Why is your hair shedding?

Unwelcome hair shedding can be embarrassing and frustrating, but it’s not always something to worry about. In fact, the average person loses 50-100 hair strands per day, which is part of our normal hair cycle. Since we have roughly 150,000 hairs on our head, we’re only losing approximately 1% each cycle before the strands begin growing back.

However, if you feel as though you’re experiencing excessive hair loss, there may be an underlying reason for why that’s happening. It may be difficult to pinpoint the main cause of your hair shedding. Sometimes the catalyst for hair loss may even be hormonal or health-related. But most commonly, excessive hair shedding is caused by the way you style your hair and the products you use.

Excessive hair shedding isn’t fun, and we would never want that for you. So if you’re tired of vacuuming hairs off your floor, lint rolling them off your clothes, and unclogging them from your shower drain, it’s time to determine why your hair is shedding so much so you can put a stop to it.

Hair shedding cause: chemical damage

We love the idea of experimenting with different hair colours to change up your look, but when it’s done too often or incorrectly, that fresh new look can come at a cost. Some hair dyes contain a lot of harsh chemicals, such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. It’s those chemicals that cause severe damage to the protein in your hair, leaving your strands dry and brittle. When your hair becomes too weak, it’s more susceptible to shedding.

Now, we’re not telling you to cancel any of your upcoming hair colouring appointments. In fact, the dyes used at most salons are often less harmful to your hair than boxed dye, so it’s best to book an appointment with us if you want to change up your hair colour. When you get your hair coloured at a professional salon, the dye used contains less damaging chemicals, and works to also protect your hair as it colours to prevent hair shedding.

However, bleaching your hair from a dark colour to one that is much lighter can be the most harmful to your hair, even when done professionally. The process of bleaching your hair will leave you more vulnerable to the negative effects of the peroxide in the dye, potentially causing your hair to shed.

If you want to prevent hair shedding due to chemical damage, try the neuSmooth Revitalizing Masque. It’s meant to revive and strengthen your hair after any damage caused from dye.

Hair shedding cause: seasonal changes

Once the colder seasons roll around, you may notice more of your hair going down your shower drain. According to an interview done by Allure, it’s normal to experience more hair shedding in the fall and winter, as opposed to the summer, where our hair sheds less frequently as a way to protect our scalp from the sun.

The reason behind why we tend to lose more hair in the fall and winter months is because colder temperatures dry out our scalps. So if you notice that you only experience hair shedding during the fall and winter, chances are you’re just dealing with seasonal shedding. And since this form of hair loss is just temporary, there’s nothing you can really do, aside from taking your vitamins and keeping your scalp nice and hydrated with the right products.

If you’re wanting a product that will heal, protect, and hydrate your scalp during the colder weather, you’ll want to try out the reNeu Scalp Therapy. This product is a must-have for maintaining and promoting healthy hair from the root, making it less likely that you would experience seasonal hair shedding.

Hair shedding cause: over-styling with heat

Styling your hair too frequently with hot tools like blow dryers, curling wands, and straighteners can leave your hair dry and damaged, increasing the likelihood that you’ll have more hair loss than usual. We understand that avoiding the use of hot tools is unrealistic, but there are guidelines you can follow to decrease the potential damage caused to your hair.

Some hot tools allow you to have more control over what temperature you use on your hair, but some don’t, making it easier to cause damage. When styling your hair with hot tools, you should never reach more than a maximum temperature of 300°F. Exposure to anything higher may change the shape of your hair’s keratin, which can eventually lead to weaker hair that’s more prone to hair shedding. So if you’re able to, set your hot tools to their lowest setting when styling your hair.

There is an additional step you can take to prevent hair shedding from over-styling with heat. We always recommend incorporating a heat protectant into your hair routine before you begin styling. It’s a must for protecting your hair from the damage heat can cause. We’re happy to carry a selection of heat protectants in our salon that you can choose from.

There are many reasons why your hair may be shedding more than normal. Fixing your hair shedding may be as simple as adjusting the products in your hair care routine, or being cautious with how frequently you style your hair with heat.

If you’re still experiencing hair shedding and can’t pinpoint the reason behind it, you can always book an appointment with us at our salon. We’ll work with you to discover what underlying factors may be causing your hair to leave you, and do what we can to get you back on the path of healthy, strong locks!