Hair Loss Extremely Common During Summer: What Makes the Condition Seasonal, How Do We Deal With It?

Many people will notice that during warmer days, specifically the summer season, they experience more hair loss than usual.

According to Wimpole Clinic, summer hair loss or seasonal hair loss is certainly common in both men and women. It can be because of a mixture combination of both internal and external factors.

Additionally, most people will assume that seasonal hair loss would occur naturally due to increased heat as their bodies find a way to keep them cooler when such effective insulation is not needed anymore. A Scandinavian study claims this to be true.

Swedish researchers who observed hair loss in 800 women for six years said a greater part of resting follicles during summer months.

Why Follicles Stay Inactive During Summer

Resting follicles, they added, shed hair to prepare for regrowth. In fact, this may be not until autumn that the greatest proportion of shedding takes place.

The first reason for such an occurrence is one's exposure to sunlight which results in the body producing less melatonin, affecting the hormone levels in the scalp.

It effectively signals hair follicles to perform their natural shedding phase for a longer time than usual. The other main reason is the effect of testosterone, levels of which are typically higher in autumn and spring.

Although testosterone is frequently thought of as a male hormone, it is present in both men and women and stimulates summer hair loss.

Everyone will then experience a specific amount of shedding, which, it is worthy to note, may not totally occur until the early Autumn months and thus, can easily be mistaken with another hair loss type like Telogen Effluvium, as described in DermNet NZ for one.

How to Deal with Hair Loss

Seasonal or summer hair loss is seasonal. Meaning, it is likely temporary. Nevertheless, MBG Lifestyle suggested several tips in managing increased shedding during the summer season. Here are some of them:

Experts said that in case UV light adds to summer hair loss, it is ideal for wearing a hat or a scalp sunscreen. They advise searching for products that have antioxidants to ward off free radicals and shield the strands.

Another recommendation from the experts is to keep the hair moisturized. Moisturized hair results in strong hair. Dry hair leads to susceptibility to breakage or damage.

Hydrated hair may have no season; it is important to take extra steps to care for the strands during the hot or warm season.

The most important of all is to be gentle with the hair. One can minimize damage by reducing the heat styling or lessening the temperature setting on hot equipment.

Hair experts also suggest that one can towel-dry using a microfiber towel pre-blow dry to cut the drying time.

Tight hairstyles and over-processing the hair with color, bleach, and other chemical treatments are not recommended.

Healthy Diet Helps, Too!

Many people believe that with the hotter weather, eating round meals is less appetizing, although nibbling instead of nourishing can have adverse effects on hair loss, specifically if the hair is already dry because of the warm weather.

For one who prefers eating meals in smaller amounts during summer, experts say it's fine, but the needs to keep an eye on the bigger picture to guarantee sufficient nutrition.

Lastly, it is essential to keep up a balanced diet, drink plenty of freshwaters to keep hydrated, and limit alcohol and caffeine intake at evening cocktails and holiday get-togethers.

Related information about hair loss during summer is shown on Claudia Glows' YouTube video below:

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