Does Seasonal Hair Loss Exist?
By the time you’ve read this page, you might have shed a hair or two. That’s because humans lose between 100 and 125 hairs every single day – a normal part of the natural hair growth cycle. Some women claim they lose more hair during the fall and winter months and attribute it to “seasonal hair loss.” But does this phenomenon really exist? If so, what causes it?
What is Seasonal Hair Loss?
Research shows that women have higher rates of telogen – the resting state of scalp hair follicles which causes hair to fall out. This is one of the three phases of the hair growth cycle: each strand of hair on your head grows, transitions, and then rests, before the whole process is repeated again. As the telogen phase usually lasts for 100 days, you might notice hair loss in the fall or early winter.
Swedish researchers also examined the effects of seasonal hair loss. In a study of 800 healthy women over a six-year period, they found women lost more hair in the fall than at any other time of the year. Again, this may be because of the telogen phase: hair strands stay in a resting state from July to October onward, then fall out. The body also holds onto hair in the summer to protect the scalp from the scorching summer sun, according to the research. Once temperatures plummet, the scalp “releases” this hair.
Seasonal hair loss is different from telogen effluvium, a condition when stress causes hair roots to enter the telogen phase prematurely. Instead, it is part of the cyclical nature of hair growth.
How to Solve the Problem
Seasonal hair loss shouldn’t be cause for concern. Once the telogen phase is over, the hair growth cycle repeats itself, resulting in new strands of hair which replace the ones you’ve lost. These new strands of hair could have a life cycle of up to seven years.
A few ways you can prevent excessive shedding during the fall and the winter include:
- Protecting brittle hair with a hat or scarf.
- Using a natural hair supplement to strengthen your hair and promote new growth.
Research suggests that seasonal hair loss occurs at the end of the telogen phase when hair strands rest and fall out. Some women experience thinning hair during the fall and winter, resulting in a patchy scalp. If you’re noticing thinner or less hair on your scalp recently, you may be interested in trying in Tricovel to enrich your hair follicles, stimulate growth and strengthen hair shafts for thicker, fuller hair.
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