Trichologist Reading: Is Your Autumn Hair Shedding Normal?
A brush full of hair this September? Here is how to tell a normal autumn shed from a real reason to get help.
If you are searching for a trichologist Reading and Berkshire residents can see because more hair is landing on your brush this September, you are most likely seeing the normal autumn shed. Studies that follow the same scalps through the year find more resting hairs in summer, and those hairs fall a few months later. The NHS says losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. See your GP first if shedding comes in handfuls, leaves patches, or has not eased by late winter.
Key takeaways
- Studies find the share of resting hairs peaks in summer or early autumn, so extra hair on the brush in September and October is usually the normal growth cycle.
- The studies disagree on timing: a French study of men put the peak at the end of summer and start of autumn, while a Swiss study of 823 women put it in summer, with a smaller spring rise.
- The NHS says 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, and the British Association of Dermatologists says 30 to 150.
- Seasonal shedding is spread evenly over the scalp. Bald patches, a sore or scaly scalp, short broken hairs or a widening parting point to something else.
- See your GP first if shedding is heavy, comes with other symptoms, or runs past late winter. A trichologist Reading residents can visit privately helps most once blood tests are normal.
Is autumn hair shedding normal, or a sign of something else?
Autumn hair shedding is normal for most people, because studies that follow the same scalps through the year find more follicles resting in summer and early autumn, and each resting hair is released a few months later, so a heavier shed in September and October is usually the growth cycle doing its ordinary job.
The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) explains the mechanics. Around 85% of scalp follicles are growing at any moment and around 15% are resting. A resting follicle stops growing, rests for two to four months, and then the new hair forming underneath pushes the old one out. A rise in resting hairs during the summer therefore shows up as extra hair in the plughole later in the year.
This page focuses on one question: when a seasonal shed deserves a GP or a trichologist. For the fuller science, including what summer, winter and spring each do to your hair, read our explainer on which season hair falls most, and why.
Do the studies agree on when seasonal shedding peaks?
The studies agree that human hair follows a yearly rhythm, but they disagree on exactly when the peak falls: a long French study of men placed it at the end of summer and start of autumn, a Swiss study of women placed it in summer with a smaller spring rise, and a Chilean study confirmed a summer high.
| Study | Who was followed | What was measured | When resting hairs peaked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courtois and colleagues, British Journal of Dermatology, 1996 (France) | 10 men, with or without thinning, followed for 8 to 14 years | Repeated photographs of one fixed patch on the crown | End of summer and start of autumn; some men showed two peaks a year |
| Kunz and colleagues, Dermatology, 2009 (Zurich) | 823 otherwise healthy women who reported hair loss, over 6 years | Trichograms, where a small sample of hairs is examined under a microscope | Summer, with a smaller second peak in spring; lowest in late winter |
| Kahn and colleagues, Revista Médica de Chile, 2009 (Chile) | 514 trichograms from normal scalps, taken between 1998 and 2008 | Share of resting (telogen) hairs by season | Summer: 20% resting against 16% in winter (a Southern Hemisphere summer, December to February) |
The disagreement has simple explanations. Ten men is a tiny sample, the Zurich women had all come to a university dermatology department complaining of hair loss, and all three studies counted resting hairs rather than hairs in the plughole, so the visible shed trails each peak by the two to four months a resting hair stays put. Courtois and colleagues also linked the rhythm to sunshine hours, which vary with latitude, so a Berkshire autumn may not match a Swiss or Chilean one exactly.
Did it happen last autumn too?
A shed that returns around the same time each year and then eases fits the seasonal pattern. If you cannot remember, start now: a dated photo of your parting in the same light each week, plus a note of any illness, new medicine or crash diet.
How many hairs a day is normal during an autumn shed?
Normal daily shedding is between 50 and 100 hairs according to the NHS, often without you noticing, and because experts quote different ranges, the most useful test during an autumn shed is a clear change from your own usual amount rather than hitting any exact number of hairs. Shedding is only half the picture, and our Aylesbury guide to how fast hair grows explains how long to wait before judging any new routine.
The NHS says 50 to 100 a day, DermNet says up to about 100, and the BAD says most people lose between 30 and 150. Wash days skew any count too: the BAD notes that extra hair is most noticeable after washing or brushing, since loose resting hairs collect and come out together. If most of the hairs you find are on your pillow in the morning, our Slough guide to overnight shedding and breakage explains how to tell the two apart. If you rely on dry shampoo between washes, our Woking guide to dry shampoo build-up and an itchy scalp explains why more hair can collect on wash day. If you want a record you can compare week to week, our Basingstoke guide to tracking hair changes at home sets out an 8 to 12 week log of photos, shed counts and scalp notes.
Signs that your shed sits within the normal seasonal range:
- Whole hairs with a bulb. Each hair is full length with a small pale bulb at the root. StatPearls notes that a white bulb identifies a resting hair.
- Even spread. The extra hair comes from all over the scalp, and your parting looks the same in dated photos.
For a wider look at what counts as too much and what you can change at home, see our guide on hair shedding causes and what genuinely helps.
How do you tell seasonal shedding from telogen effluvium, hair loss and breakage?
Seasonal shedding, telogen effluvium, hair loss and hair breakage can all leave hair on your brush, but they are different: seasonal shedding is a modest yearly rise in resting hairs, telogen effluvium is a much larger wave set off by a trigger, hair loss means follicles are changing, and breakage is the fibre snapping.
In the Chilean study the resting share moved from 16% in winter to 20% in summer, whereas DermNet notes that in telogen effluvium a shock can push as many as 70% of growing hairs into rest. DermNet lists illness with fever, surgery, psychological stress, rapid weight loss, iron deficiency and certain medicines among the triggers, with extra hair fall noticed two to four months later.
| Sign | Seasonal shedding | Telogen effluvium | Hair loss | Breakage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you find | Full length hairs with a pale bulb, a little more than usual | Full length hairs with a pale bulb, often in handfuls | Finer, shorter hairs over time, or smooth patches | Short pieces with blunt or split ends and no bulb |
| Timing | Late summer and autumn, often similar each year | Sudden, two to four months after a trigger | Gradual over months or years, or sudden patches | Builds with heat, colour and tension |
| Where | All over the scalp | All over the scalp | Parting, crown, temples or round patches | Lengths, ends and where hair is tied |
| Usual course | Eases through winter | Shedding phase of three to six months (BAD) | Needs assessment, often long term | Improves once the routine changes |
| First step | Gentle routine and a dated photo record | GP blood tests if heavy or lasting | GP, then specialist assessment | Kinder styling and regular conditioning |
The categories overlap. The BAD notes that telogen effluvium and pattern hair loss sometimes appear around the same time, and that a heavy shed can bring pattern thinning to light earlier. If your parting looks wider in this autumn's photos than it did in spring, that deserves a proper look rather than a wait for winter. For every trigger in detail, read what causes telogen effluvium and how recovery unfolds.
How long does seasonal shedding usually last?
Seasonal shedding usually builds through late summer and autumn and then eases, and the Zurich study of 823 women found resting-hair rates were at their lowest in late winter, so a shed that is still heavy by the end of winter no longer fits the seasonal pattern well and deserves a closer look.
No study gives a precise length for a seasonal shed, so be wary of anyone quoting an exact number of weeks. The firmer benchmarks come from telogen effluvium: the BAD says its shedding phase lasts three to six months and counts it as chronic beyond six months, while StatPearls defines the acute form as shedding lasting less than six months.
- September to November. Extra hair on the brush and in the shower is common. Keep taking dated photos.
- December to February. The seasonal shed should be easing, since resting-hair rates in the Zurich data bottomed out in late winter.
- Still heavy after about three months, or getting worse. Book in with your GP rather than waiting for spring.
- Beyond six months. The BAD's line for chronic telogen effluvium, which calls for a GP review and, if needed, NHS dermatology.
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When should autumn shedding send you to a GP first?
Autumn shedding should send you to a GP first when it comes in handfuls, shows smooth bald patches, or arrives with a sore, red or scaly scalp, or with symptoms such as unusual tiredness, breathlessness or feeling cold, because those point to a cause beyond the normal seasonal cycle.
The NHS lists tiredness, shortness of breath and paler than usual skin among iron deficiency anaemia symptoms, with more hair coming out when brushing or washing as a less common one. For an underactive thyroid it lists feeling cold, weight gain, dry hair or hair loss, and irregular or heavy periods.
Common first checks are a full blood count for anaemia, ferritin for iron stores, and thyroid function, and the BAD notes that a blood test can rule out thyroid conditions and iron deficiency. StatPearls warns that a normal ferritin does not rule out iron deficiency, because inflammation can raise it.
Do not wait for the season to pass if you notice
Smooth round bald patches; broken hairs with an itchy, scaly scalp; shiny, scarred skin where hair used to grow; pain, burning or weeping on the scalp; or shedding alongside feeling unwell. Speak to your own GP promptly, who can refer you to NHS dermatology if needed.
When does a trichologist Reading residents can visit add something your GP cannot?
A trichologist Reading residents can visit privately adds most once your GP's blood tests are normal but you still cannot tell whether this autumn's shed is seasonal, the tail of a telogen effluvium or early pattern thinning, because a trichologist can examine the scalp under magnification and track changes over several months.
Expect a detailed history, a close look at your scalp and collected hairs, and possibly a gentle pull test. StatPearls notes that during active telogen effluvium a gentle pull removes at least four hairs each time, but may come back normal once the shed has passed. A trichologist can also look for short new hairs near the scalp as shedding eases, or finer hairs at the parting that suggest pattern thinning.
A trichologist is not a doctor and cannot manage a medical condition, so a reputable one will send you back to your GP when something needs it. Check registration: the Institute of Trichologists runs a Find a Trichologist register, and the Trichological Society is the other main professional body. Whether you choose a trichologist Reading has locally or one in London, ask what the fee covers before you book. Our Sheffield guide to which hair checks are free and which are worth paying for helps you weigh a private fee against free NHS options.
Take your seasonal record with you
Bring dated photos of your parting, the date the extra shedding started, whether it happened last autumn, any illness, new medicine or diet change beforehand, and your blood results. StatPearls places the usual trigger for telogen effluvium about three months before shedding starts, with a range of one to six months.
How should you care for your hair through an autumn shed?
Caring for your hair through an autumn shed means washing as normal, conditioning every time and cutting out anything that adds breakage on top of the shedding, following British Association of Dermatologists advice to avoid harsh brushing, limit heated tools, avoid bleaching and relaxing, and limit tight hairstyles. Once the heating goes on, the same gentle habits carry over, and our Worcester guide to static, dry and brittle winter hair covers central heating, knitwear and hot showers.
- Keep washing. Washing only releases hairs that were already resting.
- Detangle from the ends up. Use a wide tooth comb on conditioned hair, so strands separate rather than snap.
- Go easy on heat. Let hair air dry most of the way and save straighteners for occasions.
- Loosen your styles. Swap tight bands for soft scrunchies and vary where you tie your hair.
- Eat well. The BAD advises a balanced diet.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I see a trichologist Reading residents can visit for autumn shedding?
Not usually straight away. A modest, even autumn shed is normal. See your GP first if shedding is heavy, patchy or comes with other symptoms, or has not eased by late winter. A registered trichologist is most useful once blood tests are normal and you want your scalp examined and tracked over time.
Why does my hair fall out more in autumn?
Studies following the same people through the year find more follicles resting in summer and early autumn. A resting hair stays in place for two to four months before the new hair beneath pushes it out, according to the British Association of Dermatologists, so the extra hair tends to appear on your brush in autumn.
How many hairs a day is normal?
The NHS says losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, often without noticing. DermNet says up to about 100 and the British Association of Dermatologists 30 to 150. Wash days make counts jump, so compare dated photos of your parting and watch for a clear change from your usual amount.
How long does seasonal hair shedding last?
No study gives an exact length. In a Zurich study of 823 women, resting-hair rates were lowest in late winter, so a seasonal shed should ease through the winter months. Shedding that is still heavy after about three months, or lasts beyond six, is worth a review with your GP.
Does washing my hair make autumn shedding worse?
No. Washing releases hairs that were already in their resting phase, and those hairs would otherwise come out on your brush or pillow. Skipping washes just means more hair arrives in one go, which feels alarming. Keep washing with a mild shampoo and condition every time to reduce breakage.
What blood tests might my GP suggest?
A full blood count, ferritin for iron stores and thyroid function are common starting points, as low iron and an underactive thyroid can both cause shedding. StatPearls notes that a normal ferritin does not rule out iron deficiency, because inflammation can raise it, so talk the results through with your GP.
Sources & references
- NHS, Hair loss
- NHS, Iron deficiency anaemia
- NHS, Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- British Association of Dermatologists, Telogen effluvium
- DermNet, Telogen effluvium (hair shedding)
- StatPearls, Telogen Effluvium (NCBI Bookshelf)
- Courtois M et al. Periodicity in the growth and shedding of hair. Br J Dermatol, 1996
- Kunz M, Seifert B, Trüeb RM. Seasonality of hair shedding in healthy women complaining of hair loss. Dermatology, 2009
- Kahn Ch M et al. Seasonal variation of trichogram in Chilean subjects. Rev Med Chil, 2009
- The Institute of Trichologists
- The Trichological Society
What is the bottom line on trichologist Reading?
Extra hair on your brush in September and October is usually the normal seasonal shed: studies find resting hairs peak in summer or early autumn, although they disagree on the exact timing. Keep your routine gentle, keep a dated photo record, and give it until late winter to ease. See your GP first if shedding is heavy, patchy, painful or comes with other symptoms, and consider a registered trichologist Reading residents can visit once your blood tests are normal but the shedding carries on.
While the seasonal shed runs its course, keep wash day kind with a sulfate-free hair growth shampoo such as Grow Me, made with biotin, caffeine and rosemary to help hair look and feel fuller.
Watermans products are 100% cosmetic and do not treat medical hair loss. Individual results may vary.
