There is nothing more alarming than showering and feeling clumps of your hair come out in your fingers.
I lost a good amount of hair after having my kiddo 4 years ago. I knew it would happen, but for some reason I thought it would happen right after the birth. My hair started coming out when Harley was about 3 months old. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the shower and washing my hair, and I felt a RIDICULOUS amount of hair come out in my hands. And it just. kept. coming. out.
I was immediately sure I was bald. I got out of the shower and gingerly dried my hair with a towel. I started splitting my hair into sections, examining my scalp for bald spots. I couldn’t see anything, so I styled my hair curly (yay for some expansion and volume!) and went into the salon. I grabbed my mom and made her look for bald spots too. She couldn’t find any but I was convinced it was the end. Every single time I washed my hair I would lose clumps of hair, and finally I did end up with a small bald spot on the left side of my hairline.
This was the start of my extension journey. Prior to this, I’d only used extensions for performances or a color pop (2 blonde tape ins that I wore for a week). I’d been certified in several extension methods at that point, including keratin fusions, i-tips, tape ins, crochet, braided, and sewn-in methods. None of these methods worked for my hair. I-tips were too heavy, tape ins were bulky and uncomfortable, and crochet and braided methods utilized too much of my natural hair to be comfortable, especially when I was losing so much hair. And NONE of the methods would match my naturally curly hair texture.
So I just dealt with it.
I dealt with my hair coming out in clumps. I stopped heat styling. I switched my color to my natural base with vivids on the ends so lessen the damage to my natural hair (vivids are super gentle once the hair is lightened). I stopped coloring my base as often and let the gray come in a little longer. And I just lived with hair that I hated for years.
It’s normal to lose between 100-300 hairs a day, depending on your body chemistry and natural density. And around the time the seasons change, we humans tend to shed a little bit extra (particularly in the summertime). In times of stress, after a traumatic event, or after a major body change (giving birth, having surgery, a serious illness, etc), it is normal to lose some hair.
We are all kind of going through a lot right now.
We’re dealing with a pandemic and virus we don’t know much about.
We’re dealing with changes to our jobs and our financial situations.
We’re dealing with civil unrest and an extremely volatile political climate.
We are facing unprecedented levels of stress and going through a collective trauma, and some of us are also experiencing a significant illness along with that.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that is losing hair again.
I’ve noticed it with many of my clients. A little extra hair in the sink as I’m washing out color. A little extra hair in the brush after the style. And I know you are feeling a difference too.
I want to let you know--I’ve been there. I am there. And I’m here to talk to you about it.
Unfortunately, there’s not much to be done about hair loss right now. Nothing is going to ever be the same after all of this. We need to shift into a new version of normal. And it’s completely okay to grieve and mourn the old versions of ourselves, blissfully ignorant to what 2020 would bring.
So what do we do if we are losing our hair?
First, try to minimize stress as much as possible (LOL right?).
I mediate daily, sometimes several times a day, in order to keep my mind and my anxiety calm. I talk it out with my parents and friends, and try to just embrace the now with my kiddo. I go for walks. I work out. I distract myself by learning a new skill (I’m currently working on learning ASL). And honestly, I use medication to help me feel better too. I have ADHD, and sometimes keeping my brain in check is difficult, so I use medication to help keep me on track. I use Xanax when I’m feeling an anxiety or panic attack coming on. And if you feel like you can’t keep your emotions in check, there is no shame in talking to your doctor or a therapist about your anxiety.
If you live in Colorado, Larimer County has a support line you can call to talk about it (970) 221-5551. If you are in crisis, you can call SummitStone Crisis Center at (970) 494-4200 or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Second, start babying your hair.
Quit heat styling so much. Invest in a good deep conditioner (I like Unite’s 7 Seconds Masque). If you’ve lightened your hair in the last 5 years, invest in some Olaplex treatments. Talk to your stylist about your loss, and discuss with them some options for keeping your hair healthy while we navigate the change.
If you start seeing bald spots, you may have alopecia, and that needs to be addressed by a doctor.
Finally, think about adding extensions.
Here's the thing: there's only so much that we can do to make your hair healthy and full on its own. At some point, we just have to add more hair. Extensions can be added to your hair for a multitude of reasons. Some people choose to use them for their wedding day, some people use them for a pop of color or to achieve color they normally can't, and some people use them to fill out their fine, thin hair.
If you have experienced or are currently experiencing hair loss and you decide that extensions are the solution you need, the best advice I can give you is to invest in an extension method that will help your hair stay healthy.
Natural Beaded Rows utilizes the most limited contact points out of any extension method available on the market. 90% of your hair is left alone, and the hair that is used to attach your secondary hair is largely untouched. The bead is applied in a way that will not damage, break, or pull out your natural hair. There is space between each bead and each section of hair (other hand tied methods use larger sections and the whole row of hair has beads applied to it, causing more stress points and more potential for breakage and damage).
Basically, if you’re losing hair now, and you want an extension method that will help heal your natural hair while also giving you the hair you’ve always wanted, Natural Beaded Rows is the method for you.
I know that things are scary. But your extensions don't have to be.
Click HERE and start your NBR journey today.
XoXo,
Jes!