Climate change can indirectly cause hair loss. Climate change can lead to more extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, droughts, and floods which can affect the air quality and water supply, leading to poor living conditions. These conditions can cause stress and malnutrition, which can contribute to hair loss.
Additionally, climate change can lead to an increase in air pollution, which can be harmful to the hair and scalp. Air pollution can cause dryness, itching, and flaking of the scalp, as well as damage to the hair shaft, making it more prone to breakage.
It’s also worth noting that exposure to UV rays can increase with climate change due to the depletion of the ozone layer. UV rays can damage the hair and make it more prone to breakage.
It’s important to note that hair loss can be caused by many factors, and climate change may not be the sole cause of hair loss. It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional if you are experiencing hair loss to determine the underlying cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan. To protect hair from UV rays and pollution you can use hats, scarfs and UV protection sprays for hair.
Can a change in atmosphere cause hair loss?
It’s an absolute certainty that climate change causes hair fall. Here are the two main reasons why.
Climate change gives us colder winters in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Colder climates cause your hair to dry out and break.
A dry scalp combined with dry hair sets you up for excessive hair breakages resulting in what can seem like a lot of hair loss through the winter months.
You are more likely to wear a tight-fitting beanie style hat in an attempt to keep warm when it’s cold. The beanie hat or any other tight-fitting hat will cause friction.
Friction at any time of the year is bad news for your hair shafts and follicles. Traction alopecia is caused by hairs rubbing together and breaking; this happens more to you during the winter months.
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Pollution and hair loss is not widely discussed, but the truth is there is a direct correlation between hair loss and pollutants in the atmosphere.
Currently, approximately 78% of the population lives in urbanised areas in or around a major city where airborne pollutants are at their highest levels.
During the colder months, pollutants do not readily disperse on rising columns of cold air. Hence the pollutants become more dense closer to ground level.
Your hair acts like a filter and attracts airborne pollutants. Studies show that airborne pollutants such as those emitted from the exhausts of vehicles negatively affect the levels of protein in your hair.
Depleted proteins in your hair make your hairs porous and less flexible, causing the hair shaft to break off.
What season does hair fall most?
Do you lose more hair in summer or winter?
Hair loss can occur at any time of the year, but there are some seasonal variations in hair growth patterns that may make hair loss more noticeable.
During the winter months, hair growth may slow down due to the cold weather and lack of sunlight. This can result in a temporary increase in hair loss, as hair that would normally shed during the spring and summer months may continue to fall out during the winter. Additionally, the dryness of the indoor heating can dehydrate the scalp and cause itching and flaking.
On the other hand, during the summer months, hair growth may pick up due to the warmer weather and increased sunlight. This can result in a temporary decrease in hair loss, as hair that would normally shed during the winter months may continue to grow during the summer. However, the humidity can cause hair to appear greasier and the sun exposure can damage the hair and make it more prone to breakage.
Also, in the winter pulling a beanie hat on and off not only ruins your hairstyle but also creates an enormous amount of friction resulting in hair loss.
Traction alopecia is caused by friction, such as placing and removing a tight hat on your head.
Pollutants in the atmosphere do not disperse so quickly during the winter months. These pollutants can become attached to your hairs, and essential delta proteins cause your hair to become brittle.
How long does seasonal hair loss last?
The research on seasonal hair loss is lacking. However, it is thought to last from autumn through to spring.
Apart from hair breakages causing hair loss, there is a natural shedding period. Why? We don’t know; science has not found the answer to why we shed more hair from the beginning of autumn to spring.
Do you find this information alarming? Don’t be alarmed for most of you. You will not even notice the extra hair loss.
It is normal to shed around 100 hairs every day, and during the cooler months, excluding hair breakage caused by friction and dry hair, you will lose an extra 50 hairs per day.
150 hairs a day may sound a lot, and if you extrapolate that number over 4 or 5 months, the number is alarming.
However, remember when we shed hairs, we make room for further regrowth, and any hairs you lose during the colder months of the year will grow back.
What can I do if I am losing a lot of hair?
During the colder months, you can mitigate hair loss from breakages. Your hair is breaking because it has become dry and brittle.
Keeping your hair clean with a decent shampoo is a must, but more importantly, your hair will benefit from deep conditioning.
Condition your hair two to three times every week to keep your hair moisturised to prevent hairs from breaking.
If you feel as if you need more help, then you may consider using something like Minoxidil or Rogaine mousse.
Rogaine will add moisture to your scalp together with vitamins and minerals needed to boost hair growth.
Eat healthily
We tend to reach for that extra boost in calories during the colder months to keep us warm. It is essential to eat a healthy diet and not overdo the sugary products that provide an instant hit of energy.
Your hair follicles need nutrients and vitamins to support growth, and anything less will see your hair fall increases.
Final thoughts
It is customary to shed more hair during the colder months and indeed from autumn to spring than during the warmer months. It’s a natural phenomenon, so we have to live with it.
It makes sense to keep your hair in the best shape possible so keep your hair moisturised with a good conditioner that suits your hair.
Eat a healthy diet to provide your hair follicles with the nutrients needed for hair growth.
When the spring arrives, your hair will start to regrow and replace the hairs that have shed naturally through the cooler months.
