Here’s Why You Noticed Increased Hair Loss Last Summer, and How to Avoid It This Year

Medical ConditionsJune 29, 2020

Whatever you were up to last summer, it must have been fun. Who doesn’t love a day out in the sun? Summertime offers just the perfect opportunity for this, and most of us would be caught dead missing out.

In the midst of all the fun though, you must have noticed something peculiar – hair loss. While everyone loses hair on a daily basis, some people tend to shed more during summer.

You may notice this when you combine it, washing it, or notice strands of hair on the pillow in the morning. Oddly enough, you may also fail to physically witness it but notice that whenever you tie your hair back, a bigger portion of your scalp is now visible. Strange much?

You may notice strands of hair on the pillow when you wake up

Blame it on the Weather

According to multiple media outlets, increased hair loss during summer is attributed to changes in the weather. It may be confusing, but there’s a good explanation for it. Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Naturally, every strand of hair you have is undergoing development which in this context, is divided into three stages. The first of these is referred to as the anagen, or rather the growth stage.

Hair strands in the growth stage make the bulk of what is on your head especially because it lasts anywhere between 2-8 years. Up to 80-90% of your hair is in this stage.

80-90% of your hair is in the anagen stage

The next development stage is the catagen where hair follicles shrink, resulting in little growth. The last of the three is the telogen stage which exhibits zero growth as no hair fiber is produced. This resting stage is where strands of hair break off, being what we then notice as hair loss.

Dermatologists explain that stressors such as pregnancy, weight loss, illness, and medication can force hair into the telogen stage. However, these aren’t the only factors that force hair into the last stage of development – weather changes also have a role to play in this.

Telogen Effluvium

Thankfully, this kind of hair loss is only temporary, a condition that healthcare professionals refer to as telogen effluvium. If you happen to be a victim, doctors say that you shouldn’t worry that much. It only means that aged hair is paving way for new strands to grow.

Should you want to remedy the situation though, experts reveal that dealing with the life stressor in question should do the trick. With summer though, there’s really nothing much you can do, is there? Wait for the season to pass and your hair will be back to normal.

Research shows that increased hair loss during summer is usually as a result of hormonal changes thanks to changes in exposure to the sun. According to Dr. Ken Williams Jr., changes in your hormones can force as significant as 10% of your hair into its resting face, increasing the potential for it to break off.

And while the reality is that you have no control over the weather, there’s certainly something you can do to stop your hair loss from getting worse. A lot of it has got to do with the hair products you use, so be gentle on this front.

Be gentle with the hair products you use

It has also got to do with your diet, so watch what you eat during the summertime. Healthy feeding translates to sufficient nutrients for the production of healthy hair.