Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: kdlynn on 18/07/2007 06:04:51

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: kdlynn on 18/07/2007 06:04:51

recently i have noticed my hair brushes and vacuum cleaner filling up with hair way more quickly than normal. do humans have a shedding period like animals do? or am i just going bald?

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: Karen W. on 18/07/2007 06:35:05

We loose hair also as I recall! Also hair loss can indicate other things also vitamin deficiency, low thyroid.. and I am sure other things too on top of the seasonal effect! LOL I am no expert maybe some else has more details on that!

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: dentstudent on 18/07/2007 07:28:39

We're losing stuff all the time! IIRC, on average we slough something like 18kg of skin during the course of our lives. No wonder we need to vacuum the whole time! This not only goes into the carpet, but bedsheets, especially pillows. You should buy a new pillow quite regularly - the average pillow is something like 6 years old, by which time a large fraction is made up of dead cells, bed bugs (alive and dead) and bed bug POO! This can be a reason for blocked noses etc when you wake up in the morning.

I saw another link where Chris went into some detail about the different genetic messages sent to our hairs, which is why we have hairs of different lengths, and frequency of sloughing.

I guess that if you brush your hair regularly, and depending on the brush / comb you use, this is likely to pull out or snap more hairs than would ordinarily occur. But they do regrow of course (generally)!

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: kdlynn on 18/07/2007 07:45:49

maybe i'm just noticing more because it just keeps getting longer. lol. it's about an inch above my hips now which is the longest it's been in quite some time

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: paul.fr on 18/07/2007 09:52:51

I would say you are noticing it more, and with the length being so long it may be more prone to breaking. It could also be the weight of your hair and i guess with it being that long you brush it quite a lot to keep it manageable, both of these could also break loose your hair.

Head hair, like all other body hair does have a growth cycle and maybe that is another reason.

Have you changed shampoo, or conditioner? Harsher shampoos and conditioners can also cause your hair to fall out more often, you loose on average 100 hairs per day. And again hair of that length would be very noticable.

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: kdlynn on 18/07/2007 10:11:51

i did change shampoo actually... but it was several months ago and my hair has been feeling stronger. until recently. i brush it three times a day. when i wake up (it's usually quite tangled from trying to choke me all night) at three o clock (shift change at work) and around ten. lol my life is one big routine...

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: Karen W. on 19/07/2007 14:02:18

Quote from: dentstudent on 18/07/2007 07:28:39

We're losing stuff all the time! IIRC, on average we slough something like 18kg of skin during the course of our lives. No wonder we need to vacuum the whole time! This not only goes into the carpet, but bedsheets, especially pillows. You should buy a new pillow quite regularly - the average pillow is something like 6 years old, by which time a large fraction is made up of dead cells, bed bugs (alive and dead) and bed bug POO! This can be a reason for blocked noses etc when you wake up in the morning.

I saw another link where Chris went into some detail about the different genetic messages sent to our hairs, which is why we have hairs of different lengths, and frequency of sloughing.

I guess that if you brush your hair regularly, and depending on the brush / comb you use, this is likely to pull out or snap more hairs than would ordinarily occur. But they do regrow of course (generally)!

I am always stuffed in the morning but change and wash my pillows regularly! That gives me the willies! LOL!

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: Karen W. on 19/07/2007 14:04:17

Quote from: kdlynn on 18/07/2007 10:11:51

i did change shampoo actually... but it was several months ago and my hair has been feeling stronger. until recently. i brush it three times a day. when i wake up (it's usually quite tangled from trying to choke me all night) at three o clock (shift change at work) and around ten. lol my life is one big routine...

Kadie do you ever braid your hair in one braid down your back at night.. it helps keep it from tangling when it is long. I heve done that on occasion to prevent knotting a nice soft braid!

Title: do humans shed like animals?
Post by: kdlynn on 20/07/2007 04:31:29

yes i have tried braids. however then i really do end up being strangled. i must note too much at night