Breakage and Shedding

As we all know, breakage and growth and hair health go hand in hand because with breakage, health and growth potential are greatly reduced.

I've shared this info on the Ezboard site I frequent, and I've decided to share a bit of what I've been writing with you all too. Some of you will recognize alot of this because I've been saving many of the posts I've done on various boards. Please excuse the millions of typos as well-- I haven't had the chance to go through and truncate the repetition or correct for spelling. Forgive me ahead of time, it is still a work in progress and this is only an excerpt.

I believe this information will help the newbies, and the vets sort out their breakage issues and give them some useful background information so that they can get a better sense of the direction they should aiming product and technique wise. Ladies, feel free to add to this thread. We want to share and provide each other with as much information as possible.



Breakage and Shedding

Understanding the difference between breakage and shedding is an important part of any healthy hair regimen. Many people use these terms interchangeably to refer to any hair that falls from the head. In its true sense, shed hair is hair that has reached the end of its growing cycle and naturally falls from the scalp along with its root attached. The root is a tiny white bulb on the scalp originating end. If a hair does not possess this white bulb, then it is not a naturally shed hair—rather, a broken one. Shed hair tends to be longer in length than broken hairs which are generally short pieces of varying lengths. If you have stretched your relaxer for a great number of weeks, your shed hair will have the curly new growth present on the area next to the scalp, and you will be able to see where the relaxed hair begins. Some find that garlic shampoos or products with garlic extracts help curb shedding. But remember, shedding is a natural, internal process and may not respond to topical, external treatments. So don't be alarmed if nothing works for you. Changes in diet, hormone imbalances, birth control pills, and pregnancy can also affect the rate at which hair is shed.

Breakage on the other hand is not natural, and is an indication of an imbalance of important forces within the hair strand. Broken hairs do not fall naturally from the head, but are typically a sign of mishandling or abuse. The proper treatments, will help stop breakage in its tracks.