Distinguishing the difference between breakage and shrinkage

                   

@Naturesnaturalhair

How many of us are aware of the difference between hair breakage and shedding, it is important to distinguish the difference, in order to determine what course of action is needed.

Shedding

Shedding is a natural process that happens regardless if you want it to or not, that is the harsh reality of this, but not to be over looked in such a negative way. Shed hair is hair that has come to its end of its growing cycle and this naturally falls from your scalp, if you look closely to the fallen hair, you will see a tiny white "root" attached.  Now this is not your hair root within your scalp that has fallen out, it is called the bulb root or the base of hair strand.  So when ever you see fallen hair and if you see a white bulb, you will know that this is shed hair, the reason why the bulb has a white appearance, tells us that the hair has stopped producing melanin- color at the point in its growth cycle before it is ready to depart from your hair.  Shed hair should not be seen as something to be concerned about but rather a sign of a healthy scalp production, a healthy hair sheds as many as 50-100 strands a day and more depending on your health conditions.

You may find that when wearing  protective styles or any styles that has less manipulation for a period of time, you may experience a high level of shed hair which should not ring any alarms, however excessive shedding can be caused by internal health problems, high levels of stress, change in your diet, sickness, medication, hormonal fluctuations, at this point  I would suggest consulting a medical professional to discuss this matter.

Problem Solver

It is stated that there is no real cause of prevention, when it comes to something of a natural process, hair shedding especially when it responds to hormonal influences and so depends on the growth cycles. You see hair cycle lasts for around 4-6 years after that we all will experience shedding whether we like it or not, we have no control over that.  If you do experience more than usual then do seek help in regards to that.

Dreading the Breakage

Hair breakage is caused by the abuse and mishandling of our hair, and lack of  care.  We need to ensure that hair is properly moisturized to prevent breakage from taking place.  Factors that contributes to hair breakage are, rough handling, exposure to sun, coloring and straightening chemicals, and excessive protein treatments.  You see shed hair falls naturally from your head, but broken hair does not, broken hair generally has short pieces of various lengths in comparison to shed hair, that is longer in length.

Older hairs that are found nearest to the ends of our hair will have the tendency to break due to wear and tear, and it is more common as our hair gets older.

Problem Solver

Preventing hair breakage boils down to the following factors, which are hair handling, how gently are you with your hair?  Look at the methods and tools being used, is it causing any pulling or tugging to your strands, if so look at different methods in styling your hair that will prevent breakage.  The other factors is the environment your living in, is it hotter or colder remember climate changes can have an affect on your hair, and this is where you need to ensure that your are using products that will help to draw moisture into your hair.  Do consider trimming your ends this should be part of your hair regimen to help prevent split ends and breakage.  Have you colored your hair? Do ensure that you are using products, that is beneficial for colored hair, do conduct your protein and deep conditioning treatments to help balance the moisture and strength to your hair.

Have you experienced shedding? Have you found a way to prevent too much shedding? Have you experienced breakage? What did you do to combat this problem?