I can't tell if my hair is actually thinning

missalissa1575 · 12-31-2005, 08:10 PM

That may sound weird, but its true. I was diagnosed a year ago. My hair was shorter back then, but I have been letting it grow. (It's pretty long now) When I take a shower a lot sheds out, but I can't tell if it looks like more now because it is longer, or if I am hyper-sensitive to the amount coming out because I know that hair loss is a symptom, or if it is just the normal amount that I have always lost. I know it's normal to lose some...I actually just read on a website somewhere that normally you lose 50-100 strands throughout the day and that they will often show up in the shower after you shampoo. But I never actually counted how many strands are in the hairball in the drain, ya know!?!?

My hair has never been super thick or anything. I was always told by hair stylists, etc that I have very fine hair but a lot of it. And I've talked to my mom and best friend about this concern and they keep assuring me that it looks the same, but I don't know. All I know is that I don't want to lose my hair! I don't think I actually have a question here...just needed to talk.

Thanks for listening!
Alissa

disco75 · 01-02-2006, 12:27 AM

Hi Alissa!

I feel the same way. I went through a big shed in April & didn't notice the thinning area until a few months later. It's right in the front, 2 inches into the middle part. Anyway, I freaked out. Then I read about women losing their ponytails. I can't tell if there's less hair there than before or not. I asked my mom if she noticed & she said no. (I could tell she wasn't just saying that).

Brushing, shampooing, etc. - all of that makes me nervous. I've heard a million times that losing 100 hairs a day is normal. Before, I never paid much attention to the amount of strands, but now I count them.

What you could do is photograph your head in various places & compare every few months to see if any areas thin out. Or, you could keep written records, but I wouldn't recommend that if it's gonna make you crazy. My hair sheds a lot certain times of the year so my journal will help me know what's normal for me & what's not.

StarMaiden · 01-02-2006, 01:50 AM

Ya know, I've never once bothered to count the number of hairs I lose in the shower or otherwise. I guess I'm just lazy! Because it's never seemed like a lot, but then again... my hair's at least half gone and I'm wearing a wig, so it must have fallen out sometime. I think my current shower has a really bad drain strainer that lets the hair go on down the drain instead of catching it. I DO notice loose hairs all around the bathroom floor.

One test for amount lost is the ponytail test. Is it the same as it always was, or thinner.

When you go from short to long, it's hard to tell, cause sometimes the weight of long hair makes it look like you have less volume.

tiffstevens · 01-02-2006, 04:26 AM

I did not know hair loss was a sign until I came to these boards. My used to be think. My mom, a hairdresser, would say my hair was like washing a quilt. Now it is not. It started coming out when I was pregnant and it has been ever since. Everytime I shampoo my hair some comes out. Sometimes just a few and sometimes it will be all over my fingers. I thought it was breaking from being highlighted so much.