“The first is in July and August and the second—and more significant—is November and December into half of January.” The hair is thickest in the summer to serve as protection from the sun. He adds, “The shedding during these months is a temporary situation. The hair will grow back in about three months.”
So, some hair follicles are always in the active growth phase, while some are in the resting phase. The hair of all mammals follows this growth cycle, but we humans are unique in that our hair doesn't shed during hot weather and grow thicker during cold weather.
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.
During late summer and autumn, telogen phases ("hair") are more frequent, which results in more hair falling out. The reason for this increase can be traced back to intensive sun radiation during summer. As a protection mechanism for the scalp, more hair roots switch from the growth phase to the resting phase.
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.
“Hair tends to grow a little faster in summer and slower in winter,” said Dr. Alan Parks, board-certified dermatologist and founder of DermWarehouse. “An underactive thyroid can also slow down hair growth.”
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.
Dryness caused by heat and humidity can cause hair to break. This can lead to the appearance of thinner hair, even though you're not actually losing hair from the follicle. If your hair has a very dry or brittle texture, it's likely that you're experiencing hair breakage rather than hair loss.
It's extremely common to experience changes in your hair and scalp as the change in season arrives. As we move from the warmer months to colder, or vice versa, there are changes in precipitation and temperature that affect the level of moisture in our scalp and can change our scalp health, hair texture and hair health.
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.
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.
Only the number of shed hairs can be assessed, not the amount of hair, due to the shaft length. 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.
A: Hair will increase in diameter when there is more humidity, as it absorbs moisture, and will actually be thicker in the more humid summer environment.
“Shampoo less and your hair will be more hydrated,” they said, which helps promote thickness. “Be sure to use sulfate-free products to preserve your hair's natural oils.
“People are just not very good observers, but there's just no science behind hair growing back thicker,” says Amy McMichael, chair of the Department of Dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health.
Here's the hard truth: Little can be done to permanently change the diameter of individual hair strands. Thickening products can do wonders to temporarily plump hair strands, but when it comes down to it, fine hair is genetic and can't be changed.
In straight type, thin hair was judged most attractive, whereas in wavy type, hair with mean diameter received the highest attractiveness judgments. In conclusion, there was considerable variation in age, health and attractiveness perception of hair with regard to effects of hair diameter, type, and color.
“When your hair is greasy, your hair follicles tend to look wet, which makes it look thin ...” This is especially true for people with fine or thinning hair, which tends to get greasy faster — especially if you're using the wrong type of products.
If you are experiencing thinning or balding, our Bosley experts recommend washing no more than three times a week.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
Nearly everyone has some hair loss with aging. The rate of hair growth also slows. Hair strands become smaller and have less pigment. So the thick, coarse hair of a young adult eventually becomes thin, fine, light-colored hair.
Why is my hair suddenly thinning? Suddenly thinning hair could be caused by a variety of reasons, such as a period of extreme stress, pregnancy, discontinuing birth control pill use, hormonal changes, a high fever, or pulling at your hair.
Although exposure to one or the other weather condition in excess can be highly deleterious, most experts unanimously agree that extremes of weather-whether hot, cold or humid-can ruin your hair. On the other hand, a mildly warm climatic condition with minimal humidity is the most conducive for healthy hair growth.