How Do I Determine If My Hair Is Shedding Too Much?

Damaged blonde hair.

Your scalp sheds an average 90 to 125 strands of hair daily. Your hair sheds when the hair follicle experiences tugging, pulling or friction, causing the follicle to break. Luckily, when a hair follicle sheds, a new hair follicle develops and replaces the lost follicle. If you are experiencing excessive hair loss, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. However, if your hair loss is average, follow these simple rules to avoid excessive shedding.

Things You'll Need

• Soft bristle hair brush
• Wide tooth comb
• Baby shampoo
• Baby conditioner

Instructions

1. 

   A woman using a wide tooth comb to manage her hair.

   Do not brush or comb your hair more than is necessary. Brushing your hair excessively through out the day may help keep your style intact, but it can cause severe damage to your hair follicles, causing breakage. Instead, brush your hair using a soft bristle hair brush or with a wide tooth comb only when styling. If you notice patches of your hair falling out when brushing or combing your hair, try brushing or combing the hair in sections to avoid knots and friction.

2. 

   A beautiful baby boy with gorgeous hair.

   Shampoo and condition your hair with baby products. Using a baby-formulated shampoos and conditioners are formulated to eliminate knots and tangles in the hair. Avoid damaging your hair by substituting baby-friendly hair products once weekly.

3. 

   A woman with proper sebum oil production.

   Allow your sebum oils time to generate. Sebum is a natural lubricant created by the hair follicles to protect your hair from breakage. When shampooing and conditioning your hair daily, your sebum oils are washed away without having the opportunity to penetrate the scalp and transfer to the hair follicles. If possible, try washing and conditioning your hair every other day to allow the natural oils in your hair to build; if skipping a day of shampooing and conditioning is not possible, shampoo and condition the hair once daily, only styling with low-heat setting products.

Tips & Warnings

• When your sebum oils build up, your hair will appear greasy and shiny. This is healthy for your hair.

• If you begin to notice patches or bald spots on your scalp, this is an indication that your hair is exceeding the daily average hair loss. Always visit your primary physician if excessive hair loss occurs as this could indicate an underlying medical problem. Consult your doctor immediately to discuss certain medications that can slow the process of hair loss.

References

• Basics of Hair Growth
• Hair Loss - Description of Hair Loss
• Taking care of Your Hair

Resources

• Hair Loss - Symptoms - When To See A Doctor
• How Often should I Brush My Hair?
• Prevent System Hair Loss - Cut Down On Frictions