Does Warmer Weather in fact make you lose or “shed” more hair than normal?
The short answer to this question is Yes, you Can shed more hair in the warmer months but, your hair can recover and return to its normal growth cycle.
Excessive hair shedding itself can be very stressful, and while it usually is temporary, if not properly detected and treated, can create a perpetual cycle of hair loss.
So, in order to prevent what’s supposed to be the best time of the year from becoming the worst, it’s necessary to know exactly why you lose hair in the Summer so you’re able to do some damage-control.
In this article we will help you understand the most common reasons for hair loss in the warmer months and give you some ideas for preventative measures.
Let’s get started.
Can Hot Weather Impact Hair Loss?
If you’re worried about shedding or thinning hair when the temperature rises outside, you should bear in mind that most people shed more hair naturally during warmer weather.
This could hark back to our evolutionary disposition to shed, creating a lighter covering of hair that keeps us cooler during the summer months.
What Causes Summer Hair Loss?
Hormones are one reason you could be shedding more than normal in the warmer months.
Androgens, which are the hormones that affect hair growth in both men and women, become more active during the summer months.
This change in the production of androgens is the reason why people are more prone to hair loss during the summer season and is often mistaken for other types of hair loss, such as alopecia areata or telogen effluvium (which we will go over later).
But don’t worry! The androgen production of the human body usually returns to its normal rate in just a few weeks’ time.
The severity of hair loss during the warmer months is also dependent on the current state of a person’s hair. For instance, if your hair has been losing its density for a considerable amount of time, you can expect hair loss to happen faster during the summer season when the sun’s heat is more intense.
If you notice yourself losing a considerable amount of hair, always check with your physician.
Sun:
We tend to burn our heads when we’re out in the hot summer sun- which is the leading cause of summer hair loss.
The Sun’s UV rays can significantly damage your hair by sucking in traces of moisture and making your mane dull, dry, and discoloured.
Keep in mind that dry hair is very brittle, so it breaks easily. To prevent this, you can protect your hair by wearing a hat or a thermal protector.
Chlorine:
In summer people enjoy swimming, and your hair can suffer because of the pool water.
Pool water is often exposed to chemicals, which can damage your hair. This is because chlorine contains chemical properties that dry your hair shaft and release sebum, making it dull, brittle, rough, and easily broken.
To prevent this, all you need to do is apply a little olive or coconut oil to your hair to cover and moisturize it. Or simply wear a swimming cap.
Dandruff:
Hot weather is known to aggravate dandruff and cause flare-ups.
If left untreated, dandruff can cause itching and inflammation, causing temporary hair loss. To avoid this, it is essential to use anti-dandruff shampoo in the warmer months.
How You Can Protect Your Hair During the Warmer Months?
See, there’s no reason to panic! Seasonal hair loss does exist but, there are ways to reverse the damage and bring your best hair forward.
It’s important to remember to protect your scalp and hair during the warmer months. So if you’re going to be out and about in hot weather, you should use a hair oil with SPF to protect your hair and scalp from UV rays.
Also wearing a hat is one of the best ways to keep your scalp cool and prevent sunburn and dryness which could lead to damaged hair.
You should also:
- –Keep your scalp clean and dry.
- –Shampoo three times a week with sulfate-free products without parabens.
- –Dry your hair before tying it.
- –Make sure you protect your scalp from dust and sweat because this can cause dandruff problems.
- –Do yoga and exercise regularly to increase blood flow to your scalp.
So as you can see, with proper care, you can protect and maintain your hair in the Summer.
What to Avoid to Prevent your Hair from Shedding
First, you’ll want to avoid tight hairstyles and over-processing of hair products such as colors, bleaches, and other chemical treatments.
We know, nothing is worse than when your hair is attacked by the humidity but, if you want to protect your hair and prevent shedding you have to shelf your favorite gel and tight hairstyle for a couple months.
Next, you’ll want to avoid doing any chemical treatments such as perms and bleaching during the warmer months. Also, using direct heat from a styling tool can increase the level of your hair loss so try to keep
avoid or limit blow-drying your hair everyday.
You’ll also want to ditch any shampoos that contain harsh ingredients. Instead, consider a sulfate-free shampoo that reduces the loss of moisture to your hair.
If you have questions feel free to contact the MANHAIR Hair Loss Specialists– located in Jacksonville, Fl.
Now that you know that seasonal hair loss is an actual thing it’s important to rule out medical and genetic reasons for your hair loss. This way you can have a good understanding of the difference and it’ll help you rule out why you’re losing hair during the warmer months.
Rule out Medical Reasons for Losing Your Hair in the Summer
As we’ve stated, yes, you can shed more hair than usual during the warmer months but, your hair loss can also be a sign of a medical issue.
Understanding how these conditions cause hair loss can help you spot the signs and take preventative measures.
So let’s go over certain conditions that put you at a higher risk of hair loss:
–Thyroid conditions is one medical condition that can cause hair loss. When hormone production is disrupted, it affects other processes in the body. This includes the development of hair at the root. Hair then falls out and may not be replaced by new growth, resulting in thinning across your scalp and other areas such as your eyebrows.
–Anemia is another condition that can cause hair loss.
When you don’t have enough iron, your body can’t produce the hemoglobin in your blood.
Hemoglobin carries oxygen for the growth and repair of cells in your body, including the cells that stimulate hair growth. With treatment, you can help reverse both the iron deficiency and the hair loss.
–STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases) are another medical reason that can cause hair loss.
Infections such as HIV, secondary syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and herpes have treatments that often cause temporary hair loss.
Many of these diseases can be easily treated with symptoms beginning to dissipate over time.
Unfortunately, a large number of those who have contracted an STD have also found themselves losing their hair as a result of their infection, and not their medication. For example:
–Secondary Syphilis is capable of causing hair loss as a direct symptom. Alopecia syphilitica is an uncommon manifestation of secondary syphilis. It is non-inflammatory and causes a patchy or moth-eaten pattern of hair loss.
It most commonly affects the scalp, however, any area with hair can be affected.
–Chemotherapy is a well known treatment for Cancer that causes hair loss. Some chemotherapy drugs are more likely than others to cause hair loss, and different doses can cause anything from a mere thinning to complete baldness.
–Trichotillomania is a medical disorder that causes people to pull out their own hair.
One of the consequences of Trichotillomania is that a sufferer may be left with bald patches which can often have an unusual shape and affect one side more than the other.
–Tinea Capitis is a ringworm of the scalp. It’s a fungal infection that tends to attack hair shafts and follicles leading to hair loss. This can develop in the Summer due to sharing hats or sharing brushes or combs.
If you feel you are experiencing any of the medical conditions mentioned above, you can schedule an appointment with your physician and get a medical health screening for hair loss which may include:
- blood tests such as complete blood count (CBC)
- iron level test
- vitamin B level test
- thyroid function tests (TFT), and a
- biopsy of the scalp
Rule Out Genetic Reasons for Losing Your Hair in the Summer
Is your hair loss more than seasonal?
Hereditary hair loss in males is also known as male pattern baldness and is more common with increasing age.
This common balding called Androgenetic Alopecia, occurs in both men and women and is due to the effect of testosterone metabolites in genetically susceptible hair follicles, and is the most common cause for hair loss.
In fact, it accounts for 99% of hair loss in men, and affects half the male population by the age of 50.
Your risk of hereditary hair loss also increases if you have relatives who have experienced hair loss.
Final Thoughts
If you are located in or around Jacksonville, Florida, and are worried about hair loss then we have the perfect solution for you!
MANHAIR Hair Replacement Systems is an affordable, fully customizable, undetectable and non-surgical solution for Men experiencing Hair Loss.
With more than 10+ years of knowledge in the hair loss industry we have seen, tested and experienced ourselves first hand what products and solutions work the very best to give you the look you’ve always wanted.
So ditch the hats this Summer, and arrange for a FREE consultation with one of our hair loss experts.
Just click here to get started with MANHAIR today!