new thread
While everyone in general shed differently, and at different times, I just wanted to start a thread where we all can share tips for coping with daily hair shedding or even seasonal shedding.
Now that my hair is getting longer I find it interesting how much hair I loose each day. It's amazing how much I never realized how much hair shed I have until my hair got past shoulder length. Sometimes I get scared when it's a lot, other times I feel happy that I did not shed a lot, or the fact that I discovered that I shed more hair during the summer season.
The moment I had to put some drano in my bathtub gave me the affirmation that I am now a longhair! I invested in a hair strainer for my bathtub. My morning routine is to finger comb my hair and catch as much shedding before using my wide tooth wooden comb (I do this in my bathroom), and then I repeat this process before going to bed. I now have to vacuum my house every week, and I get surprised at seeing how much hair I loose. Especially, when I clean my bathroom, it's hilarious where I find my hairs, and sweeping the bathroom floor every week is also part of my routine. I find it annoying that I find my hairs all over my house, and then have your love ones pick on you about it. hehehe
How do you guys deal with your own personal hair shedding on a daily basis? Do you tie your hair all day to minimize getting hairs all over your house? I know I do, but I still find hairs no matter what, even if I try to contain myself in my bathroom daily to look for hair shedding before I start and end my day.
-best,
rowie
P.S. Here is an interesting article I found in regards to the average human hair shedding.
Average hair shedding
I shed steadily, and always have...sometimes a new routine will change the shedding rate slightly for a while, but it always goes back to the same level eventually.
Given that I keep my hair up a lot, the detangle and comb outs can be pretty frightening (especially after a backpacking/trailwork trip where the hair is up for several days). When each shed hair is a few feet long, you can make a hairball equivalent to shaving several small mammals bald pretty quickly!
Unless it is down, sheds can't escape, and even when it is down, longer sheds usually tangle rather than shed out. So my shedding is pretty much restricted to when I am detangling...even when I wash my hair, I rarely shed more than a short fragment or two (preen and detangle prior to wash)...my roommates (short and mid-length) shed far more than me.
So do you think that the longer my hair gets the less shedding I'll experience, compared to what I am experiencing now (perhaps at the classic and beyond lengths)? Do you remember at what phase you experienced your shedding pattern to change significantly (e.g. apl, bsl, hip, etc...)? I know that in the other site (of which you moderate) the George Michael theory has been discussed at great lengths concerning his theory that the longer your hair gets, the stronger your hair gets, and thus less shedding?
I know the George Michael theory is kind of bogus because everyone is different, but sometimes when I try to think about it logically, I keep thinking that maybe eventually when the hair is long (at least at extreme lengths like classic and beyond) that the roots or shaft will have to be strong in order to retain hair at great lengths, and thus in a way nature does inevitably train the roots of hair to be strong because of the factor of it having to survive gravity...hmmmm this is all fascinating. Thanks for making me think about it even more.
No, I don't think my total shedding has decreased over time. Just the pattern of when they actually hit the floor...and that each individual hair is longer. The actual shed (when the strand falls away from the scalp) does not immediately fall from my hair as it would will unbound short hair...most of my tangles are caused by loose sheds that haven't been preened out.
Also, the sheds are not all full length, there are plenty of hairs that shed at much shorter lengths, but one 3 footer makes up for a whole lot of short wispies.
I think "longer=stronger" is bogus too. So long as you aren't abusing your hair, most of your sheds are through the natural process of growth/stall/shed for each strand. The hair root is strong enough to support a length of hair vastly longer than any of us is likely or capable of growing.
The figures given in the article which rowie has attached do not add up. Is 10% of 100,000, a hundred?
this is a great topic that i'm sure everyone has experienced, and brings up many common questions. i've been wondering about this for while, like what's the normal shedding amount, how you can decrease shedding, etc. i'll be sure to write an article about it in my blog!
Blog
Hi Rowie,
I understand your shedding! I also shed a lot more in the summer months...To my understanding, it's natural for our head to lose between 100 and 150 hairs per day. I also panicked at first and now my dust pan and broom are my best friend...I use organic shampoo bars from mehandi.com, their products have helped with the shedding. I also
take Biotin pills ...hope this helps!
Dee.
My hair sheds here and there in tangles at the ends, and some in the hair brush, but not much. There is minimal hair in the shower drain over time, none on the floor. I remove excess hairs from the hair brush about once a month, while brushing once a day. I do not experience periodic shedding events.