Shedding

[Synnovea]

I remember my dad getting up in arms about my hair clogging up the shower drain when I was a teenager. Not much has changed as now it's my husband who has to deal with the clogged drain and vacuum. I've been told that I shed abnormal amounts of hair but I'm wondering if it just appears this way because I've always had long hair and it simply looks as though I'm shedding more than the average person.

Have you received these sort of complaints? What might "average" shedding be? If I am abnormally shedding, are there any remedies I can apply in order to lessen the amount of hair I'm losing?

[FluffSpider]

ALL the time! Yes, it's partially due to length... I do go through actual sheds sometimes, so that's something.
Textbook normal shedding is max. 150 hairs per day. But actual normal shedding isn't compared to number of hairs, but to the consistency of it. If you usually lose 50 hairs and now you're losing 200, be alarmed. Get some tests done, eat healthier. If you've been losing 200 a day for all of your life, with no ill effects, then it's just the way you work-and aside from rogaine, which will pretty much stop shedding(stop the treatment and you will shed everything that should have been shed anyway), there is nothing you can do.
If you experience abnormal shedding, as I said, some basic health tests are in order, to check for thyroid 'malfunction', vitamin deficiency, anemia, etc. Hair is pretty much optional, so at the first sign of stress, the body will redirect energy from it to the more important parts- brain, muscles, etc.Thus hair(shedding) is a pretty cool alarm signal.
Aside from correcting whatever deficiency there is, you can go through a detox regimen, take some A&E vitamins, perhaps biotin, and/or spray coffee/black tea at your roots. This should also increase your growth rythm

[Amber_Maiden]

I shed TONS. I think it has to do with my having thick hair... and maybe it looks like more because it's very long now. But still... sometimes my hair brush gets clogged after just one brushing 0_o

[Madora]

Definitely get checked for anemia and also your thryoid. I speak from experience re: anemia.

Do you comb or brush your hair every day? If you don't, the shedding hair just might be hair that hasn't been removed via daily combing/brushing.

[Synnovea]

It's good to know I'm not alone here, but to answer your question, Madora, no, I don't brush/comb every day. I've read that doing so can cause more damage and breakage to the hair so I only do so out of the shower. Is there any truth to this or is brushing good for hair?

[girlcat36]

I'm an experienced shedder :(
I have always shed a lot and my hair is pretty thin, but I've learned how to recognize when something is out of whack. if I shed more than 75 hairs in the shower something isn't right. if I shed a lot of 2-4" hairs there is definitely a problem, since my hair is 28" and shouldn't be shedding out at 2-4".
I normally shed about 20-40 hairs per shower. I am very happy with that(although NONE would be nice, too).
I have had sheds of up to 300+ hairs a day. This was my thyroid. Anemia will make you shed, as well as sensitivity to shampoo ingredients.
I have a feeling I will always be a heavy shedder, but now I know what really constitutes 'heavy' by actually tracking it for a month or two.

[jacqueline101]

Oh yes but I live alone and its the plumber that complains.

[Mesmerise]

It depends how long it takes for your shed hair to clog the drains ;). Honestly, long hair will clog more than short hair even if you're losing the same amount.

However, if you suddenly seem to lose a lot more then maybe that is cause for concern. I can always tell when I'm having a bigger shed, because the amount of hairs coming out just increases obviously. I am shedding at the moment which is rather depressing because I went through a big shed 18 months ago and my hair hasn't recovered from THAT yet.

However, my sheds always seem to just take their course and go back to normal after some weeks/months.

However, I think it's normal for some people just to shed more than others. It could be because they have a shorter growing cycle, so more hairs are in the "shedding" phase at the same time.

[Renate]

If you are healthy, take a picture from the side of your ponytail to check it's circunference every month.

I experienced shedding last year and got checked for everything, and no, nothing. My doctor said it's that period when a lot of hair falls and new hair comes to substitute the older ones. I still shed, but I have MANY new hairs and my ponytail circunference hasn't changed at all, even though I shed a lot..

[Madora]

It's good to know I'm not alone here, but to answer your question, Madora, no, I don't brush/comb every day. I've read that doing so can cause more damage and breakage to the hair so I only do so out of the shower. Is there any truth to this or is brushing good for hair?

If you're a curly, then brushing wouldn't be an option. You should use a wide tooth comb instead.

Brushing is not harmful to your hair, PROVIDED that it is done correctly and with the proper brush (no plastic!). How much you brush every day is a matter of preference.

The thing is, the brushing helps remove hairs that have fallen out, exercises your hair follicles, removes dirt/lint/dead hair cells, and over time leaves your hair soft and glossy.

If you don't want to use a brush, then a wide tooth comb might be more appealing.

The thing is, your hair should be brushed (or combed) every day to remove strands, etc.

Before you shampoo, thoroughly (but gently!) comb (or brush) your hair so that the loose strands don't end up in the drain.

There are bound to be a few hairs that come out during the shampooing and conditioning process but that's to be expected. The way you use your fingers on your scalp and hair during the entire process also will effect how much hair you lose.

[girlcat36]

Sometimes it doesn't matter how thoroughly you brush your hair before a shower.
I brush(gently) until no more shed hairs come out, then I get in the shower and 80 more come out! :mad:
I am very gentle with my hair in the shower, too. :confused:

[LovingLife]

I shed quite a bit! :)
However I do account that to weekly washes with oiling as well as very curly texture :) However I have managed to reduce this with a wooden comb rather than my fingers :) and also never yanking through my hair, I feel like you can pull out hairs that aren't ready to be replaced that way even if they do have a little white root :/

[Stagecoach]

I shed a lot. I will fill our hair trap over the drain with 1-2 showers, and I fill my hairbrush twice a day.

[ludwig20]

I've started shedding, too. It's not more than 100 hairs... in fact, it's probably 10-20 hairs during a shower and a few others when I comb. The thing is I rarely shed before reaching APL! My hair has been at shoulder-length (or shorter) for years now, so perhaps my hair is adjusting? Has anyone else experienced this? I stay optimistic because of my new 'halo' thanks to my castor+coconut+SAO mix.

[Zesty]

You just have to know what is normal for you. I don't actually shed very much, which I find curious, since I wear my hair up and don't comb it more than once a day, etc., so I should be noticing more shed hairs. But really I usually get about 5 that come out when I wash every other day, and a smattering in between. It adds up to like 15 a day. :confused: I don't know how I could be shedding more without noticing, because my hair is up or otherwise contained constantly. But this seems to be normal for me, so I'm not complaining.

I think I do remember shedding more on CO than on my usual Head and Shoulders, so maybe the shampoo has something to do with it.

[ludwig20]

I guess the problem is that I'm not quite sure what my normal shedding is. I'll just closely observe how much I shed as my hair grows.

Anyway, I have looked around other threads and I've got the impression that perhaps hair sheds when it reaches a new length. Last time I had APL hair was about six or seven years ago. On the bright side, my hair no longer feels so heavy.

[jeanniet]

Everyone sheds, but if your hair is shorter, lighter, or finer it's not as obvious. You lose hairs here and there throughout the day, so it may just have been that you didn't see most of them. Your shed rate should stay roughly the same no matter what length your hair is--I definitely shed the same when my hair was much shorter (but my hair is dark so pretty obvious).

I shed a lot, but I have seasonal heavier sheds, too. I always brush my hair out before I wash it and that reduces the loose hair in the drain, but doesn't eliminate it.

[Jessykins]

i shed like a sheep dog. the worst time i shed is when im washing my hair and using shampoo. i find hairs all over the bathroom, bedroom, fish tank, rat cage and sometimes my mouth, i think ive only noticed it more so because of my length, and its so dark and thick

[HintOfMint]

Don't have anything to add as to your health and shedding rate as everyone else has covered it. I thought I was shedding more as my hair grew longer but my hair is as thick as ever, so I'm guessing it has more to do with it looking like more since the hair is longer.

As to the shower drain, when you wash and condition your hair, you should collect the shed hair and put it on the edge of the tub for after your shower when you can throw it away. I share a bathroom with three other girls, it'd be a nightmare if we all just let it collect in the drain!

I'm still terrible about shedding all over the apartment though. I leave puppies in my wake.

[Woods Nymph]

I'm still terrible about shedding all over the apartment though. I leave puppies in my wake.
Haha! This sounds like me!
Then, of course, I can't blame anyone else since I'm the only one with hair 3 feet long that passes through my house... :)

[ludwig20]

i think ive only noticed it more so because of my length, and its so dark and thick

Same. Dark, thick hairs have become more noticeable on the bathroom rugs and on my bedroom carpet. Now my mom knows I'm the culprit because of the length of the hairs. :D

[PixieKitten]

Most of my time in the bath after washing my hair is spent fishing out shed hairs and sticking them to the side of the tub to put in the bin when I'm done to save clogging up the drain! My brother has no such concerns, and leaves hair ALL over the bath without cleaning it off. He has nearly APL length hair in crappy condition because he doesn't know anything about haircare... Just another reason to hate him, I guess ¬_¬
*cough*

I shed so much, it's slightly concerning sometimes. But it's always been like this, I assumed it was because my hair's so thick :s

[jeanniet]

Haha! This sounds like me!
Then, of course, I can't blame anyone else since I'm the only one with hair 3 feet long that passes through my house... :)
Yeah, this. Can't say it belongs to my husband or sons when their hair is all 2" long!

[Hollyfire3]

I shed alot and i am constently checking to see if the strands are whole ones! I am scared to death of breakage! Does anyone think how thick a person's hair is has at least some corrolation to how much they shed?

[sfgirl]

Hmm, I guess I don't shed as much as I thought. I don't count it, but I only fill a hairbrush up every week or so. I'm going to start paying attention and counting though. It's hard because my hair is so light, it blends in, so anything lost in the shower I'll never know about! LOL

[girlcat36]

I shed alot and i am constently checking to see if the strands are whole ones! I am scared to death of breakage! Does anyone think how thick a person's hair is has at least some corrolation to how much they shed?

I shed a lot, and my hair is quite thin.

[healingarts]

My shedding in the last year was due to hormones and hormone fluctuation. I had to adjust everything I was taking and now am down to a miniscule amount and the shedding has decreased. Also I only wash my hair once ever 4-5 days and so it also seems that I shed a great deal but it is actually just an accumulation of regularly shed hair in that time. I have been using a scalp rejuvenator by Pravada and it SEEMS to be working. I am growing back hair at the sides of my bangs where I was practically bald. Don't know if it is the Pravada or the change in my hormonal situation. Regardless, it is improving.