Seasonal Hair Loss: How to Avoid it?

Why do hair fall at certain times of the year? How to spot a seasonal hair loss and fight against it or avoid it in a natural way? Our dermatologist, Ludovic Rousseau answers your questions.

What you need to know about hair loss

The hair is like a forest whose trees grow for 2 to 7 years, live then die and fall. Hair loss is a natural phenomenon, part of the hair cycle. So it is normal to lose about 50 hairs a day. Beyond 50 to 100 hairs, it is considered that hair loss is pathological: a treatment or the intake of food supplements can then be considered.

Nevertheless at certain times of the year, and especially in spring and autumn, this natural phenomenon of falling may be more important, and reach the threshold of 50 to 100 hairs a day. This is the seasonal hair loss.

Like trees, our hair is sensitive to environmental changes: the transition from summer to winter, and vice versa, are periods of radical change in climate and therefore hygrometry, sunshine, outdoor temperature ... These changes affect the rate and speed of the hair renewal cycle, which can then fall in greater numbers.
We observe a fall that affects the entire hair but has little impact on the overall volume of hair. This fall lasts at most one to two months. Beyond that, it is necessary to consult to determine if there is no other cause of hair loss.

How to naturally fight against seasonal hair loss?

As the saying goes, "prevention is better than cure". This is especially true for seasonal hair loss, as falling hair has already been dead for several weeks. In the same way, the hair is only a stem of dead keratin, only the bulb is alive.

The aim of the treatments is to encourage growth, which is only visible after a few weeks. The ideal is to avoid the fall, because once it is engaged, it takes several weeks for the treatments to have effect on the hair.

It is recommended to:

• Fight against aggression. Protect your hair from the sun in summer and cold in winter, wearing hats or even caps in winter. Do not wash your hair with too hot water as it will tend to attack the scalp.
• Have a healthy and varied diet, rich in protein and vitamin B: hair needs essential nutrients to ensure their health and growth.
• Consume proteins (fish, meats, egg yolks, oleaginous, lentils ...), sources of sulfur amino acids (methionine and cystine) which are the compounds to synthesize keratin.
• Consume B vitamins (wheat germ, liver, fatty fish, white meats including poultry, egg yolks, cereals, mushrooms, lentils, soy or soy ...), which contribute to the transformation of methionine in cysteine, beneficial to the growth of the hair.
• Consume iron (black pudding, egg yolks, shells, parsley, soy or soy, cocoa ...), which allows the synthesis of hemoglobin and plays an important role in the oxygenation of the bulb of the hair. The absorption of iron is facilitated by vitamin C: an orange juice taken during a meal, multiplies by three the absorption of iron contained in food taken during the same meal, and conversely the tea limits its absorption.

You can also take a course of food supplements for the hair or just yeast, as spring and fall approaches.

Finally, do not hesitate to massage the scalp gently a few minutes a day: this promotes the vascularization of the bulbs.

The opinion of our doctor

Seasonal hair loss is often a source of deep anxiety, especially among women. Fortunately it is always self-limiting and there are simple ways to limit or avoid it, including a balanced diet. Any hair loss that resonates on the volume of the hair or persists more than two months or requires a consultation or even a blood test in search of deficiencies, thyroid disorders ...