During one of our recent live sessions, the same three words kept coming up in the chat. Shedding. Breakage. Dryness. So many of you are dealing with one or all three, and often not sure which one you are actually looking at. Here is what I covered in that session, backed up properly, so you know exactly what your hair is telling you.
What normal shedding actually looks like
Every hair on your head is on its own journey. It grows for a few years, rests for a few months, then falls out to make way for a new hair. This is the hair growth cycle, and losing hair through it is completely normal.
In the session, I shared that losing between 80 and 150 hairs a day is normal. That number sounds high until you remember you have thousands of hairs on your head, all at different points in that cycle. If you look closely at a shed hair, you will often see a tiny white bulb at the root. That bulb is the sign this hair finished its cycle naturally. It is not damage. It is just biology doing its job, and it cannot be eliminated completely, no matter what a product label promises you.
What breakage actually looks like
Breakage is different. It is when the strand itself snaps somewhere along its length, not at the root, so there is no white bulb. You will usually see shorter pieces, sometimes with frayed ends, often near the crown, edges, or wherever there has been the most tension or heat.
Unlike shedding, breakage can genuinely be minimised through proper handling and management. This is the one that is actually within your control.
Before you add extensions, ask this first
One thing I stressed in the session is to consider the health and strength of your own hair before adding extra weight through extensions. Thin or weak strands take on tension the worst, and that tension along the hairline or wherever the pulling is strongest has its own name, traction alopecia. It is one of the few causes of hair loss that is almost entirely preventable, simply by being honest about what your hair can handle before you add more to it.Breakage looks different as you get older
Thinner strands become weaker with age, and that means simpler styling, less heat, and less manipulation are needed to protect the length you have. I also flagged something specific in the session: aggressive treatments like bleaching become riskier the older your hair gets, because there is less strength in the strand to begin with.Get the right bloodwork, not just any bloodwork
Iron, thyroid function, and vitamin D all affect how strong your hair is. One of our members, Joanna, is a good example of why this matters. She had already had her iron checked, and it came back fine for general health. But hair often needs a higher ferritin level than the rest of the body does, so "normal" on a standard test is not necessarily "normal for hair." If shedding or breakage will not budge no matter what you try, it is worth going back to your doctor and asking specifically about hair-related levels, not just accepting the general range.Don't forget your scalp
Hair cannot grow strong from a follicle that is clogged, irritated, or sitting under layers of product buildup. Proper washing routine is the real foundation here, and it is exactly why I made the Dúdú Clarifying Shampoo, to properly clear that buildup so your follicles are working with you, not against you.What to actually help
Learn to spot when your hair has had enough.- Hair can only take in so much moisture before it is full. Once it reaches that point, anything extra you add just sits on top instead of soaking in, which is why a routine can start to feel like it is doing nothing. Paying attention to when your hair actually feels satisfied, rather than following a routine on autopilot, changes everything.
Give the strand what it needs to stay strong, not just soft.- Everyone needs protein, regardless of hair type, but how often is personal. In the session, one member shared her daughter needs it every two weeks, while others only need it monthly. The Ori Lifestyle Deep Conditioner was made to give moisture and protein together, so you are not stuck guessing which one your hair needs on a given wash day.
Protect and condition your hair while it is in braids.- Two of our course members, Wincey and Grace, shared what actually worked for them. Wincey learned gentle detangling and proper washing routines for her daughters' high density hair. Grace took her daughter's hair from completely bald to a healthy full length over five years, and puts it down to consistency, the moisturising spritz, and avoiding excessive tension from braids. The theme in both stories was the same. Braids and protective styles are not the enemy; leaving the hair underneath dry and unconditioned for weeks at a time is.
Give it a proper break.- If your edges or a particular area will not recover, a full three month break from tension and heat in that spot genuinely helps. Patience is the hardest part, but it works.
Consider blow drying properly, not skipping it.- For some hair types, a proper blow dry actually reduces tangling and the breakage that comes with detangling knotted, dry hair. It is worth learning the right technique rather than avoiding heat altogether.
A final thought
Shedding is not your enemy. It is your hair doing exactly what it is meant to do. Breakage is the one we can actually do something about, through gentler handling, a clean scalp, knowing when your hair has had enough moisture, and keeping the hair conditioned even while it is styled. Once you know the difference, you stop guessing and start actually making progress.
If you want more hands-on support with this, it is exactly what we go through inside the Ori Hair Course, alongside a community of people working through the same things.
