Look at the end of the hair. A small white bulb means it shed from the root. A blunt or frayed end with no bulb means it broke. A fine, tapered tip on a short hair means it’s new growth.
The three, side by side
| Shedding | Breakage | New growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| End of the hair | White bulb at the root end | Blunt, frayed or split end, no bulb | Tapered, fine tip |
| Length | Full length | Short pieces of mixed length | Short, roughly even length |
| Where you see it | Shower drain, brush | Sink, shoulders, “little balls” of hair | Halo around the hairline and crown |
| Usual cause | Normal cycle, stress, illness, diet, tension | Dryness, heat, bleach, rough detangling | Recovery: a good sign |
Shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. Curly hair often releases shed hairs all at once on wash day because they stay tangled in the curls until then, so a big wash-day clump isn’t always a problem.
The stretch test: protein or moisture?
Take one clean, wet strand and gently stretch it. If it stretches a long way and doesn’t bounce back, it needs protein. If it snaps almost at once, it needs moisture. Most breakage threads describe the second case. Their hair turned “springy” for a day after a moisture mask, then broke again once it dried.
- Needs protein: tgin Miracle RepaiRx CPR Protein Treatment or Curls Bamboo Protein Treatment, every 2 to 4 weeks.
- Needs moisture: a deep treatment masque every week, then seal with a scalp and hair oil.
- Bleach or heat damage: a bond repair step such as Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo.
Desert climate and dry ends
One thread this week came from someone whose ends kept roughening after moving to a sunny, salty, desert-adjacent coast. That is the same mix of sun, salt air and dry heat found in the UAE. Trimming doesn’t fix ends that dry out again within weeks. Moisture does: a leave-in every day, ends sealed with oil, protective styles, and a satin bonnet at night. Stop trimming until the routine changes. Otherwise you cut off the evidence of whether it’s working.
Tension shedding from braids and tight styles
Shedding around the edges after tight braids, ponytails or extensions is a warning sign of traction alopecia. Caught early, it usually recovers once the tension stops. Repeated over years, it can become permanent. If the hairline stays thin after three months without tight styles, see a dermatologist.
When a big chop makes sense
Cut it all off if most of your length snaps during gentle detangling, or if the ends stay brittle after four to six weeks of the right treatment. Otherwise, use “search and destroy”: snip only the split and knotted ends, one curl at a time, in good light. Remove 1 to 2 cm at a time. You can always take more next week.
When to see a dermatologist
See a dermatologist for patches with no hair, a red or scaly scalp, or shedding with no bulb that you can’t explain. Breakage and shedding can happen at the same time. Shedding still needs a medical check. See our guide to telogen effluvium.
