed it, it seemed like huge chunks of hair were coming out. Really, it was just four days worth of normal shed.

The one thing that irritates me about my crazy shedding/regrowth is that my hair will never lie flat and straight and will never be smooth and glossy. Oh well, at least I have waves!

[spidermom]

Dani, I would think that since your daughter is only 3, she hasn't started the shed and regrow cycle yet. Most of her hairs are probably genetically programmed to grow for 5-6 years or more.

I've come across all kinds of personal observations on LHC about things that cause hairs to shed, like applying conditioner, so who knows. I think that hairs shed when they reach the end of their growth cycles because that's how it seems to work on my head. Not even periods of extreme stress and grief have caused increased shedding.

[Dani]

Dani, I would think that since your daughter is only 3, she hasn't started the shed and regrow cycle yet. Most of her hairs are probably genetically programmed to grow for 5-6 years or more.
Good point! And she'll be 5 in a couple months. :)