Shedding everytime I wash my hair.

[lovege]

Okay, so I have taken to washing my scalp with shampoo every other day since I get buildup really fast (why?! i do not put anything on my scalp). I've checked and 95% of the hair is coming from my scalp (with a bulb on the end). It's not coming out in clumps, but almost. Can someone help me please, what's wrong?? Could it be my nails? I sometime scratch my scalp hard (it burns a bit then I rinse it) but only because it's so hard to get rid of buildup. Any ideas?

[Yame]

Did your hair not used to fall out when you washed it before, or something? Like, is this a new thing for you? I'd be more surprised to hear someone with medium to long hair can wash their hair without having a single strand shed than to hear about hair falling off "almost in clumps."

I am pretty sure everyone sheds when they wash their hair. Some more than others. Next time you wash your hair, count your sheds. If it's less than 100 it's probably nothing to worry about.

[lovege]

it's just started maybe about 3-4 months ago, never happened before. i used to get it done at a salon. now i'm attempting to do it myself. could it be the change in product or change in water? luckily my hair is thick, but it has gotten thinner noticeably.

[katsrevenge]

What are you using and what do you mean by 'build up'?

[lovege]

to wash i use giovanni 50:50. i wash my scalp only. By build up I mean an itchy greasy scalp with a weird build up looking substance (only after 1 day!!).It never built up this fast before!

[clarinette]

What did you used to get "done at the salon"? assuming you don't mean "washing your hair".............

[ArienEllariel]

<< only sheds a couple hairs when she washes. I must be some freak of nature or something. lol

[FrozenBritannia]

you could try a different shampoo or conditioner (or both).. like it you have been using 'cones, try cone free, or vice versa. Sulphate free seemed to help me but by then I had already lost most of my hair so get busy trying things!

[spidermom]

I shed hairs every time I wash, although it's rarely alarming to me.

Here's what you do. Make sure your hair is well combed/brushed out before you wash it. Leave it in your favorite position for washing (I'm usually standing upright in the shower.) Get a shower comb/any plastic comb with blunt, wide-spaced teeth and no rough edges. Apply shampoo (I mix mine with warm water and squirt it all over my scalp). Now comb over your scalp - but not your length - with the shower comb. Comb in one direction only - the direction that your hair is laying. Then lift the comb and return to a new position. Repeat this until you've combed over your entire scalp. You can press the teeth into your scalp as firmly as you want to because the blunt teeth will not scratch your scalp.

You can comb conditioner through your length if you want to. At this length, I usually don't, but I did today.

[natural80]

Mine shed as well, but it's not as bad as it use to be. My hair is growing, so I don't worry about it. You may want to try a sulfate-free shampoo such the Shea Moisture line.

[BlazingHeart]

If you're scratching your scalp hard enough to cause burning, you could definitely be dragging hairs out!

It sounds like you have a very irritated scalp that is producing a lot of oil and possibly excess skin cells. Harsh shampoos, shampooing too often, and handling your scalp too roughly can all cause that. I wonder if you are actually causing small tears in your scalp that leak plasma...not quite big enough to leak blood. That would cause the surface to be kind of hard, itchy, and scab-like.

Are you using an ACV rinse? A chamomile tea rinse may also help with the itching, though some people report it lightens their hair.

~Blaze

[amantha]

I have a similar concern. I was on day 3 between washings last time I washed my hair. I did a hair count and I lost 160 hairs in the shower. That's not even counting how many I lost when combing or just from general shedding all over the furniture. Is that a lot of hair to lose over three days?

I also just found out today that I'm anemic and I was reading online that that can lead to hair loss. I'm concerned because I take a daily multivitamin that has 100&#37; daily value of iron so I shouldn't be anemic. :-/

[archel]

I use Giovanni 50:50, but only for twice a month clarifying. Even though it's SLS free, it's a clarifying shampoo and it may be too harsh. For my every other day washes, I use Giovanni Smooth As Silk - you may want to try it or something similar that is more gentle.

[Monkey962]

The only time I seem to shed significantly is after a wash. It can actually be somewhat disconcerting sometimes. I figure it loosens up hairs that were on their way out soon anyway. It seems like on other days I only shed a few hairs, though.

[long.hair.maybe]

It sounds to me like the build-up you're referring to is actually scales from sebhorreic dermatitis. Maybe take a photo of your scalp and see if there are yellow things on it?

Sebhorreic dermatitis can cause hair loss, especially if you're scratching a lot because of it.

[UltraBella]

What did you used to get "done at the salon"? assuming you don't mean "washing your hair".............

Lots of people have their hair washed at a salon instead of doing it at home themselves. You would be surprised how common it is.

[Cheveux en péta]

Okay, so I have taken to washing my scalp with shampoo every other day since I get buildup really fast (why?! i do not put anything on my scalp). I've checked and 95% of the hair is coming from my scalp (with a bulb on the end). It's not coming out in clumps, but almost. Can someone help me please, what's wrong?? Could it be my nails? I sometime scratch my scalp hard (it burns a bit then I rinse it) but only because it's so hard to get rid of buildup. Any ideas?

Same thing happened to me some years back. I have hypothyroidism, anemia, etc. It freaked me out big time because it never happened before. So if you haven't already, go get your hormones AND adrenals checked. Do some research first because they love to say you are in the "normal" range. You need to be at the better end or in the middle, not below or above or JUST within the normal range.

[jacqueline101]

Mine sheds but not like that just hairs no bulb roots. I'd say go to a doctor.

[nobeltonya]

If there are bulbs on the end, they were ready to fall anyway.. if they're shorter than normal or broken, that's a bad thing.. and you shouldn't scratch your scalp. Rub nicely with the pads of your fingers, but not your nails. I get a nice-sized clump of loose hairs every time I wash [every day] but it's normal for me.. :rolling:

[natural_shine]

Okay, so I have taken to washing my scalp with shampoo every other day since I get buildup really fast (why?! i do not put anything on my scalp). I've checked and 95% of the hair is coming from my scalp (with a bulb on the end). It's not coming out in clumps, but almost. Can someone help me please, what's wrong?? Could it be my nails? I sometime scratch my scalp hard (it burns a bit then I rinse it) but only because it's so hard to get rid of buildup. Any ideas?

1- do you drink alcohool?

3-are you on a diet?

4-are you suffering from insomnia?

5-have you had a general anesthesia this year?

If it isn't any of those, well... don't know.
It isn't gonna go away easy though.

Try something stingy on your scalp. Like onion, or garlic or cinnamon. It helps a lot.

[Slug Yoga]

I'm wondering if the shampoo and frequent washing isn't causing some of the problem, in a vicious circle. What shampoo are you using, and what other products (conditioner, etc.)? Maybe it is irritating your scalp?

What is the "weird build-up substance" like? It sounds like you are talking about something beyond just regular sebum or really greasy hair. It makes me wonder if the build-up is being left by the products themselves or if, like another poster suggested, it is some kind of dermatitis.

What happens if you stretch washes? Have you tried that? Although it might be hard at first because you don't like the buildup, maybe it would be a good idea, to see if your scalp calms down. It seems like it is irritated, and I can't help but wonder if it's not the shampoo.

Also, if you were getting your hair washed at a salon before, maybe that didn't give you an idea of how much you were actually shedding because you weren't doing it yourself?

[LauraWolfhart]

Try a good conditioning treatment with argan oil. Argan oil helps stimulate hair growth and make hair healthy as well. Try Something like Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil System. I've used it to tackle hair loss and so far it has worked really well to strengthen and thicken my hair. I recommend it!

[PrincessIdril]

I also just found out today that I'm anemic and I was reading online that that can lead to hair loss. I'm concerned because I take a daily multivitamin that has 100% daily value of iron so I shouldn't be anemic. :-/

But how is your vitamin C intake? If you aren't getting enough vitamim c your body won't process the iron properly. Also are you having tea/coffee at the same time as the tablet? If so, swap it for a glass of orange juice or something as tea/coffee inhibits your body's ability to process iron.
Also you might want to try eating iron rich foods rather than taking a pill, the body is much better at processing the vitamins/minerals in food rather than in tablet form.

[patienceneeded]

I shed every time I wash my hair too. It's perfectly normal. Some days I shed more than others. My hair thickness never seems to change so I don't worry about it. I have noticed I shed MORE if I have used any kind of oil on my scalp. However, I have ALWAYS shed hair in the shower. Joining LHC did not make me suddenly start shedding. It just made me pay attention to it. As long as my thickness isn't changing, I'm not going to worry about a little thing like shedding hair.

[snowcloud]

Use soapnut shampoo!!! No more synthetics = no more excess shedding

[lilliemer]

It sounds to me like the build-up you're referring to is actually scales from sebhorreic dermatitis. Maybe take a photo of your scalp and see if there are yellow things on it?

Sebhorreic dermatitis can cause hair loss, especially if you're scratching a lot because of it.

This. The "buildup" may be the patchy scaliness of seborrheic dermatitis and if you're feeling the scalp burning and losing lots of hair, it may be time to seek an opinion from your primary MD or a dermatologist.

[irisheyes]

What kind of conditioner do you use? I've noticed more shed hair with some of the very slippery conditioners. I think some conditioners just help the already shed hairs slip out easier during the rinse out. I only comb once a day, so most of my shed hair stays put until wash day. When I shampoo and condition, they all slip out at once, causing quite a clog in the drain!

[blondie9912]

I shed when I shampoo as well, maybe 10-20 hairs per wash. The strange thing is, conditioner is what really makes me shed. I don't apply it anywhere near my scalp, but the second I put in my conditioner to the ends and comb it through, I lose like 20 hairs

[evieisocoolike]

@ ArienEllariel Same here! If I lose more than 4 I think I'm going bald! I lose no hair from combing either. :ponder: Yay for freaks of nature! :cheese:

[chotee]

Two things helped me with shedding and itchiness. One was aloe gel and the other is coconut milk. Just keep either of them rubbed on to the scalp and then use a mild shampoo to wash off. The very first day, my itching stopped. Then regular use of ccoconut milk reduces hair fall. If still, there was no improvement, then i would look into other things like diet etc.

[KwaveT]

I have always shed hairs when I wash. I just never noticed it before when my hair was short. With my hair longer I certainly notice now. I noticed I shed even more when I was CO since the slip caused more hairs to fall out. Once I decided to shampoo from top of ears up and conditioner from top of ears down my shedding went down. It is not going to completely stop though.

[heidi w.]

Shedding is a natural outcome of most hair washes. Usually at least a little bit. Also the longer the hair, the more it looks bigger amount of loss. However, your description states that you're almost losing clumps of hair and that's a frightening description and leads to the possibility that you may have a thyroid condition. Do not wait. Go immediately to a doctor and get a screen for both forms of thyroid conditions. Thyroid issues mess with every body system, not just one. This can be a serious condition.

ETA: They claim that the loss of up to 100 hairs per day is in the normal range, and 100 hairs is kind of a wad of hair. END ETA

You could also have anemia which can lead to an uptick in shedding rate, even a borderline anemic condition.

Other possibilities remain: hormonal issue of some kind such as COPD, Polycystic Fibrosis, and on the possibilities go.

Chances are nothing is wrong, but you MUST check it out if hair is falling out in clumps.

I wonder that you might misunderstand what build-up is? It is a bit normal to have a little bit of what most refer to as gunk on the scalp be able to scrape off because this is part of sebum production. Sebum is there for a reason as a barrier that helps to protect the integrity of skin. We all have sebum all over our skin. Usually after a fresh hair wash we don't notice it, but a day or two after a fresh hair wash, we may notice it. Now I have a nasty case of Sebborheic Dermatitus that involves little bumps on my head that appear somewhat acne-like but no pus ever comes out of them: only clear fluid, ever. They itch intensely. I wrote about the condition of S.D. in my blog, in two consecutive blogs just yesterday, so you can check that out, if you like.

I would recommend that instead of using hands to scratch your skin and remove buildup, you instead use a scritching comb, definitely before each hair wash as it will help to further loosen debris, dead skin cells and so on, thus making one's hair wash more effective at cleaning . Inserting dirty fingers and underside of fingernails into hair can cause more problems than it solves, especially in an instance of S.D. By your description, I am suspecting that we might have a person who has S.D. The only way to be sure is to get a diagnosis from a licensed Dermatologist, and the bad news is that there's no cure for S.D. that is known. The best one can hope for is managing the symptoms, which I've finally managed to achieve even if I still get outbreaks. And beware of testimonials on line that say they found a cure. S.D. comes in varying degrees; mine is somewhat on the severe side, but most I've met with S.D. have nowhere near the severity that I have. I feel sorry for those who may have it worse than I do.

ACV rinses or lemon juice/white vinegar rinses can possibly help too.

Be sure to wash your detangling comb every time you hair wash. Every time, a thorough cleaning.

heidi w.

[TiffanieJean]

Do you think you might have or be developing a case of dandruff? Do you have hard water? Try something with Tea Tree Oil in it. I love Giovanni, and they have a shampoo called Tea Tree Triple Treat. It might be worth a try. You can try a cheap VO5 clarifying shampoo too.

I would also suggest doing a hair mask at least once a month. Castor Oil reduces shedding and will help to remove build up. Jojoba Oil is my all time favorite for many reasons. Any oil will work, and they all have different benefits. I hope you can find something that will work for you!