Hair shedding in any season of the year is entirely normal. The average person loses anywhere from fifty to one hundred strands a day through normal activities. Activities like brushing your hair, getting caught in the wind, and showering. If you notice an increased amount of shed in colder months, there may be a different explanation. Seasonal hair loss has been a popular topic to research, but this term sounds more severe than the actual explanation.
Your Hair has “Seasons.”
Regular shedding of the hair is cyclical. Your hair follicles go through phases of development as they grow new strands of hair, and dropping these strands is a part of that process. After a strand releases, the follicle remains inactive for a few months before the growth begins again and the cycle continues. Not to worry though, each of the follicles on your scalp are independent of each other, Your hair will not fall out all at once before growing out again as long as you are healthy.
Why More Shedding in the Winter?
When the seasons change and the humidity from the summer is gone, the air becomes much drier and colder as winter approaches.
Having a dry scalp is a nuisance by itself. It can cause discomfort and itchiness no matter the weather, but dry air from the cold seasons cause this problem to worsen as any moisture from your scalp is absorbed and leaves you to suffer. This dryness can lead to an increased rate of shedding because dry hair causes damage, split ends, and excessive hair loss.
If scratching at your itchy scalp is your go-to solution, you may want to rethink before you cause the fallout. On the opposite end of the issue, too much moisture, or sweat, can cause excessive shedding as well. Our instinct in the winter is to cover our heads and ears with a nice hat or a scarf. While the warmth feels better than the alternative, wearing anything that traps heat against your scalp can lead to irritation as the sweat has nowhere to go. This irritation becomes the most common source of hair fallout – itching and scratching. Unfortunately, there is often no safe alternative to bundling up in the cold, but with a little extra head-hygiene, you can keep the irritation at bay and save your hair from yourself.
What You Can Do to prevent Extra Shedding
When all moisture in the air leaves for the season, it may feel like the only option is to let nature take its course and live with slightly damaged, shedding hair until spring arrives, but there are ways to make this winter gentler on your scalp. Hydrating hair masks and treatments can be beneficial regardless of hair type as these products will seal moisture to your scalp and prevent further breakage as well as reducing irritation. Limiting the use of heat tools on your hair can prevent dry, split ends from drying and breaking even more. If the use of heat tools is a crucial part of your routine, try using heat-protective sprays to minimize the unhealthy results while still having control of your style.
