Photo credit: Image by Brooke Cagle

Autumn is here and you may be noticing some extra hairs on your brush, pillow, or floor. A study published in the journal Dermatology that followed 800 healthy women during a period of six years found that we lose most of our hair during the fall season.

Everything in nature has cycles and our hair being part of nature also has growth and shedding phases.

The 3 cycles of hair growth

• Hair grows for 2 to 6 years. Which means that at any given time 90 % of your hair is growing.
• The other 10% is resting for 2 to 6 months and then falls out.
• After it has fallen out the hair follicle (the sac from which a hair grows) takes a break and naps for about 3 months before the whole process begins again.

The scientists discovered that we have the highest amount of “resting” hairs in July, making the fall the months in which most of the shedding can occur.

This renewal of hair is perfectly natural and you may want to assess it out for yourself.

How do I know if I have SHL (Seasonal Hair Loss) or if there are other factors contributing to my hair loss?

Run your fingers from the roots to the tips of your hair. Do this all through your head and place any fallen hair on a white surface in front of you.

• 10 hairs or fewer: your hair loss is normal
• 10-15 hairs: you are likely to be in your SHL cycle
• 15 hairs or more: your hair loss may be connected to something other than SHL

Multiple other factors can contribute to unnatural hair loss: crash dieting, medication, vitamin and mineral deficiency, hypothyroidism, environmental toxins, and stress to name a few.

In the coming weeks we will publish a free e-book with everything you need to know about caring for your hair from the inside out.
Stay tuned!