Hair Shedding or Breakage?

How Much Should Her Hair Shed?

I recently posted a picture on our Facebook Wall which was an image of my daughter's shedded strands after a very long washing and detangling session. 

When I saw the amount of hair in the center of my palm, I realized that the amount was a bit more than usual.  We often hear the words: “Curly hair is actually more likely to shed than straight hair."  I cannot compare the amount of hair I shed with my daughter's mainly because my shedding depends on the season.  

I began to wonder, "How much is too much?" "Is she losing hair or shedding hair?" Among a thousand other questions came to mind, is this  shedding or breakage? Is she low in the vitamin department? Or is it something more than that?"

With so many questions and not enough answers, I panicked.  I began to look into old photos to compare the amount of hair and even went as far as to bring my friend, Korrie into the mix.   

LAST SESSION

YESTERDAY'S SESSION

The very first hair rule that was ingrained in my brain by mother dearest, was "healthy hair is supposed to shed from 50 to 100 strands a day".  Although I use this as a rule, it may or may not be accurate depending on the individual.

But with that rule in mind it is important to always take the time to double check the strands to determined whether the strands has naturally fallen from the scalp or if it is in fact breakage. 

SHEDDING:

This is a natural process of the hair and it happens when the hair strands falls from the scalp and you will be able to see a "white" tinny little ball at the end. 

BREAKAGE:

Breakage happens when using the wrong tools or the wrong technique among other reasons.  But you will be able to determine it by the look and even by the length of the strand, which leads to the next point;

Take your length in consideration when examining your tresses:  What I mean by this is that a "shedded" strand is longer because it has naturally fallen from the scalp, while "broken" strand is a shorter than the regular length of the hair because it has broken at a certain point.  

Also keep the following in mind: 

"The longer you go without detangling the hair, the more hair you will see"- 

After putting my thinking cap on, I realized, that the last time I truly detangle my daughter's hair was almost four (4) weeks ago, so it made perfect sense for her to shed more hair during this session than the last.   I usually keep her hair in protective styles that last anywhere from one week to 4 weeks.  

"The longer and curlier the hair, the bigger the amount  hair will be shed"

Women with longer hair may think they are shedding more because of the amount of hair they, see but this is because the mass of hair is simply bigger. 

Now, if you exhibit sudden changes and the amount of shedding increases drastically please contact your physician.  There are many other reasons why this happens, from lack of vitamins (or too much of them), certain prescriptions can altered your body and hormone levels leading to excessive loss of hair.  But all of these have to be addresses by a physician.

With that being said, remember that curly hair is extremely delicate and it is important that you take your time detangling the hair.  Proper moisture can also help prevent the hair from becoming dry and breaking. 

Happy Styling! J