But there's one seasonal change that affects both men and women that's not often discussed, and that's seasonal hair loss. It's most common in the summer and fall months, and with a little attention, it's possible to minimize your seasonal shedding each year.
Seasonal shedding often occurs during the fall months, such as September and October, and at some point in the spring, like April and May. This timeline often coincides with the second half of the hair growth cycle, where more hairs are shed.
Excessive hair loss in winter is largely due to the dry air outside that sucks out all the moisture from your scalp, and makes it dry. A dry scalp leads to dry hair, which in turn results in hair damage, breakage, and hair loss.
There's A Scientific Reason You're Shedding More This Season
It's actually common for people to lose more hair in the summer and fall than in the winter and spring, according to a study in the British Journal of Dermatology.
HOW LONG DOES SEASONAL SHEDDING LAST? Seasonal hair shedding generally lasts 2-3 months. It begins in summer, heightens in fall and can linger around through winter. During wintertime, Telogen levels are the lowest as growth slowly begins again.
It's normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day. When the body sheds significantly more hairs every day, a person has excessive hair shedding.
It's important to stay calm and keep perspective because seasonal hair shedding is temporary. While it may feel like cause for alarm, it's the hair growth cycle's natural progression, and by mid-winter, early-spring, a fresh new batch of lustrous hair will replace those you lost during the fall months.
Possible causes of hair loss include stress, poor diet, and underlying medical conditions. Everyone experiences hair shedding, and it happens to each of us every day. Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of this natural cycle, more on days you wash your hair.
Tips for Managing Hair Loss During Fall and Winter Months
Though much of your lost hair will likely grow back, seasonal hair loss is disheartening.
It turns out the summer season has a good effect on the growth of your hair because of the longer periods of sun and higher temperatures. The warmer weather enhances the supply of nutrients required for keratin production.
Biotin. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a complex B vitamin that is often touted for having hair growth benefits. And some of that hype may actually be worth it. Biotin has functions in “creating red blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles,” says Dr. Green.
Hair loss can start as early as your teenage years or might not occur until you're well past retirement. Generally, people begin noticing signs of hair loss in their 30s and 40s. More significant hair loss often happens when people reach their 60s and beyond.
After the age of 30-35, shedding starts slowing down, as the levels of androgens in the blood start reducing. In older men with androgenetic alopecia, the hair loss slows down even more. Hair loss stabilizes together with the gradual decline of androgen levels in the blood.
Age: Hair grows fastest between the ages of 15 and 30, before slowing down. Some follicles stop working altogether as people get older. This is why some people get thinner hair or go bald.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men. Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness.
The three most common triggers for hair loss in young women are stress, dieting, and hormonal changes. Less commonly, hair loss can be caused by certain autoimmune diseases. Here's more on these four triggers for hair loss in young women.
People with long hair do not necessarily loose more hair, they just appear to loose more hair due to the hair shaft length. Hair length does not affect shedding.
Yes, stress and hair loss can be related. Three types of hair loss can be associated with high stress levels: Telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase.
It depends. “If a follicle has closed, disappeared, scarred, or not generated a new hair in years, then a new hair wouldn't be able to grow,” Fusco says. But if the follicle is still intact, yes, it is possible to regrow the hair—or to improve the health of the existing thinner hairs.
Unlike hair shedding, which is a normal function of the body, hair loss occurs mainly because of external factors. Hair loss occurs when something prevents your hair from growing. The medical term for this is anagen effluvium.
"Ironically, with thinning hair it's important to make sure you get your hair cut regularly," says Julie Hensman, from Hensmans in Northampton. "Thinning hair can get out of shape more quickly, making it look more obvious". Booking in for regular trims can keep your hair looking its best.
Physical or emotional stress may cause one half to three quarters of scalp hair to shed. This kind of hair loss is called telogen effluvium. Hair tends to come out in handfuls when you shampoo, comb, or run your hands through your hair. You may not notice this for weeks to months after the episode of stress.