The trichologist told about the causes of autumn hair loss

In autumn, many people notice that there is more hair on the comb, in the shower or on clothes. However, this does not always indicate a disease: some of the changes are related to the natural cycle of hair growth, and some may be a consequence of summer exposure to the sun, heat, stress, and changes in the body. Marina Doletskaya, a certified expert in trichological aesthetics, an expert in hair and scalp care at ANGFA, told Izvestia about this on August 24.

Hair follicles have their own development cycle, and studies confirm a certain seasonality of these processes. In summer, the proportion of hair in the resting phase, telogen, increases, and more noticeable loss may occur in late summer and early autumn. Therefore, a moderate increase in precipitation in September and October may be a physiological phenomenon.

At the same time, according to the expert, it is not necessary to write off any autumn precipitation only for the change of season. Hair often reacts to changes in the body with a delay of about two to three months. Therefore, in the fall, the effects of summer illnesses with high fever, severe stress, sudden weight loss, malnutrition, surgery, or hormonal changes may occur.

"This is how telogen hair loss develops — part of the hair prematurely enters the resting phase and falls out after a few months," Doletskaya explained.

The sun, heat, sea and chlorinated water have a greater effect not on the hair follicle itself, but on the hair shaft. Ultraviolet light damages the protein structures and lipids of the hair, which makes it drier, more porous, harder and more brittle. The consequences of such an impact may not appear immediately, but in the fall, when heating, dry air, temperature fluctuations and regular blow-drying are added to the summer damage.

"It is important to distinguish between hair loss from the root and their breaking off in length — the causes and tactics in these cases are completely different," the expert noted.

The reduction of daylight hours is also considered as one of the factors of seasonal changes in hair growth, however, there is no direct relationship between a decrease in the amount of sun and hair loss. Vitamin D deserves special attention: its receptors are involved in the work of the hair follicle, and low levels of this substance are more often detected in some forms of hair loss.

At the same time, taking vitamin D or hair complexes in large doses without determining the cause of the problem is not worth it. In case of severe hair loss, the specialist recommends first determining the cause and, if necessary, checking the level of vitamin D, ferritin and other indicators as prescribed by a doctor.

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Women also began to experience hair problems more often.

In autumn, hair care should be adjusted primarily in the direction of length protection. After each wash, it is recommended to use conditioner, and for dry and damaged hair, leave—in products and masks. Formulations with lipids and ceramides, panthenol, hydrolyzed proteins and silicones are useful.

According to Doletskaya, you should not be afraid of silicones in care: for damaged hair, they can perform a protective function, reducing friction, tangling and fragility. It is also important not to wash your hair with too hot water, rub it with a towel, and use thermal protection when drying with a hair dryer.

It is better to prepare hair for the cold season not by using ampoules for hair loss, but by reducing the number of damaging factors. It is not recommended to go out in the cold with wet hair, abuse hot appliances and allow constant hair friction on clothes. At the same time, the scalp must be cleaned as it becomes dirty — it is not worth reducing the frequency of washing for fear of increasing hair loss.

Normally, a person loses about 50-100 hairs per day, but it is almost pointless to count their number every day. If the hair loss increases slightly in the fall, it remains uniform, the parting does not expand, and the overall density of the hair does not decrease, the situation can be observed for some time.

It is worth contacting a trichologist if the hair loss lasts for several months, the volume of hair decreases noticeably, the parting widens, and individual areas of thinning or receding hairline appear. Itching, pain, pronounced peeling of the scalp, loss of eyebrows or eyelashes may also be a reason for examination.

According to the expert, the usual fallout can sometimes hide iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, androgenetic alopecia and other conditions. Therefore, with alarming symptoms, it is important not to mask the problem with cosmetics, but to determine its cause.

On August 18, Yulia Gallyamova, a dermatologist and trichologist, MD, told Izvestia that after coloring and lightening the hair, it is impossible to completely restore its original state, since the hair shaft is an inanimate structure. The expert noted that the task of care in such cases is not to restore the hair in the literal sense, but to improve its appearance, reduce brittleness and protect it from further destruction. The specialist also spoke about the role of thermal protection, conditioners and products with amino acids, panthenol and ceramides in the care of damaged hair.