So you’re in the shower detangling as usual, and as you hold each section under running water, you notice clumps of hair coming out with each stroke. Is this normal? We shed about 100 hairs a day, so if you wash once a week or even every two weeks, a small to medium size ball of hair is what you should be getting. But if you’re noticing excessive hair coming out from the root – it may be time to make a few changes in your lifestyle and hair regimen.
- Bad Product
I know that as naturals we love trying new products, but beware that your hair isn’t going to love everything and with that might bring negative effects such as shedding. There’s really no way to be sure this will never happen but there is a way to at least slim your chances of holding onto something that is actually doing more harm than good. Try not to buy the entire natural hair aisle at Target and use it all at once – I know it’s hard for me too – instead, only use one new product at a time. By gradually adding new products to your regimen you can pinpoint the culprit and kick it to the curb in no time.
- Finger Detangle
I started finger detangling about a year ago and since then I’ve noticed a significant reduction in the amount of hair I shed on wash day. When finger detangling you’re much more gentle on your curls unlike when using a detangling brush or comb that will just ripe through the knots. I finger detangle using a slippery conditioner under running water and gently remove any shed hairs.
- Diet
Are you eating a balanced diet packed with nutrients and vitamins? Are you drinking enough water? These are questions you should be asking yourself when you begin to notice extreme hair fall from the root. Foods like spinach, carrots, eggs, oats, and walnuts are packed with proteins and fatty acids that will help strengthen and restore the hair cuticles preventing excessive shedding.
- Over Detangling
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen naturals over detangle their hair just so they can see their curls “pop”. I know our natural hair is beautiful but we’re only hurting ourselves by overmanipulating them. Once your fingers can slide through your kinks with ease move on to the next section.
- Protein Imbalance
Although having moisturized hair is extremely important for hair growth, over moisturizing can cause weak strands making them more prone to breakage. Doing a protein treatment at least once a month will add back the strength to your curls preventing snapping.
Kinkzwithstyle 
I had a really bad shedding problem one semester in college and I didn’t know what it was. No matter what I did nothing worked. My hair eventually started breaking off too. I realized it was the constant change of products. Being in college I had to budget so I was opting for more cheaper products not realizing it they were damaging my hair. Great post I definitely agree with these issues because I’ve also experienced the consequences of them in the past.
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I’ve been deep conditioning with a diy avocado hair mask for about 2 months,my hair absolutely loves it. But i recently noticed that my hair is shedding like crazy and its thinning out. I just heard about overmoisturizing and i think that could be the problem. I also haven’t done a protein treatment in forever so i don’t know if that could be the cause. I really need help…what do you think i can do about.
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Hi Tina,
I would do a light-hard protein treatment followed by a moisturizing treatment, until you notice the shedding and thinning begins to stops. (I’ve heard rice water is a good diy protein treatment.) I myself think I’ve been suffering from hygral fatigue as of lately. It’s hard during the summer because you want to wash/deep condition more but it can actually have adverse effects. Hope this helps!
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