Curly and Coily Hair Types: 5 Common Mistakes causing excessive hair shedding
It’s normal to find some hair on your comb or brush while styling your hair. The average person naturally sheds about 50 – 100 strands of hair daily. So you don’t have to freak out when you find a small clump of hair in the drain on wash day. People with curly and coily hair may experience slightly more shedding. The culprit being how easily coily & curly hair tends to tangle. Because of your hair type, combs and brushes have a harder time running through strands and may cause more hair than the average 50 – 100 strands to break off. You just have to make allowances for your unique hair type.
If you’re losing more than the usual number of strands daily, then something might be going awry and the problem could be you haircare routine! Here are some common mistakes causing you to lose more hair than normal:
1. Detangling dry hair
Some things are sacred, one of them is the rule about detangling; never brush or comb dry hair! For the curly or coily lady, your hair has more tangles to work through than the average person, it could also form knots when dry.
The best time to run a brush or comb through it is when the hair is wet. Here is a rule of thumb, if the hair is dry, put the brush down!
2. Over washing
Over-washing should be a criminal offense. The body is designed to care for itself, you should remember that. Your scalp produces some natural oils to moisturize the hair and ensure you don’t suffer dry scalp which can damage the hair or cause breakage.
When you over-wash your hair, you wash away the natural oils and cause your scalp to dry up. This will lead to more shedding, especially for the curly and coily lady. You don’t have to wash every other day. 2 – 3 days is ideal.
3. Using Bad Hair Products
Every hair demands good hair care products, but the curly and coily demand even more. If you love your hair, stay away from products with sulfate and silicone, they are dangerous to the health of your curls.
Sulfates tend to dehydrate your curls making them frizzy and lifeless. More strands tend to be shed in this state which is why you should always look to get sulfate-free products every time!
4. Ignoring Leave-in Conditioners
If we say be wary of products with silicone and sulfates, we must also point you to the product that is absolutely important to your curly hair, the leave-in conditioner!
Leave-in conditioners nourish and offer long-lasting moisture to your curly and coily hair, you can’t do without them. Moisture keeps hair shedding down to the normal 50 – 100 strands especially when you apply your leave-in conditioner daily.
5. Zero Protection at Night
Some people think the hair only deserves care during the day. At night they sleep on cotton pillowcases or simply leave their hair unprotected. You may get away with it if you have straight hair, but when you have curls and coils, I have news for you.
Because of the roughness of the cotton pillowcase, your hair tangles faster while you toss and turn at night. Cover your hair with a silk bonnet or scarves. A satin pillowcase is also your best friend.
When you take good care of your hair and still notice excessive shedding, you might be suffering from a condition known as telogen effluvium, a condition caused by a variety of stressors. Consider managing your stress better or visiting a doctor.