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.