A Year's Worth of Shed (Pics)

[LittleOrca]

Last year someone on here posted that they had saved a years worth of shed hair just to see how much it would be. That got me wondering, so since last September, I have started to save my shed hair. Now, I did not go shower drain diving or anything, so this hair collection is technically not 100%, but I think it's still pretty impressive. I took three shots to show the amount of hair, the last one having my hand in it so that there was some kind of scaling device to judge the amount on.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff176/Little_Orca/IMG_2319-1.jpg
In a pile.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff176/Little_Orca/IMG_2317-1.jpg
Spread out.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff176/Little_Orca/IMG_2318-1.jpg
With my hand.

And my hair is still just the same as it has always been: back to a lovely 41 inches. Though, I am debating another trim. Trims are sadly going to be my past time until all the gold has grown out.

[Foxy_Booker]

Interesting! I feel like I would have more hair shed than you though in a whole year! I actually used to collect all my hair as well (not drain either lol) and I would detangle it all and put it all the right side and make a ponytail out of it. It was tons of work and I gave up because of it but it was very interesting to see how much hair shed amounts to.

[cindy58]

Yikes! I imagined I would find pics like these, but I clicked on it anyway.

[ravenreed]

Makes you wonder how you have any left on your head, doesn't it? When I rub my foot along the carpet under my computer chair, I can ball up mounds of my hair. This is in spite of vacuuming at least once a week. Apparently this is possible even in my sons' room, and that is astonishing since I only enter that once or twice a week. I have this image of hairs shouting "Whee!" and parachuting all over my house.

[spidermom]

Weird.
I truly don't understand saving shed hair. It would be like saving peeled skin to me.

[pink.sara]

Hahaha! Initial response is ewww! But after actually looking for a moment that is pretty impressive isn't it?!
And without the wash day shed too! You must have lots of hair!

This probably explains why when I cut my dreads off they weighed nearly 5lbs!

[ravenreed]

I started saving mine to make a rat out of, but realized that I didn't have the patience. Now I only keep them if I need to do a strand test.



Weird.
I truly don't understand saving shed hair. It would be like saving peeled skin to me.

[pepperminttea]

I'm actually surprised there isn't more, I seem to find lumps like that every time I vacuum (which granted isn't as often as it should be :p ). Kudos to the patience it must've taken you to collect it all up though!


I started saving mine to make a rat out of, but realized that I didn't have the patience. Now I only keep them if I need to do a strand test.

I meant to keep mine to make accent braids out of, that could be pinned into otherwise plain updos, but also didn't have the patience. Detangling the stuff still attached to my head is enough of a challenge. :o

[slz]

The idea of keeping shed hair kinda appeals to me just to see what it'd amount to - and maybe making braids line Dyanyla ... but I'd never do it anyway, in fear of realizing how much it is. Every single hair I shed makes me freak out, so no way I could withstand to see them accumulating like that :D .


(Oh and totally OT Little Orca : your new tail is gorgeous, I went to see your latest video to take a better look at it, it's really nice - and you look so happy in the slideshow's last picture, it kinda brought tears to my eyes. Just the glowing ! You rock girl \o/ )

[jojo]

Seems a lot but rather a bizarre hobby!

[archel]

I have made rats out of mine by stuffing the hair from my brushes into pantyhose :)

[Rocket22]

I have to agree it really doesn't seem like that much considering it's an entire year and you have very long hair (to me anyways) but I have to say that is probably more hair then is on my entire head right now :)

[LittleOrca]

It's not going to be a new hobby of mine. in fact, when combed my hair today the shed bits went right into the toilet, but I jsut was curious to see what I would have after a year. Heh.

[jojo]

^^ ha ha glad to hear it!

[islandboo]

Weird.
I truly don't understand saving shed hair. It would be like saving peeled skin to me.

Says the lady with the iii thickness! :D. I have been saving my long sheds to make a clip in extension or braid to bulk up my updos. I save some of the shorter ones for color testing too. I can understand the ick factor, but the intense longing for a non-miniature bun outweighs the ick in my case.

[julierockhead]

What's wrong with keeping you own hair? I am totally saving mine to make rats with, I think it's genius.

[Emerald88]

That is a lot of hair! I would not want to see how much I lost this past year. I love your new tail also.

[TheCaityCat]

I am now morbidly curious to see what a year's worth of my discarded hair looks like.

[Yame]

It doesn't look like a lot for a year! I think I shed more hair than that in 2 months!

I once thought of saving my shed hairs, to make one massive hairball out of them, and seeing how big it would get. After a few days, I lost my patience and gave up...

[wishywashy]

That is a lot of hair.

off topic

I also love love love your tails!!! I dreamed of being a mermaid or dolphin when I was a child. Anytime I went swimming, as soon as I hit the water, I was a mermaid swimming around in circles and spinning under water. I would have been ALL OVER those mermaid tails that you make. :D:D:D:D

[UltraBella]

I think it's awesome ! I am glad you saved it this long, it's really interesting.

[lastnite]

doesn't look too bad for a years worth.... remember it looks like alot when long hair is matted up like that, if it was combed out straight it might not look like that much. hey, if there was a way to keep it all combed out neatly you could probably sell or donate your shed hairs ;)

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

So cute. LOL

[Neneka]

Wov! It would be interesting to know how many individual hairs there is but I guess counting them is kind of impossible. :)

Your siggy pic is awesome! You look very pretty and I love that tail. :)

[fluffybunny]

I just had to see this. Cool!

[jasper]

So, did you notice any seasonal differences in the accumulation over the year? I always imagine I shed more in spring, but I don't have any hard data. I wonder if I just notice it more I spring when the short sleeved shirts and shorts allow shed hair to tickle my skin more as it goes on its way.

I am saving shed hair right now. I started in July. Shed hairballs do give me the creeps, but collecting hairs and aligning them to braid has made for fewer wandering hairballs around the house. My spouse is pretty freaked out by the accumulated lock of hair, but he adapts to most things. :crazyq:

[Catia]

I don't think that's a lot of hair at all!

I also don't understand why people think this is weird or skeevy. Geez. It's not a "hobby". She's not crafting or knitting people tea cozies out of it or anything for heavens sake. It's a great way to learn what normal (for you) shedding is. More informative then making "Is my shedding normal!?!?!?!?!?!?" posts.

[chou]

This is awesome! Victorian women used to collect all the hair that caught in their brushes and put it in a little jar like this that they kept on their vanity tables: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/victorian-austrian-wallendar-hair-keeper-porcelain .
I think the hair was then balled up and placed into elaborate hairstyles to provide additional lift. Not that you have to do that. But if you, pics please??

[sugar&nutmeg]

It's not a hobby!

It's a science experiment!

Oh, and feel free to 'hear' that in Dr. Emmett Brown's voice from Back to the Future.:D

[kamikaze hair]

that is truly an impressive mound of shed!! wow, that really is an awesome thing to view. My first thought was holy s*** thats alot of hair, but put into perspective that is hardly anything, especially seeing as you have some very impressive and decent amount of length to begin with. I've always wondered how much hair a person sheds in a year... :D

[ingvild]

That's impressive! I think I'd might be able to do something like this, but I'd be afraid someone would accidentally walk in on my massive hairballs ;) I'd have to hide them pretty well, lol. <_<

[LittleOrca]

So, did you notice any seasonal differences in the accumulation over the year?
Not really. It seemed like I shed 'more' in the winter and summer, since that is when I keep my hair up the most and both protected and off my neck in the heat. However, we know that that is not really shedding more, but just the bun holding onto more hair and not letting it shed as it's up so it gives the illusion of it being a bigger shed when it is finally let down.



...She's not crafting or knitting people tea cozies out of it or anything for heavens sake...

No, but I did make it into a tiny toupee for a hand puppet and say he was Donald Trump. :D (For only a second to make the fianc&#233; laugh)




It's not a hobby!

It's a science experiment!

Oh, and feel free to 'hear' that in Dr. Emmett Brown's voice from Back to the Future.:D

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1954/deloreangif.gif

[pixiedust]

this makes me feel so much better about my life. Thank you for posting !

[Foxy_Booker]

I really don't think its gross seeing as as soon as the hair exit your head its dead, so disentached hair from the head is no different. I mean I was able to make an accent braid out of the ones I straightened out and its not like its any different than real hair extentions.
I think comparing it to shedded skin is kinda gross seeing as skin is alive when its attached to you but when its no longer attached its dead tissue that disintigrates away while hairs always dead.
Just don't let anyone see you collecting your shedded hair, they will think your crazy lol

[QMacrocarpa]

No, but I did make it into a tiny toupee for a hand puppet and say he was Donald Trump. :D (For only a second to make the fiancé laugh)
I wish you had pictures of that to share! Just imagining it cracked me up! :laugh: This thread makes me regret that I didn't make a note of when I started saving most(?) of my shed hair (basically whatever I collect from comb/tangle-teezer) with the idea of making a felted bun-rat from Finoriel's instructions (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=208). But no, I wasn't that organized, alas!

[Alex Lou]

I thought there would be a lot more based on how much I shed every time I wash my hair!

[Lissandria]

I too am collecting my shed hair for a donut rat. Amazing how much hair we can shed!

[lapispimpernel]

Just don't let anyone see you collecting your shedded hair, they will think your crazy lol

I got caught, and I can attest that the above statement is true.

:D

[McFearless]

I love the gold! Don't mess with the gold!


...your shed collection looks like my drain after one week...oh noes

[snakewitch]

http://i51.tinypic.com/2sba4x1.jpg

I just wanted to share my 4 months of shedding... although it's about 1/3 of the hair I've shed over this time. :P I try my best, though. It's a crappy picture, I know. Took it with my webcam while laying in bed, lol.

And I have no idea why I'm dreading it.

[Airmide]

Ok I think I might feel slightly better about my shed rate then. I've also been collecting, I think for maybe 2 years now? I have a gallon sized ziplock and it was fairly full without really being smushed at all. I've been sorting and braiding it when I'm in the mood, which is sort of like S&D split trimming, both are sorta zen for me. I do it while watching TV. I've now sorted about half the bag and made 4 small braids.