Hair Fall in October: Is It Seasonal or Something Else?

First, a reassurance: noticing more hair on your pillow or in the bathroom in October is common, and often temporary. But "it's the season" isn't always the right explanation, so here's how to work out which one you're dealing with.

What's normal

Most people lose somewhere between 50 and 100 scalp hairs a day, as part of the normal growth cycle. That's easy to forget on wash days, when a few days' worth of shed hair comes out at once and looks alarming. Counting actual strands over a day, rather than judging by the clump in the drain, gives a fairer picture.

Why autumn shedding happens

At any time about 10% of your hairs are in a resting phase called telogen, after which they fall. Research suggests the proportion in this phase shifts a little with the seasons, and because the resting phase lasts around three months, the extra shedding shows up weeks later. In Europe, the peak is commonly reported in autumn. Most of that research comes from temperate countries, so for India we'd treat it as plausible rather than proven. Many people do notice more shedding after the monsoon, but several other things happen at that time of year too.

Other things that look like seasonal hair fall

A sudden increase in shedding often follows a trigger from two to three months earlier. This is called telogen effluvium. The usual suspects:

• High fever or a viral illness. The monsoon months bring plenty of dengue, typhoid and viral fevers, so a shed in October or November is a classic aftermath.
• Surgery, childbirth, or a very stressful period.
• Crash dieting or rapid weight loss.
• Iron deficiency (common in Indian women), thyroid problems, or low vitamin D or B12.
• New medication. Check the leaflet or ask your doctor.

Separately, scalp problems can cause or worsen shedding: dandruff (seborrhoeic dermatitis), fungal infections, and tight hairstyles that pull on the roots.

Shedding or breakage?

Look at the hairs themselves. A shed hair has a tiny white bulb at the root end and is its full length. A broken hair is short, snapped, with no bulb. If you mostly find broken pieces, the problem is damage from heat, colour or rough handling, not the growth cycle. That's a different fix, and your hair porosity will help you choose care that suits it.

Thinning that isn't seasonal

If your parting is widening, your temples are receding, or the top of your head looks thinner over several months, that's a pattern, not a season. It's worth seeing a dermatologist early, because that type of hair loss responds best to early treatment.

What you can do

• Wait and be gentle. If it's telogen effluvium, shedding usually settles within a few months once the trigger is gone, and hair then regrows. Avoid tight styles, minimise heat, and don't skip washing for fear of losing hair; those hairs were going to fall anyway.
• Eat enough protein and iron. Dal, eggs, paneer, chicken, leafy greens and legumes, with a source of vitamin C to help iron absorption. Don't start high-dose supplements without a blood test.
• Be careful with biotin. High-dose biotin can interfere with some lab tests, including thyroid results, which makes it hard for a doctor to read your bloodwork.
• Treat dandruff. A shampoo with ketoconazole or zinc pyrithione used as directed often helps. If you have flaky scalp, heavy oiling may make it worse in some people, because the yeast involved feeds on scalp oils.
• Don't expect oiling to prevent hair fall. Oiling can make hair feel softer and reduce combing damage, but there's no good evidence it stops shedding.

Serums that promise regrowth, including those with peptides or exosomes, haven't been shown to fix shedding that has an underlying cause. Prescription treatments such as minoxidil or finasteride should only be started after a dermatologist has confirmed what kind of hair loss you have.

When to see a doctor

• Shedding lasts longer than three months, or is heavy and sudden.
• You see bald patches, a widening part or receding temples.
• Your scalp is itchy, red, scaly or sore.
• You have other symptoms: tiredness, weight changes, irregular periods, or hair loss from eyebrows or elsewhere.
• You're a teenager with significant hair loss.

A doctor may order simple blood tests (for iron stores, thyroid and vitamin levels) and examine your scalp.

Quick answers

Is hair fall worse in October?

For many people it is, thanks to the autumn rhythm plus after-effects of monsoon illnesses. It's usually temporary.

How long does seasonal shedding last?

Typically a few weeks to a few months. If it goes past three months, get checked.

Does washing hair more often cause hair fall?

No. Washing removes hairs that were already shed.