Autumn hair loss: how much is normal, and when to see a professional
Around September and October, the same question comes up in almost every salon: “I’m losing more hair than usual — is that bad?” Usually it is not, but it is worth knowing where the line is.
How much is normal?
Fifty to a hundred hairs a day is natural. It follows from the life cycle of the hair: every follicle works for a while, then rests, then the hair falls and a new one grows in its place.
In autumn that number rises temporarily. Summer UV exposure, heat and the seasonal cycle work together, and the effect shows up a few months later. This is seasonal shedding, and it settles on its own.
What is not seasonal
Pay closer attention if:
- the shedding lasts longer than three months,
- you can see thinning at the crown or along the parting, rather than even shedding,
- your scalp itches, burns or hurts,
- it comes in patches,
- it started suddenly and you can name an event behind it — surgery, childbirth, a diet, a change of medication.
Several of these are not a hairdresser’s question. Hormones, thyroid function, iron levels and vitamin D show up in a blood test, and that is a doctor’s job. A salon treatment is no substitute.
What trichology can do
What a salon can treat well is the condition of the scalp. The environment around the follicle — flaking, oil production, circulation — affects how strong a hair grows out, and that can be worked on.
Here it is a separate service. A hair-loss treatment runs an hour and a half; strengthening and growth stimulation an hour each. They are not one-session miracles: they work as a course, and they start with an assessment of where you are now.
What you can do at home meanwhile
Tight ponytails and daily straightening put mechanical stress on the hair — autumn is a good time to ease off both. A minute of scalp massage while you wash: simple, free, and it helps circulation.
And most importantly: do not panic at the first larger clump in the drain. One day’s combed-out hair is not the same as a week’s — and in autumn it is often only the latter that you notice.
If you are unsure
Book a consultation. We will look at your scalp, and if it turns out to be something for a doctor, we will say so. That is the honest answer.