My pieces begin to start shedding a lot after only 8-10 weeks of use from the top and bottom of the unit (this is for all pieces I have) and its the hair strands that have lost colour that start shedding first, so my pieces don't last more than 3.5 months until big bald patches occur.

I shampoo once or maximum twice a week and condition about 3 times a week or so and I have tried different conditioners/shampoos (Pantene, Dove, Loreal etc) so I don't believe it's to do with a shampoo. I don't brush vigorously or very frequently.

My diagnosis may be inaccurate, but I think it could also be due to the amount of sebum that my scalp produces that dries the hair out and loosens the knots - I say this because I have not come across other people having this problem and have tried different things. Could it be due to build-up? This has happened to at least 8 of my last pieces so it's not a fault with one or two pieces.

Not sure what to think?

I had shedding for years in two areas on all my pieces, and could never figure out why for a long time. Finally figured out I was unconsciously RUBBING two areas when I shampooed, nothing heavy , but enough where over 2-3 months, I would have a thin area where I would rub. I made an effort NOT to rub, just pat the shampoo on, and I never shed in those areas again.

JRob, in his many post on this forum, swears the TYPE of shampoo one uses causes shedding. There may be something to that. Some shampoos will dry hair out, causing brittleness and breakage. I use Suave Damage Care shampoo, and Back2Natural color/conditioner; my HP is nearly a year old (didn't mean for it to last this long, but that's another story), and it has minimal shedding. Only shampoo once a week.

I know it's cliche, but I hope some of this helps.

Dave,
Are you using a rinse out conditioner? Using a rinse out conditioner 3 times a week would be a big cause of your shedding. The conditioner makes the hair slippery and loosens the knots. If you need a conditioner use a leave-in conditioner and even with that don't use so much that it runs down into the knots because that will cause the knots to loosen too. I only wash my hair system about 2 times a week. I wash my own hair on the sides and back daily but the less you shampoo your hair piece the longer it will last.
Regards,
John

@McNash - nope, I'm not rubbing any particular spots on the piece, atleast not intentionally, but will try just 'patting' it on consciously from now.

@John - I'm using normal rinse-out conditioners, max about 3 times a week, shampooing maximum twice a week. Which leave-in conditioner do you recommend?

(05-05-2010, 01:07 PM)ToplaceUSA Wrote: Dave,
Are you using a rinse out conditioner? Using a rinse out conditioner 3 times a week would be a big cause of your shedding. The conditioner makes the hair slippery and loosens the knots. If you need a conditioner use a leave-in conditioner and even with that don't use so much that it runs down into the knots because that will cause the knots to loosen too. I only wash my hair system about 2 times a week. I wash my own hair on the sides and back daily but the less you shampoo your hair piece the longer it will last.
Regards,
John

There are a million off-the-shelf leave in conditioners. Some contain oil and that's what you want to avoid. Read the labels. There are some that don't 'weigh' the hair down. Also, with summer coming up it's a good idea to look for one that contains UV block to protect against fading. I like Dove products. They have a leave in conditioner called 'Leave in Replenishing Mist' but there are many others that are good too.
Regards,
John

When you use NEARLY NATURAL, don't they expect you to use a rinse out conditioner in conjunction with their product?

(05-05-2010, 12:04 PM)mcnash Wrote: JRob, in his many post on this forum, swears the TYPE of shampoo one uses causes shedding.

Most people don't realize how much damage they are doing to their hair by using the wrong shampoo. Over the course of two months it's hard to make a connection between one thing what you are doing and how well the hair is holding up. I started to realize what was going on when I began to study how pH levels effect hair. I then knew that the shampoos I was using, although "sulfate free", had too high of a pH level, which was causing the hair shaft to swell when I washed, making the hair feel like wet cardboard. This dried the hair and faded the color prematurely.

(05-08-2010, 01:00 PM)JRob Wrote:

(05-05-2010, 12:04 PM)mcnash Wrote: JRob, in his many post on this forum, swears the TYPE of shampoo one uses causes shedding.

Most people don't realize how much damage they are doing to their hair by using the wrong shampoo. Over the course of two months it's hard to make a connection between one thing what you are doing and how well the hair is holding up. I started to realize what was going on when I began to study how pH levels effect hair. I then knew that the shampoos I was using, although "sulfate free", had too high of a pH level, which was causing the hair shaft to swell when I washed, making the hair feel like wet cardboard. This dried the hair and faded the color prematurely.

@JRob - So which shampoos would you use that are safe..

I use [sparingly] Lòreal shampoo for coloured hair [in red bottle] -- just a teaspoonful mixed/diluted in a normal -sized sink of lukewarm water. Just allow unit to immerse/soak in it for a minute or so, and then I lift it out and then gently dunk it in and out of the mix a few times -- I don`t rub the hair, or otherwise touch it. I then let the water empty out of the sink, then simply rinse the unit under a slow -running stream of lukewarm water, then lie it on a large towel and gently blot it dry --- if you want it to dry faster than over night, only use a hair drier at a distance of about a metre or so --just hold the unit in one hand, suspended in the air and direct the warm air towards it, allowing air to flow through the base. I then re -apply knot sealer lightly, to avoid shedding , as I feel the immersing in water can loosen or dislodge some of the previous layer, so you might experience shedding --maybe other wearers have an opinion on this particular point? A good leave-in conditioner, lightly sprayed onto the hair will help with dryness/dull-looking hair. Again, don`t over do it as I find too much of any product can lead to the hair looking matted and product -logged, leading to the need to re wash it too often.
That`s what works for me but everyone has their own likes/ dislikes and ways of doing things.

(05-06-2010, 01:37 AM)ToplaceUSA Wrote: There are a million off-the-shelf leave in conditioners. Some contain oil and that's what you want to avoid. Read the labels. There are some that don't 'weigh' the hair down. Also, with summer coming up it's a good idea to look for one that contains UV block to protect against fading. I like Dove products. They have a leave in conditioner called 'Leave in Replenishing Mist' but there are many others that are good too.
Regards,
John

This is the ingredients to the Dove Leave In Replenishing Mist....

It says it has Oil in it and seems some of the other stuff wuld hurt the hair...right?

Water (Aqua), Amodimethicone, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Polysorbate 20, DMDM Hydantoin, Tridecth-12, Lysine HCl, Phosphoric Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Silk Amino Acids [Alanine, Glycine, Serine, Arginine, Isoleucine, Cystine, Histidine, Glutamic Acid], Simethicone, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil [Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Eicosenoic Acid], Polyquaternium-4, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 60.