Autumn Shedding: What Science Says About Hair — and What It Doesn't

Every autumn the same question returns: "Why has my hair suddenly started falling out?" The answer is usually simple — and not frightening.

The hair cycle

Every strand passes through three phases:

• Anagen — growth. It lasts 2–7 years. Between 85 and 90% of hair is in this phase.
• Catagen — transition. Two to three weeks.
• Telogen — rest and shedding. Two to four months.

Losing 50–100 hairs a day is normal. In autumn that figure rises for a while.

Seasonal telogen effluvium

In summer more hair stays in the anagen phase — the body is trying to shield the scalp from the sun. Towards autumn those hairs move into telogen at the same time and shed together. The result: between September and November daily loss can double.

The process lasts six to ten weeks and resolves on its own. The hair is not thinning; old strands are making room for new ones.

When it is not seasonal

See a doctor if:

• the shedding lasts more than three months;
• a visible open patch appears at the crown or along the parting;
• it comes with fatigue, feeling cold, brittle nails (thyroid and iron should be checked);
• hair falls in clumps or in round patches.

The three values checked most often: ferritin (iron stores), TSH (thyroid), and vitamin D.

Shampoo does not stop hair loss. Shampoo is responsible for the cleanliness of the scalp; hair is fed from inside the body.

What to do in autumn

• Protein. Hair is keratin. A daily protein shortfall shows in the hair first.
• Iron and zinc. Red meat, lentils, pumpkin seeds; supplements only after a blood test.
• The scalp. A gentle exfoliation once a week, and lukewarm water rather than hot.
• Mechanical care. Do not comb wet hair, do not wear a tight ponytail daily, and always use a protectant before heat.
• Patience. New hair grows about 1 cm a month. You will not see results in under three months.

In one sentence

Autumn shedding is usually nature's calendar, not an illness. But if it is still going after three months, it is no longer a season — it is a signal.