Seeing more hair than usual on your pillow, in the plughole or in your hand when you comb it? And starting to panic? Breathe: it's almost always normal.
Seasonal hair shedding is real, there's an explanation for it and it usually settles down on its own. Here's why it happens, how to tell it apart from a genuine problem, and the menu of things you can do in the meantime – most of them free.
Your hair works in cycles
Each hair goes through phases: it grows for a while, then enters a resting phase (the telogen phase), falls out and makes way for a new one. It's a constant turnover: losing between 50 and 100 hairs a day is completely normal. Not all your hair is growing at the same time.
Why autumn, of all times (seasonal shedding)
Some studies suggest that in summer more hair than usual enters the resting phase – a kind of mechanism to protect the scalp when the sun is strongest. That "parked" hair is shed a few weeks later: right now, at the end of summer and the start of autumn. Hence the peak. It's temporary and lasts a few weeks.
In other words: you're not suddenly going bald. It's a scheduled clear-out that's more noticeable because it's packed into just a few weeks.
When SHOULD you worry?
Seasonal shedding settles down on its own. It's worth seeing a dermatologist if you're losing a lot of hair, it goes on for more than a few months, you notice thinning patches or a clearly receding hairline, or there's itching and flaking. At that point it's about telling seasonal shedding apart from alopecia, and that's for a professional to assess.
The menu in the meantime (from free to product)
1. Don't stress (free, and it genuinely helps). High stress adds to hair loss. And panicking about seeing hairs does exactly that: stresses you out.
2. Sleep and eat for your hair. Rest and a diet with protein, iron and zinc are the foundation of strong hair.
3. Treat your hair gently. Very hot water, a hairdryer on full blast and too much friction weaken it. Go easy.
4. Look after your scalp. It's the soil your hair grows in. A dedicated shampoo and serum are one option – our Hair Thickening Shampoo and Hair Thickening Serum are just that: an option, not an obligation, and not a miracle that stops seasonal shedding.
FAQs
Is it normal to lose more hair in autumn? Yes. Seasonal shedding is a real thing: more hair enters the resting phase over the summer and is shed a few weeks later, peaking in autumn.
How long does seasonal shedding last? It usually lasts a few weeks and settles down on its own. It isn't a permanent process.
When should I worry about hair loss? If it's very heavy, lasts more than a few months, you notice thinning patches or a clearly receding hairline, or there's itching and flaking. In that case, see a dermatologist.
Does a hair loss serum work? It helps look after your scalp and hair fibre. It isn't a treatment that stops seasonal shedding, which settles on its own; it's a care option, not an obligation.
Save this before you panic. And if you want to give your scalp some extra care, have a look at the hair loss collection.
Why you lose more hair in autumn (and when to worry)
Seeing more hair than usual on your pillow, in the plughole or in your hand when you comb it? And starting to panic? Breathe: it's almost always normal.
Seasonal hair shedding is real, there's an explanation for it and it usually settles down on its own. Here's why it happens, how to tell it apart from a genuine problem, and the menu of things you can do in the meantime – most of them free.
Your hair works in cycles
Each hair goes through phases: it grows for a while, then enters a resting phase (the telogen phase), falls out and makes way for a new one. It's a constant turnover: losing between 50 and 100 hairs a day is completely normal. Not all your hair is growing at the same time.
Why autumn, of all times (seasonal shedding)
Some studies suggest that in summer more hair than usual enters the resting phase – a kind of mechanism to protect the scalp when the sun is strongest. That "parked" hair is shed a few weeks later: right now, at the end of summer and the start of autumn. Hence the peak. It's temporary and lasts a few weeks.
In other words: you're not suddenly going bald. It's a scheduled clear-out that's more noticeable because it's packed into just a few weeks.
When SHOULD you worry?
Seasonal shedding settles down on its own. It's worth seeing a dermatologist if you're losing a lot of hair, it goes on for more than a few months, you notice thinning patches or a clearly receding hairline, or there's itching and flaking. At that point it's about telling seasonal shedding apart from alopecia, and that's for a professional to assess.
The menu in the meantime (from free to product)
1. Don't stress (free, and it genuinely helps). High stress adds to hair loss. And panicking about seeing hairs does exactly that: stresses you out.
2. Sleep and eat for your hair. Rest and a diet with protein, iron and zinc are the foundation of strong hair.
3. Treat your hair gently. Very hot water, a hairdryer on full blast and too much friction weaken it. Go easy.
4. Look after your scalp. It's the soil your hair grows in. A dedicated shampoo and serum are one option – our Hair Thickening Shampoo and Hair Thickening Serum are just that: an option, not an obligation, and not a miracle that stops seasonal shedding.
FAQs
Is it normal to lose more hair in autumn? Yes. Seasonal shedding is a real thing: more hair enters the resting phase over the summer and is shed a few weeks later, peaking in autumn.
How long does seasonal shedding last? It usually lasts a few weeks and settles down on its own. It isn't a permanent process.
When should I worry about hair loss? If it's very heavy, lasts more than a few months, you notice thinning patches or a clearly receding hairline, or there's itching and flaking. In that case, see a dermatologist.
Does a hair loss serum work? It helps look after your scalp and hair fibre. It isn't a treatment that stops seasonal shedding, which settles on its own; it's a care option, not an obligation.
Save this before you panic. And if you want to give your scalp some extra care, have a look at the hair loss collection.