It's quite "bald"! What should I do if I lose a lot of hair in autumn and winter? It's normal as long as it doesn't exceed this amount

As the temperature drops day by day, the atmosphere of autumn and winter becomes more and more intense, with the cold autumn wind, tightly wrapped coats, ripe fruits, swirling fallen leaves... even the hair joins in the fun and starts falling out in clumps (sad and incomprehensible).

Every time I wash my hair, I lose a dozen strands. Every time I comb my hair, I lose a dozen strands. When I shake my hair, a few more strands fall out. Every time I lose a strand, I get more anxious: Am I going bald at such a young age?!

Oh my God, why is this happening?

1. Why do we lose more hair in autumn and winter?

The Hunan Women and Children's Hospital stated that many people experience more hair loss in autumn and winter, which is called seasonal hair loss. In fact, such seasonal hair loss is mostly a normal physiological phenomenon, especially during the transition period between seasons.

There are several possible causes of seasonal hair loss:

1. Dry climate: In autumn and winter, the air humidity drops. This dry environment will reduce the moisture of the scalp and hair, causing the hair to become dry, brittle, and prone to breakage and falling off.

2. Reduced sebum secretion: In autumn and winter, the temperature drops, the secretion activity of the human body's sebaceous glands weakens, and the oil secretion of the scalp decreases, which makes the hair and scalp lose some of their natural protection and moisture, causing the hair to become dry and easy to fall out.

3. Changes in dietary structure: In autumn and winter, people prefer greasy, spicy and stimulating foods, which leads to increased sebum secretion.

4. Cleaning frequency: When the weather is cold, the frequency of washing hair decreases, resulting in poor scalp cleanliness.

5. Poor blood circulation: In cold weather, the body's blood vessels contract and the blood circulation of the scalp deteriorates, which affects the nutrient supply to the hair follicles, may cause a disorder in the hair growth cycle, and increase hair loss.

6. Accumulation of UV damage: Long-term exposure to the sun in the summer causes the hair and scalp to accumulate a lot of UV damage. These accumulated damages will erupt in the autumn, which may cause a large amount of hair to enter the resting phase at the same time, leading to increased hair loss.

However, there is no need to be too anxious. Theoretically, as long as no more than 100 strands of hair fall out every day in autumn and winter, it is normal.

However, if the amount exceeds this, or if you experience severe hair loss all year round and your hair volume is decreasing, then it will be dangerous!

2. How to judge whether hair loss is normal?

1. Duration: Seasonal hair loss is usually temporary and does not last too long, while abnormal hair loss is an ongoing process that does not stop due to seasonal changes;

2. Amount of hair loss: Seasonal hair loss generally means a slight increase in the overall amount of hair loss, which is evenly shed and not concentrated in a certain area. However, abnormal hair loss usually means a larger amount of hair loss, and there may be obvious bald areas, such as thinning of the hair on the top of the head, receding hairline, and widening of the hair parting.

3. Hair pulling test: Doctors often use this method to preliminarily judge whether hair loss is abnormal. First, do not wash your hair for 5 days, pull up a strand of hair, pull it slightly, and count the number of hairs that fall. If 2-8 hairs fall out with a slight pull, but the scalp does not feel any pain, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment.

4. Other symptoms: Seasonal hair loss may also cause symptoms such as dry scalp and increased dandruff, while abnormal hair loss may be accompanied by symptoms such as increased scalp oil secretion and scalp itching.

If the hair loss is severe or has not improved, you should go to the dermatology department of a regular hospital as soon as possible. Drug treatment, laser treatment, scalp microneedle treatment, etc. can improve the hair loss problem to a certain extent.

More importantly, in daily life, we must also patiently take care of the health of our hair and scalp. For example, use mild cleaning products, avoid using products containing hardeners and sulfates to reduce irritation to the hair; long-term use of the same anti-dandruff shampoo may cause tolerance and reduce the anti-dandruff effect. Alternating between several shampoos is better than using a single shampoo for a long time; use hair dryers, curling irons and other tools as little as possible to reduce heat damage to the hair; use hair oil, hair mask or conditioner to deeply nourish the hair, especially the ends of the hair; avoid smoking and excessive drinking, eat more foods rich in protein, vitamins (especially vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and B vitamins), and minerals (such as iron and zinc); exercise properly and ensure adequate sleep; use a humidifier to replenish moisture in the air to relieve dry hair and scalp; wear a hat when going out in cold weather to protect your hair and scalp.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Xie Xiaoxiao from Hunan Women and Children's Hospital

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(Edited by Wx)