Hair shedding vs. hair breakage: what’s the difference?

First off, it’s important to understand one of the basic rules of having a healthy head of hair: everyone sheds, all the time. It’s completely normal to shed anywhere from 50-100 strands of hair per day, so there’s no need to worry if you notice hair on your clothes or furniture from time to time. That being said, if you’re losing more and more hair or you’re finding that the hair you’ve shed isn’t growing back, it may be a good idea to take action. 

Shedding hair, also referred to as hair loss or hair fall, occurs at the root. It can be tricky to pinpoint the exact cause of your hair fall, because there is an enormous range of triggers that could potentially be the culprit. For example, stress and hormones can be a major source of excessive hair shedding. To counteract this, try to work on your mental health and eliminate stressors or causes for concern in your life (easier said than done, we know!). 

Another great way to attack shedding hair is to keep your scalp clean. This helps you to avoid clogged follicles, meaning that they can hold onto more strands of hair and stop you from shedding so much. Elvive Full Resist Reinforcing Fragile Hair Shampoo could be just the ticket. Helping to rebuild the strength of your hair with Elvive’s powerful reinforcing formula (featuring biotin, vitamin B5, and arginine), this hair strengthening shampoo can have a massive impact on hair fall. 

Another great way to reduce hair shedding is to increase the flow of blood to your scalp. There are many ways to do this, from scalp massages to improving your diet. However, hair oils are perhaps one of the most effective methods. L’Oréal offers a broad range of hair oil products that you may wish to experiment with, including the Elvive Extraordinary Oil range. 

 

Hair breakage is exactly what it sounds like – a breakage in the middle of the strand.

There are lots of reasons why you could be experiencing this sort of damage, but one of the most common is excessive mechanical manipulation. If you handle your wet hair too roughly after a shower or brush/comb your hair too vigorously, you might be accidentally doing lasting damage to your locks. There’s a simple solution: take a little more time and care while you’re handling your hair, and you may notice a significant difference.
 

It’s also important to note that a lack of ample moisture could lead to hair snapping and breakage. That’s why you need to ensure your hair is hydrated properly, as drying it out could make it more prone to breakage. Elvive Full Resist Fragile Hair Multi-Use Hair Strengthening Power Mask could be an awesome option, helping to keep your hair fresh, strong, and hydrated all day, every day. 
When it comes to bright, beautiful, bouncy curls, don’t forget about the importance of diet. Your hair needs protein to repair weak spots and stay strong, so think about adding more protein into your diet (lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, etc.) to ensure your hair’s getting all the TLC it needs to thrive. You could also try strengthening treatments – why not give Elvive Full Resist Fragile Hair Brush Resist Cream a go? 

Finally, overusing chemical treatments, such as relaxers or bleaching, could lead to severe hair snapping. Deep conditioners like Elvive Full Resist Anti-Breakage Fragile Hair Conditioner work in affinity with your hair fibre from tip to root, helping to resolve breakage before the problem becomes too serious. 

Can’t tell whether you’re shedding or breaking? Short of going to a dermatologist, there’s a simple way to work out which sort of problem you’re dealing with. It’s called the “hair bulb test.” Put simply, when hair sheds you’ll see a white bulb/follicle at the end of the strand. If you’re experiencing hair breakage, on the other hand, your hair will have snapped mid-length, so there won’t be a bulb at the end. Just check any lost locks for bulbs to get a clearer picture. 


Need to combat the effects of hair breakage or hair fall? Browse Elvive’s Full Resist range, here.