We’ve all probably had that moment of panic after we combed our hair and happened to glance down and saw more hair than normal scattered across the bathroom floor. It looked like a lot of hair. So much hair we started looking in the mirror to see if any hair was left on our head.
When I’ve had those moments I’ve had to bring myself back from the brink of panic and reassess the situation. Anyone with hair on their head sheds anywhere from 50-100 strands a day. For some people, normal shedding may even be a little bit more.
So seeing hair on the floor isn’t always a need to panic. It could just be a normal shedding cycle. I know when I go a few days without styling my hair I tend to see more shed hair because some of it was trapped in the style.
In instances where the shedding does seem to be more than normal, especially on a consistent basis it may be time to start taking action.
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Hair shedding is different from hair breakage though it can sometimes be hard to distinguish the two. When hair sheds the strand is the length of your because it’s fully grown and came out of your head so none of the hair strand is left on your head like it is when your hair breaks off.
Additionally, shed hair tends to have a tiny white or opaque-looking bulb at the end. Broken hair doesn’t.
A key thing to keep in mind with shedding is if you’ve had your hair in a protective style for a while and when you take it out you notice a lot of shed hair what you’re seeing is probably pretty normal. Our hair normally sheds every day and protective styles trap those shed hairs and allow them to accumulate until you take the style out.
Causes of excessive hair shedding
Now that we know how to identify hair shedding what could be causing it? There are so many causes for hair shedding that I don’t think I could list them all. Here are three common ones1. Lifestyle
Lots of stress, bad sleeping habits, and diets lacking certain vitamins, calcium, and protein can activate extra shedding.
2. Hair routine
Excessively using hot water on your hair or products with lots of harsh and bad chemicals can activate excessive shedding.
3. Medical
Things like using a new medication or hormonal changes can activate extra shedding. Women who recently gave birth tend to go through postpartum shedding because of the associated hormonal changes.
For postpartum shedding, there isn’t much that can be done. It’s really just a matter of trying to lessen the impact of it by eating healthy, getting good daily doses of vitamins, and having a gentle hair routine.
What to do about excessive shedding
So what can we do if we’re seeing excessive shedding? That can depend on the cause of the shedding because the remedies are closely related to the cause.Lifestyle
- Lower your stress levels. Exercise is a good way to do this, it can also help with stimulating blood flow to the scalp.
- Sleep more.
- Add more vitamins like D and E and also omega-3 fatty acids and biotin to your diet.
Hair routine
- Use lukewarm water on your hair versus hot water.
- Wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoos.
- Switch to hair products that don’t have parabens or minerals.
- Practice good scalp health by keeping it clean and occasionally doing scalp massages.
- Do hair rinses with caffeinated green or black tea or caffeinated coffee. The caffeine in the tea is said to help with reducing hair shedding.
Medical
If shedding is due to medical reasons such as a symptom of medication being taken or hormonal changes it’s best to consult with a medical professional.For postpartum shedding, there isn’t much that can be done. It’s really just a matter of trying to lessen the impact of it by eating healthy, getting good daily doses of vitamins, and having a gentle hair routine.
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