There is no way to escape those loose hair strands. The evidence of hair shedding is on our pillows, our coats, our floors, and our showers. The good news is it is normal for everyone, the bad news is we all have to deal with hair shedding.
Experts say women will shed about 50-100 strands a day on average, however, should you find you’re losing more, check with your doctor. We’ve also compiled a list of some hidden causes of hair loss that can help. Hair shedding not only impacts the health of our hair, but also the cleanliness of our homes. Just as there are tips and tricks to reduce hair shedding, there are several ways to keep your home clean.
The first tips on how to deal with hair shedding applies to women of all hair types—for our other tips, keep reading.
How to prevent hair shedding
1. Brush your hair the right way
One of the top culprits of causing hair shed is a practice we do almost every day: brushing. While brushing can help detangle and smooth hair, over-brushing causes friction which causes hair to break and fall out. The type of brush you use can also be a factor. Using a wide tooth comb will be less harmful on your hair than plastic bristles. Also look for hair brushes that are compatible with your hair type.
When wearing hair extensions or prepping your extensions for application, be sure to use a Loop Hair Extensions Brush. The Luxy Loop Hair Extensions Brush is designed specifically for the use on all different types of hair extensions, as it has unique nylon “looped” bristles which easily glide through your hair and removes any tangles without snagging on to the wefts at the root. This not only helps prolong the lifespan of your extensions but prevents any discomfort during your regular brush routine. The best part? Our Loop Brush can also be used on your natural hair.
When brushing, start from the ends and move your way up, instead of going from root to end. This simple change in brushing direction is less harmful as you won’t be tugging or detangling from the precious root of the hair strands.
To help prevent shedding during and post-shower, brush your hair before getting it wet, this will help prevent more breakage when you’re washing, leading to those pesky clogged drains. If you prefer to brush wet hair, use a wide-tooth comb or wet brush, as this type of brush is safer for detangling.
Avoid drying or rubbing your hair in cotton towels, as these have large fibers that cause major friction and hair shedding. Instead, use gentler materials like microfibre or even an old t-shirt to help squeeze excess water out.
For the shower itself, make clean-up a little easier by purchasing a hair spool that inserts into your drain. This shower drain insert takes the shape of a mushroom for easy installation and extraction. This little tool collects all the loose hair from the shower floor and saves time from having to manually clean your drain (honestly, when’s the last time you’ve done it?) They are inexpensive and can be found online or in general stores.
Another quick tip on dealing with hair shedding in the bathroom is to leave a towel or rag on the floor to sweep or pick up any loose strands. This will give your floors a quick little clean-up in between your big clean-up days and will leave a lot less hair lying around.
2. Reduce heat styling
We all know heat styling can cause serious damage to the hair, it also creates more shedding—especially for those who use a flat iron or straightener frequently. While these tools do wonders in helping us achieve our hairstyle goals, they also pull on the hair, drying out strands, causing damage to the hair cuticles, and leading to—you guessed it—hair shedding. Always use a heat protectant product and try to limit the use of heat styling tools when you can. When you do use hot tools, take down the temperature a few degrees.
To give your natural hair a break, switch it up and use hair extensions to add length or volume. While there are steps to protect your hair extensions from heat styling, hair extensions can hold styles (like beach waves, for example) for much longer, giving you a number of wears and in turn, using less heat.
There are also several heatless hairstyles that can easily be achieved with your natural hair and your hair extensions, we’ve got a couple of our favorites here.
3. Ditch the ponytails
This is not a case against ponytails, rather a gentle reminder that tight, pulled back styles, and the removing of the hair tie or elastic causes immediate shedding. It’s not unusual to see a few strands tangled in your hair tie, but if you’re seeing it in bunches this can be a problem.
Depending on your hair type, look for hair ties that won’t snag on your hair. Invisibobble hair ties, for example, can easily be removed without pulling or creating hair shedding.
Switch it up! Instead of doing high ponytails all the time that not only require a tighter ponytail, opt for low ponytails instead to create less pulling on your roots and your hair strands. If you’re looking to liven up your ponytail looks, easily add length or volume with hair extensions. Whether you want that signature Arianna Grande hairstyle or a statement pony for a special occasion, there are a ton of ponytail looks you can create with Luxy Hair extensions.
Be sure to brush your hair gently before pulling it up to prevent less breakage when you’re ready to remove, and remember, don’t sleep with your hair tied up this causes more friction and more hair shed. Wrap your hair lightly in a silk scarf instead if you need it pulled back overnight.
Keeping your home clean
If you've ever lived with a man, chances are you've heard the words "your hair is everywhere!" more than once. While hair shedding is inevitable, we've got a few tricks to keep those pesky hairs at bay around the home.
Silk pillowcase
Switch to sleeping on a silk pillowcase as this fabric is less likely to create friction or rubbing on your hair while your sleep. Not to mention, silk pillowcases have also been recommended to help keep you cool. Another bonus to silk pillowcases? The smooth fabric is also beneficial for your skin as it helps prevent sleep marks, decrease puffiness, and creates less irritation for those with skin issues like rosacea.
Use the right sweeping tools
As previously mentioned, keeping an extra towel or rag on the bathroom floor for a quick sweep can help keep your bathroom floors clean, but also investing in tools such as a Swiffer or rechargeable vacuum can also help. A quick run through your house can help pick up loose hairs quickly.
Ever notice your hair salon uses different brooms? There’s a reason. Hair salons will sometimes keep brooms with rubber bristles around as they grip loose hairs much more efficiently than traditional brooms. These brooms can also be used to help do your regular sweeping so it may be worth the pickup for your home.
Get a handheld vaccuum
Just like hair, we shed skin on the daily—and a lot of it. A weekly vacuum is always the goal, but also having a handheld vacuum for a quick clean-up can also help. There are a ton on the market so you can find one in your budget. A handheld vacuum will be a life-saver especially after a styling session at home. Keep it in your bedroom or wherever you do your hair as a little reminder for a quick hair shed cleanup.
Keep a lint roller readily available
For clothing and some furniture, a lint roller will easily help pick up all those loose strands before getting your OOTD ready. The sticky paper of a lint roller can pick up hairs off most fabrics without causing any damage you can even use it on short bristled bathmats or rugs for a quick cleanup. For tougher fabrics, grab a lint brush with silicone bristles, like the rubber broom this will pick up loose stubborn hairs that stick to fabrics. These require just a tad more maintenance as you’ll have to clean the hairs out of the bristles after each use.
Get rid of static before getting dressed
Another little trick to help get hair out of your clothes is to throw them in the dryer before putting them in the wash. Running your clothes through the dryer for about 5 – 15 minutes will help loosen hairs from other materials. Throw them in the wash as you usually would and be sure to use an anti-static cling sheet when you put your clothes in the dryer again.
Hair shedding is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to feel like a losing battle. Maintaining the health of the scalp and the hair will always help in terms of strengthening your roots and cuticles that lead to less breakage and shedding. Taking these extra steps when styling our hair and cleaning up will make for healthier hair and an even healthier home.
Written by: Rosalyn Solomon
