June 18, 2019
Does Hair Loss Increase During the Summer?
You may have heard the old wives’ tale that people lose more hair in the summer months than any other time of the year. This old wives’ tales is actually true. There are studies that show that we actually do shed more hair in the summer and especially during the month of July. We all shed hair every day and that is perfectly normal for both men and women. We actually lose up to 100 hairs a day. The extra hair loss you might see during the summer is because of a higher rate of telogen. Telogen is the resting phase for hair follicles and a normal part of the hair growth cycle.
Hair Growth Cycle:
- Anagen (Growing Phase) The growing phase lasts 2 to7 years and determines the length of our hair.
- Catagen (Transition Phase) This is the transitional stage that lasts about 10 days. The hair follicle shrinks and detaches from the dermal papilla.
- Telogen (Resting Phase) This is the resting phase which lasts around three months. Around 10-15 percent of hairs are in this phase. Whilst the old hair is resting, a new hair begins the growth phase.
- Exogen (New Hair Phase) This is part of the resting phase where the old hair sheds and a new hair continues to grow. Approximately 50 to 150 hairs can fall out daily, this is considered to be normal hair shedding.
Our hair follicles go through different phases as part of the hair growth cycle. It makes your hair more prone to fall out when it is in the telogen stage. In the month of July, extra hair loss is more likely to occur especially for women than men because of this phenomenon. It doesn’t have anything to do with the sun or summer weather as the old wives’ tale would suggest. While this fact may be surprising and for some alarming, remember that seasonal hair loss is normal and it isn’t anything you need to worry about.
While you could lose more hair during the summer, this hair cycle will change and your follicles with again regrow your hair. While losing more hair in the summer may be normal, there could be other issues that could result in even more hair loss. This means that if your hair seems to be particularly thin or if your hair is falling out predominantly in a specific region, such as along the temples or at the crown of the head that you believe is severe thinning or balding, then you should consider talking to your doctor or a hair replacement specialist. Discovering the cause for your hair loss is an important step because it can give insight into the cause of your hair shedding and types of treatments or solutions that could restore your hair.
