Hair loss in autumn.
Myth, tradition and scientific explanation
Here we are again in autumn, and once again, as every year, our hair starts falling out.
Not the usual hair loss, strand by strand.
In the shower, when brushing our hair, or even just tying it up or letting it down, we lose so much of it.
And every year it scares us. We start looking for remedies, serums, supplements—the more the merrier. But do they really work?
Between folk beliefs passed down by our grandmothers and dermatological explanations, here is a journey through myth and science to understand what really happens to our hair during this time of year.
Popular tradition: the "chestnut season" and the moon
Before modern dermatology explained the hair follicle cycles, rural communities and folk traditions had given their own explanation—often steeped in poetry and the observation of nature—for this phenomenon.
In traditional farming culture, autumn has always been the season of letting go and transformation. Just as trees shed their leaves to prepare for winter rest and conserve energy, it was believed that humans followed the same biological rhythm. Hair was seen as superfluous "leaves" to be lost in order to renew itself in preparation for the colder months. Historically, this period is also called the “chestnut season,” for the same reason: chestnuts fall, and hair falls.
In many parts of Europe, there are small rituals linked to the agricultural calendar:
Cutting hair by the moon
This is one of the most deeply rooted folk traditions. We often tend to underestimate the role the moon plays in our lives, but let us remember that, just as it moves the oceans and creates the tides, it also affects (to a small extent) our physiology. Specifically: cutting your hair during the waning moon in autumn slows its regrowth but strengthens the roots, while the waxing moon promotes thicker, but more unruly, hair.
Grandmother's remedies
Nettle infusions, apple cider vinegar rinses to rebalance the scalp's sebum, or castor oil hair masks are the great herbal classics passed down from generation to generation to "stem the tide" of autumn hair loss:
- Nettle and rosemary: historically used for hair care, they have great strengthening and anti-hair loss properties.
- Apple cider vinegar: serves as a pH regulator; the “acid rinse” closes the cuticles and makes the hair shinier (a temporary effect), while also rebalancing the sebum on the scalp.
- Castor oil: rich in ricinoleic acid, it helps improve blood circulation on the scalp. Its particularly dense consistency, similar to keratin, acts as a repairing film on dry and brittle hair.
What science says: seasonal telogen effluvium
Modern science has confirmed that popular perception has a basis in truth, even though the biological mechanisms are very different from those of plants. The clinical phenomenon is called seasonal telogen effluvium (seasonal telogen effluvium).
To understand why it happens, we need to remember how the hair growth cycle works:
- Growth (Anagen): lasts from 2 to 6 years. About 85-90% of hair is in this phase.
- Transition (Catagen): lasts a few weeks, during which the follicle shrinks.
- Rest (Telogen): lasts about 2-3 months. The hair is now "dead" but remains anchored in the follicle until it is pushed out by a new growing hair.
In autumn (although a smaller peak is also recorded in spring), a temporary synchronization is observed: an unusually high number of follicles enter the "dormant" phase at the same time. As a result, after about two or three months (often between September and November), all that hair falls out together.
Why does hair fall out specifically in autumn?
Scientific studies point mainly to two evolutionary and environmental factors:
1. The response to sunlight (photoperiod)
During the summer months, the body prolongs the growth phase to protect the scalp from intense UV rays. With the end of summer and the reduction in daylight hours, the hair that had been "held back" passes en masse into the resting phase and falls out.
2. Summer oxidative stress
Sun, salt, chlorine, and high temperatures stress the scalp during the summer, the effects of which on the hair cycle become visible a few weeks later.
How to take care of your hair in autumn
Even though seasonal hair loss is a natural process that cannot be completely stopped (nor should it be, as it is part of renewal), you can support scalp health with a few simple habits:
- A rich, targeted diet: plenty of seasonal fruit and vegetables, nuts (a source of zinc and selenium), legumes, and high-quality protein to provide the follicles with the building blocks they need for new growth.
- Gentle cleansers: use non-aggressive shampoos that respect the scalp's hydrolipidic film, avoiding washing too frequently with harsh foaming products.
- Stimulating massages: a few minutes of scalp massage during washing reactivates local blood microcirculation, promoting the supply of nutrients to the hair bulbs.
- Fewer heat sources: limit the use of high-temperature flat irons and overly hot hair dryers that damage the hair strands at a time when hair is already naturally more vulnerable.
Ultimately, autumn hair loss is simply our body's way of making room for the new: a small natural reset to prepare us to shine again when spring returns.
