So a little hair history:
The middle of this past summer, I bleached out my hair, which had been dyed red with a permanent non-veggie dye, and dyed it orange. I redid the roots once, then just let it go because I had run out of orange dye. Then since I had a ballroom competition coming up, two weeks before Thanksgiving, I had my hair dyed dark brown, non-veggie. I've been washing my hair every other day, making sure to condition it since it's been through a lot.

Which brings me to my question - about a week or so ago, massive amounts of hair (like, handfuls) started falling out when I washed my hair. Any idea what might be causing it? Nothing chemical has touched my hair since before Thanksgiving, and I've been taking good care of it. It has me a bit worried. I'm pretty sure I'm not just noticing it more because it's dyed dark, because like I said, it only started happening about a week ago and I've had dark brown hair for a while now.

Thanks!

I'm having sort of the same problem. I haven't done anything to my hair for the past few months other than bleach my roots in September and apply some sfx virgin rose and fuchsia shock a month later. I bleached my whole head in July. I'm taking good care of my hair, condition it, don't blow dry it, but the past few weeks, I've began to lose more hair than I used to.

What length is your hair? Mine is to the mid of my back, so maybe the weight is tiring it. It may have something to do with diet habits, like receiving less vitamins that are essential to keep the hair strong. Also stress can cause hair loss. So if you're in a stressed period there's a good chance that's a reason.

I think hair loss has more to do with your organism than with the state of the hair outside your scalp. You can try cutting some off the edges if you have long hair, to freshen it up and get some weight off it. Otherwise I think that you may have to visit a doctor if the problem persists and you can't identify the cause.

well it dosen't sound like it would be from the dying if you've been taking good care of it and haven't done anything to it in a while.

is it only comming out when you wash? or do you notice it on your shoulders, on the pillow in the morning, times it falls out with out touching it?? - pick a random strand of hair, pull it out, if it comes out with out any sort of feeling in your scalp, you might be suffering from some stress related hair loss. it will slow down on its own, and enough hair will be growing it where you maybe loose some thickness but nothign extreme. not saying this is the absolute asnwer, but it may be part of your problem.

are you brushing/combing/washing it regularlly? if you're not, what you're seeing might be the hair caught up in itsself comming out. my hair sheds a TON (recovering from stress related hair loss caused by major freakin health issues), and even if i brush it before showering, that dosen't seem to get all of the loose hairs that are tangled up. and if i wear extensions... whew! even for a week i get this huge nasty hairball after i take them out and shower because all thehair that would shed from their normal cycle gets stuck.

hope that helps a bit, those are the only two things i can think of without knowing you personally or seeing pictures.

Thanks a lot, both of you.

Now that I think about it, stress sounds like it could definitely be the culprit. I've had the most insane semester this past semester.

I hope you're in less stress now and your hair will start to recover. ^_^

And I agree with BunnyWabbit, I sometimes get these huge hairballs after I wash my hair, because I don't regularly comb it (it's straight, so it doesn't show much) and that lets the extra hairs get stuck in.

But what if you do comb it/wash it/brush it every day?
I started noticing that i was loosing more hair after i dyed mine burgandy for the first time over the summer. Then in mind-August i tried to go back to brown, and about a month ago (right before thanksgiving) i actually got back to brown and then bleached the bottom half and dyed it purple.
but ever since i've dyed it the first time i've noticed more, not handfuls, just like a bunch of hair all around my fingers, have been coming out. I'm not under alot of stress so i don't know. I do take care of my hair though its soft and shiny. so idk what it could be.

i have had the same problem since i dyed my hair black 18months ago. it just comes out in my fingers without any noticable resistance or anything

even if you don't emotionally feel stressed it dosen't mean you body isn't stressed. sometimes i just happens.

if you're really concerned, see a dermatologist.

unless its breakage from somewhere in the middle of the hair, dyes simply cannot cause hair loss from the root.

Indeed, whatever is causing the hair loss is more likely some imbalance in your body (stress, hormones, poor diet). I think the dye will have to destroy the root of the hair to be the cause of hair loss.

ok. im not like extremly concerned but thank you guys anyway =]