My natural hair is shedding like crazy

[Freespirit02]

Before I begin..yes I know there are probably millions of threads about shedding hair..but everyone's hair is different. So I'm hoping you ladies will be kind enough to analyze my situation

Okay..I've always experienced shedding...but never to this extreme. It seems like every time I comb/brush my hair..more than a few strings come out. Btw I'm natural. I don't know what is going on. I live in my Miami..but for the past few days it has been in the 40's and 50's..throwing my regimen out of wack. Here is my regimen

I co wash with tresseme naturals about once a week.
I use a normal shampoo about every two weeks.
I clarify about once a month.
I use shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie everyday..and seal with a oil (a mixture of castor, shea butter, coconut oil, aloe vera,olive oil and a dash of wgho)
I tie my hair up at night with a satin scarf.
Oh and about once a week a use silicon mix.

I've been really paying attention to what I've been doing..and I think the reason my hair is shedding is because I comb it everyday. It's like I can't help it... I know I need to stop. I finally reached around 4 inches of hair. I bced in June to about one inch of hair. I finally think I've gotten to a length that I can do a decent braid out.

I just need you all to look at my regimen and help me out...please.

 

[ThatJerseyGirl]

less manipulation is key with natural hair. i do absolutely nothing to mines. I keep my hair in twists. our hair sheds everyday, but combing everyday is not necessary at all. I believe that less manipulation with continued moisturizing and your hair should be fine.

Try Alter Ego conditioner. I heard it works wonders for shed hair. I'm sure other PROFESSIONALS will chime in.

 

[Pompous Blue]

IA with ThatJerseyGirl. I'm natural, 4Z, 4" hair. I use the Alter Ego garlic conditioner once a month and I comb my hair only when I do henna treatments. I never use a comb/brush to wash, detangle, braid or twist my hair. Less manipulation is key.

In addition to the above, I do a tea rinse after every shampoo/DC. My rinse includes Black tea, horsetail tea, nettle tea and ACV as a final rinse.

Do a search on the benefits of Black tea stopping excessive shedding.

I usually go through excessive shedding every Fall. I had none this year. I had been rinsing and using the Alter Ego since April 2010.

I live in NW Florida.

HTH

 

[Freespirit02]

Do you ladies think garlic supplements would help??

 

[NicWhite]

Hey loveurself84,

Make sure you have your iron, ferritin, and thyroid levels checked to make sure that you don't have an internal problem.

My anemia got really bad earlier this year and my hair was breaking and shedding like crazy. I have been more consistant with taking my vitamins and my hair has turned around like you would not believe.

If you do have this kind of problem, it won't matter what you put on your head, your hair will continue to shed, believe me I tried everything. erplexed
BTW - I am also a natural - my hair is about 1 1/2 inches long.

HTH

 

[Pompous Blue]

Do you ladies think garlic supplements would help??

Yes, but with this caveat:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/hair-care-tips-product-review-discussion/451352-garlic-pill-users-urgent-message.html

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/hair-care-tips-product-review-discussion/377701-garlic-warning.html

I did a search to find topics with the word "garlic" in them with warnings about its use. But you can do a search about the benefits and uses of garlic; there are some really good topics on LHCF.

 

[*CherryPie*]

deleted.......

 

[AmyRose92]

I live in Miami too (boy these temperatures are just freezing to me!) and I'm a mostly 4b natural. Right now my hair is in twists and I moisturize my hair everyday with Taliah Waajid's Protective Mist Bodifier. I hear that some women shed more during winter. I suggest that you braid your hair up or do a protective style for these next couple of months so that you won't have to deal with the manipulation of your hair.

 

[Qtee]

Is ur hair damaged or just shedding?

 

[Goombay_Summer]

^^^ Tell me about it, I also live in S.FLA and I nearly froze to death this morning walking my furry one. I've also been experiencing a lot of shedding but I didn't think that living in Florida that I would experience shedding during the winter. I've also added Joico K-pak to my regimen and I've tried to manipulate my natural 4B less by keeping it in braids.

 

[UrbainChic]

do you notice shedding throughout the day or only when you comb? Since you did a BC in June, I think it might be your perception as well.


when my hair is straight, I will shed all day long ( which is actually very disturbing to me) and when I comb it basically nothing comes out.

when my hair is curly, I will see zero to 1 hairs shed all day, but when I comb it its a giant wad of hair.

Factors to this: when your hair is curled or coiled your hair might get shed by your scalp, but not be able to go anywhere or "fall out" because its wrapped up and coiled around a bunch of other hairs. Basically its not going anywhere until you comb or brush it out.

When your hair is straight, if it comes out of your scalp its just gonna go wherever you are... the car, the store, wherever, because its not wrapped up and coiled up in all your other hair, its free to go, leaving you with very few hairs in your comb and or brush.

Its probably the same amount of hair a day ( the average of 50-100) but the percieved difference can be severely jarring based on what you are used to.

Another thing I to keep in mind is hair length. As your hair gets longer it might look like you are shedding more because now instead of 5 short strands, its 5 really long strands, folded on each other and tangled up like a long noodle. Imagine a plate of spaghetti that is made of five 3-inch long noodles vs, a plate of spaghetti with five 3 foot long noodles. The longer noodles will obviously be a lot more pasta, but its the same number of noodles. IF you think of your hair the same way, 100 short hairs shed vs 100 long hairs shed will look a lot different, and when they are all curled up, it can be misleading to if you are looking at long or short hairs.

I dont know if that length and analogy made sense but i hope that helps.

 

[UrbainChic]

Also, this is definitely shedding? not breakage?

 

[it_comes_naturally]

When my hair was shedding I added aphogee 2 min reconsturctor to my regimen and the shedding stopped immediately. I had been so scared of protein, b/c I heard many saying naturals don't really need extra protein treatments. It worked for my hair.

I now use it every 2wks. I haven't had any problems with shedding since I started this. It's been a few months now.

ITA w/NOT combing everyday, too.

 

[Freespirit02]

Is ur hair damaged or just shedding?

Just shedding..

 

[Freespirit02]

Thanks for all the advice! U all are awesome. I will try not comb and try braid outs until I can braid my hair with extensions