Shedding is a natural process in fact we shed hair daily. According to DermNet NZ, you can shed over 50-10 hairs every day depending on your combing and washing routine. However, with dreadlocks, there is no brushing. That’s why when you shed more than usual, you may panic.
To be clear, there is no cause for concern if you are experiencing little shedding with your dreadlocks. Since you are not combing your hair all the dead hair is collecting in your locs and may end up in your clothing, bathroom sink, or if you run your fingers through your locs.
The shedding will decrease when your dreads are at its mature stage. But if you are noticing patches of hair missing or your hair thinning and it’s not growing back. Then, there are underlining causes like stress, traction alopecia, medication and poor eating habits can play a vital role in determining the reason for excessive hair loss.
Stress
Stress is a major factor when experiencing hair loss or excessive shedding. It increases androgen (a male hormone) causing you to lose hair. It causes dandruff, unhealthy eating, and messes with your digestive system.
To combat stress, you can identify what are your triggers and try to avoid them. Furthermore, listen to your body and find out which stress relief techniques work best for you. There is an excellent and detailed post on stress relief at Helpguide.org to get you started.
Traction Alopecia
With all the retwist and new hairstyles, you can experience traction alopecia. Unfortunately, traction alopecia occurs when you pull on your roots too tight with dread styles or long and heavy dreadlocks. When this happens, your hair can take years to grow and recover.
Symptoms of root pulling include redness of the scalp, blisters, weak dreads and thinning roots. To avoid traction alopecia, allow your dreads to rest and space out your retwisting and styling sessions. Similarly, trim locs if it’s putting too much stress on your roots.
Medications
According to Webmed, medication can upset the natural balance of your hair cycle. Drugs can cause excessive hair loss and increase shedding. Popular medication like antibiotics, anti-depressions and birth control can cause hair loss and shedding. Visit Webmed for more information on this topic.
Poor Eating Habits
Bad eating habits are something I’m not proud of, as I do indulge in a lot of sweets and process foods. I am a cake addict and obsessed over them so much so; I enjoy a slice or two once a day. It is a bad habit I am trying to manage, so don’t judge me too harshly.
But on a serious note, when your body doesn’t get enough vitamins and minerals, you can experience hair loss. Therefore, make sure you eat your vegetables and fruits to keep your hair healthy. For additional help, hair gummies or tablet can give you that boost of hair growth.
Essential Oils To Prevent Breakage
Essential and natural oils are a godsend, especially with dreadlocks. It’s the answer to most of the problems associated with dreads like dandruff, dry scalp, root thinning, and breakage. Olive oil can nourish dry and brittle hair, and coconut oil in the summer is an excellent option.
There are no telling how your hair will react to having dreadlocks as everyone’s journey is different. Hair shedding is inevitable, it happens daily, but excessive hair loss is a cause of concern.
My name is Penny Thomas, I love blogging, and the founder of HTW dreads. I had dreadlocks for the past tens years. However, I cut my hair off to grow them with natural oils and no wax. Apart from my hair, I love reading and swimming.
