Probably, yes, a little. Two published studies found that hair shedding rises and falls across the year, with the most hairs in the resting phase in summer and the most hair on the brush in late summer and early autumn. The effect looks modest and the evidence is limited. It does not explain hair that is steadily thinning, which is a different problem and worth getting checked.

This guide sets out what the studies found, what counts as normal shedding, how to tell a seasonal shed from other kinds of hair loss, and when to see a doctor.

What the studies found

Two studies are usually cited, and it helps to read them for what they can and cannot show.

Randall and Ebling, British Journal of Dermatology, 1991. Researchers measured scalp hair growth every 28 days for 18 months in 14 healthy men aged 18 to 39 who worked indoors in Sheffield. The proportion of scalp follicles in the growing phase peaked at over 90% in March and fell steadily to a low in September. Shed hairs peaked around August and September, when the fewest follicles were growing. At the peak, average daily loss was about 60 hairs, more than double the previous winter’s level.

Kunz, Seifert and Trüeb, Dermatology, 2009. This was a retrospective study of 823 apparently healthy women who had come with a complaint of hair loss, assessed over 6 years with trichograms (a microscopic count of hairs in different phases). The authors found an annual rhythm, with the highest proportion of resting-phase hairs in summer, a smaller peak in spring and the lowest in late winter.

Both studies point the same way, but neither is the last word:

  • The first followed only 14 men in one UK city, all with indoor jobs.
  • The second looked at women who were already worried about their hair, so they may not represent everyone.
  • The peaks fall in slightly different months, and neither study measured how visible the change was to the person.

Notably, neither found a rise in winter. If you notice more hair coming out in November or December, a seasonal rhythm is one possibility but not the only one.

Why a seasonal pattern could happen

Each follicle cycles through a growing phase, a short transition and a resting phase before the old hair is shed and a new one grows. Our hair growth cycle guide explains the phases. A seasonal pattern would mean that slightly more follicles move into rest at certain times of year, and the extra hairs then fall a few weeks to months later. That delay is why shedding you notice in autumn may reflect a shift that began earlier.

The studies describe the pattern but do not prove what drives it.

What counts as normal shedding

Some hair loss every day is part of the cycle. The NHS says people can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing. The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) gives a wider range of 30 to 150. The sources differ, so treat these as rough guides rather than a number to count.

What matters more than a daily tally is whether your hair is getting thinner over months, whether you can see more scalp, and whether the change is spread evenly or confined to certain areas.

Seasonal shedding, telogen effluvium or pattern hair loss?

These are easy to confuse, and they behave differently.

  • A seasonal shed would be expected to settle by itself, and your hair should look broadly the same from year to year.
  • Telogen effluvium is a larger, more sudden increase in shedding, usually starting about 3 months after a trigger such as illness with a high fever, childbirth, surgery, major stress, marked weight loss or starting or stopping some medicines. The BAD says the shedding phase lasts about 3 to 6 months and that no cause is found in about 1 in 3 people. It is considered chronic if it lasts more than 6 months.
  • Pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) is not a shed. Follicles gradually shrink, a process called miniaturisation. In men the usual pattern is a receding frontal hairline and thinning on the top of the head, and the BAD says it tends to progress very slowly, from several years to decades. Our guides to male pattern hair loss and the receding hairline cover how it looks.

If your hair seems thinner each year, or the thinning has a pattern, think pattern hair loss rather than seasons. Even thinning across the whole scalp is covered in our guide to diffuse thinning.

When to see a doctor

The NHS advises seeing a GP if you are worried about your hair loss, or if it is affecting your wellbeing. See a doctor sooner if:

  • the shedding has lasted more than a few months or keeps getting worse (the BAD advises seeing your doctor if shedding does not improve)
  • you have bald patches, which can point to alopecia areata
  • your scalp is sore, red, scaly or scarred, which can point to a scarring condition such as scarring alopecia that needs prompt specialist assessment
  • the shedding started after illness, a new medicine or major weight loss
  • you have other symptoms that concern you alongside the hair loss

A doctor will usually ask about timing and triggers, examine your scalp and may arrange blood tests. The BAD says these check for things like thyroid disease and iron deficiency. The NHS also advises seeing a GP before going to a commercial hair clinic, so that you know what is causing the loss.

If worry about your hair is affecting your mood, tell your GP. If you are struggling, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time, or NHS 111 for urgent advice.

If you already use a hair loss medicine

Some treatments cause their own early shedding, which is a separate matter from the seasons. Our guide to minoxidil shedding explains what the product information says. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own because of a shed. Tell your prescriber, who can check what is going on.

How WMG Meds can help

Seasonal shedding does not need a prescription medicine. Treatment is for pattern hair loss, and finasteride 1 mg is the licensed tablet for men with male pattern hair loss. It is a prescription-only medicine and it is not a treatment for shedding in general.

If you are unsure what kind of hair loss you have, a clinical review is the starting point. A GMC-registered doctor reviews your answers and decides whether prescription treatment is clinically appropriate, and tells you if it is not. See what happens in an online hair loss consultation for the steps.

  • Hair loss and low mood: what the evidence says: What the research says about hair loss and mood, and where to get support.
  • Does stress cause hair loss?: The short answer on stress and shedding.
  • Hair loss in your 20s and 30s: what to check: A checklist of causes and checks if you are losing hair in your 20s or 30s.
  • Hair loss in the New Year: what a doctor checks: What a doctor asks, examines and tests first.
  • What are DHT blockers?: The short answer on DHT blockers and which are licensed.

Frequently asked questions

Do people really lose more hair in autumn?

Two small studies found a seasonal rhythm in shedding, with the most shed hairs in late summer and early autumn in one and the most resting-phase hairs in summer in the other. The evidence is limited, and the effect on how your hair looks is unclear.

Is it normal to shed hair in winter?

Some daily shedding is normal in every season. Neither study found a winter peak, and the second found the lowest proportion of resting hairs in late winter. A clear rise in shedding in winter is worth considering alongside other causes, such as a recent illness or a new medicine.

Will seasonal shedding grow back?

Shed hairs are replaced as new hairs grow from the same follicles, which is how the hair cycle works. If your hair does not recover over several months, or you can see lasting thinning, ask a doctor to look at it.

Should I start finasteride if I am shedding more?

Not for shedding alone. Finasteride 1 mg is licensed for male pattern hair loss, and it is not licensed for other kinds of shedding. A doctor needs to work out which kind of hair loss you have first.

Sources