Is My Hair Loss Just Breakage?

Seeing more hair coming out can often be due to breakage from changing your styling technique, being careless when brushing or combing, or the result of a bad chemical process. Also, if your hair is thinning, those finer, thinner hairs can be more susceptible to breakage. One way to tell whether the hair is breaking or falling from the root is to look at the root end of the fiber. If you see a "bulb," then it has probably come from the root; if not, then it may well be breakage. If the hair has already fallen and you are unsure which is the root end, gently move your fingers down the strand of hair. One way will feel smooth, the other will feel rough. The root should be toward the rougher end.

You can also sometimes tell whether the hair is breaking by looking at your scalp. If you see lots of stubble, then it may be breakage. Although breakage is not hair loss per se, it can still cause thinning and be very worrisome.