Shedding in Winter - Counterintuitive?

[ElusiveMuse]

I have seen a lot of people refer to it as shedding season, or talk about how they get a stall in the winter. This makes no sense to me. Mammals need their hair in winter. They grow thicker coats. Summer is shedding season.

Obviously LHCers have a lot of anecdotal evidence that says I'm wrong, and I'm sure there is no one shedding or growing season for every person, as a lot of other factors are involved. But it's strange to me, so I thought I'd bring it up.

[jasper]

I have started to doubt the seasonal shed theory. There are threads for sheds in every season. I shed a bunch in every season, but I notice it more when I wear shorts and short sleeves because the shed hairs tickle my skin.

[Maktub]

Good comment. I have no idea what's behind this. Curious to read replies !

[littlenvy]

Most people shed in the fall season - September to November. Which means that by the time cold winter comes December to February, you get a nice short to the head growth (almost like a layer of down) that keeps your scalp/head warm. :)

At least that's my theory :p LOL

[longhairedwolf]

I have seen a lot of people refer to it as shedding season, or talk about how they get a stall in the winter. This makes no sense to me. Mammals need their hair in winter. They grow thicker coats. Summer is shedding season.


I swear to God, I was just thinking this same thing yesterday! Great minds think alike, I suppose. :D

And no, I have no theory as to why people would shed more in the winter than in the summer.

[Maktub]

Maybe it has something to do with artificial heating in homes ?

Like horses... when kept outdoors they grow a beautiful winter coat, but not when they are staying mostly inside in heated places ?

Just a theory :D

[cowgirllong]

Personally, I don't really believe in seasonal shedding. I think that we just shed when we shed. And maybe some of us do it at the same time year all the time. If all of us shed in the spring or the fall or whenever, I would believe in it. But we don't. That leads me to believe that humans don't seasonally shed. Just my:twocents:

[Lostsoule77]

I think that is a pretty good theory. Back when we lived in caves that was probably true. I think now with all the artificial heating and cooling we have everywhere we just shed when we shed regardless of season. Perhaps people just notice it more in winter because we are inside more. During the summer we are out and about enjoying the weather and doing fun things. In winter we are inside a lot more and there is not as much to distract us from our hair. Just a possible theory. :)

[angelfell]

I've noticed more hair in my fingers when I get out of the shower and finger-comb through and such. A good deal more. However, I'm also going through a great deal of stress.. so that could be it, too.

[Toadstool]

Well, my dog has a big shed and then grows a much thicker coat for Winter.

[owlathena]

I had a HUGE shed in september. Its slowed down a lot now, almost to my normal amount. I hope I get a growth spurt to keep me warm this winter!

[Nini]

I shed noticably more for a short while during the Spring and the Fall.

As do my cattle. And our dogs always followed this pattern too. The Fall shed makes for a thicker, denser layer of fur.

[Fethenwen]

Shedding is mostly related to more stress, and after summer comes fall, and with it more responsibilities and stress. Which could maybe explain the seasonal shedding.

I don't think humans really apply that much when it comes to winter coating :D How would you then explain why people in Scandinavia have so much thinner hair overall than people in the south?
Humans doesn't seem to have any seasonal adeptness physically at all. Other than that our bloodvessels go deeper the hold the warmth when it gets cold, and they go more towards the surface in summer months to keep us cool. But this does not happen if you are having too much heating on inside the house.

[Lize]

I seem to always have my yearly big shed in the spring, so maybe my hair is more season smart. Maybe it's because I live in Sweden so we get some nasty cold in the winter. ;)

I think other reasons for shedding in winter could be increased darkness / less sun exposure, less happiness and less physical activity. But maybe it's like someone said that it's not seasonal at all, some people just shed randomly once a year.

[julliams]

Maybe it has something to do with artificial heating in homes ?

Like horses... when kept outdoors they grow a beautiful winter coat, but not when they are staying mostly inside in heated places ?

Just a theory :D

Took the words out of my mouth. I think this too.

[bratz81]

I've never noticed any seasonal shed on my hair, I just shed all year round - but I've never paid a huge amount of attention to it tbh.

I have noticed my hair grows quicker in spring and summer when it's warmer. My thoughts were that my body needed all the nutrients to keep warm etc in winter and hair was an afterthought but I could have made this up lol

[bunzfan]

Ever since i was a teenager i have shed a lot in the summer but it stops in the winter time. I was shedding a lot but now its totally stopped our cat used to do the same thing as i remember :undecidedo

[WaitingSoLong]

Most people shed in the fall season - September to November. Which means that by the time cold winter comes December to February, you get a nice short to the head growth (almost like a layer of down) that keeps your scalp/head warm. :)

At least that's my theory :p LOL

That is exactly what I was going to say.


Well, my dog has a big shed and then grows a much thicker coat for Winter.

Again, I was going to say this but rather about horses. There is always a shed in my animals before the winter coat.

I am a fall shedder. I am in it right now. Last year was much worse, though, but my scalp is in better shape this year.

I agree that people really don't have seasonal shedding, but it seems to have a pattern for individuals. My particular pattern tends towards fall and winter.

[kitschy]

I'm a fall shedder. This is only the second year I've noticed it. Last autumn when my shedding started it really alarmed me. I had only been paying attention to my hair at that point for just a little over a year, so I wasn't aware of the cyclic nature of my shed, I just thought I was losing all my hair and it frightened me. It seemed, like you said, counterintuitive that I would shed in the fall.

This autumn I was more prepared for it. Like someone said upthread, we probably lose hair that is old and at the end of its life cycle, as the new warmer hairs emerge from our scalps, giving us a warm downy layer closer to our heads.

I did notice last year after my seasonal shed, that my hair grew faster for a time too. *

* you may experience different results.

[Ginny Mae]

I read an article recently that said we shed less in Summer and more in Autumn because our scalps need the extra hair in Summer to prevent sun burn. This is it (hope the link works!)http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2047601/Why-autumn-make-womens-hair-fall--going-diet-drinking-tea.html

[spidermom]

Both times I've noticed a bigger than usual shed, it was in the fall. I usually get a growth spurt in the fall, too.

[arielágua]

Dogs for example shed in autumn to get thicker proper hair for winter, to protect them from the coldness, and same happens again in spring, to get a rid of the warm hair and renew with lighter summer hair.

I think the same happens a little bit with us. I don't usually shed every september to november. there are times, I just shed the daily normal the whole year. But my relatives are always complaining about that, they swear, every september/october, their hair starts to fall out more than the regular. So there must be an explanation to that. But I don't think we shed hair in summer, that sounds stupid to me, because summer is when the sun is at it's most aggressive form. I don't think human body would start losing hair when it need to protect the scalp from sunburns. Maybe I'm wrong, just a thought...