
Winter is the season for dry skin and rough hands. And although it is hard to notice, the scalp is also prone to dryness at the same time as the air and skin dryness. Some people may feel that they lose more hair in winter, and it is true. Here, we will introduce the truth behind the common belief that “hair loss increases in winter,” as well as some countermeasures.
Why hair loss increases in winter?
People say that hair loss increases in winter, but in fact, it tends to increase from around September to November…in other words, from early fall to winter. Hair has a “hair cycle” that lasts an average of 4 to 6 years, in which hair begins to grow, stops growing, and eventually falls out.
Therefore, it is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day, but during the winter, it is considered reasonable to lose an additional 50 or so, or 100 to 150 hairs. In other words, there is no need to worry about increased hair loss during the cold, dry winter months, as it is inevitable to some extent, but the reasons for this are as follows.
body cold
Many women are aware of their sensitivity to cold, but the cold winter months are an especially serious time for the body to get cold. When the body is cold, blood vessels constrict and blood flow becomes poor. Blood circulation throughout the body…especially at the ends of the body becomes poor, but blood circulation to the scalp also becomes poor.
As a result, oxygen and nutrients are not sufficiently distributed, hair follicles become inactive, and hair loss is thought to increase.
Scalp problems due to dryness
Although the scalp is not as easily noticed as dry skin, it is safe to assume that if the skin feels dry, the scalp tends to be dry as well. A dry scalp can cause not only increased hair loss, but also scalp problems such as itching and dandruff.
Winter Hair Loss Prevention
Even though it is inevitable that hair loss will increase to some extent during the winter, if correct measures are not taken, the scalp environment will not improve and hair loss will increase even more. Since the causes of hair loss are as described above, the first step is to take measures to prevent body cooling.
To keep your body cool, use body warmers and warm clothing and items to get through the day. Wearing a knit hat to protect your scalp from the cold is also a good idea. Also, to promote stagnant blood flow, take a long bath at a lower temperature to stimulate blood circulation and warm the core of your body. Other recommended activities include massaging the scalp, yoga, jogging, and other simple exercises.
Next, as for measures to prevent dryness, while hair loss is increasing due to dryness, it is still fine if you think, “This is due to dryness,” but if you think, “Maybe I’m not using the right shampoo?” However, it is dangerous if you mistakenly interpret it as “maybe I am not using the right shampoo” or “I need to wash my hair more thoroughly to make it clean”.
Dry skin is already deficient in sebum secretion, but if you shampoo more frequently or wash more vigorously, you will end up in a vicious cycle of more and more dryness. In addition, there are cases where the scalp is sticky but dry… so please take measures while assessing the condition of your scalp.
In winter, when the amount of sweat is reduced, shampooing once every two days is sufficient, especially if you do not engage in strenuous exercise. Be careful not to deprive your scalp of too much sebum by over-washing.
However, if you are experiencing excessive hair loss even if you discount the fact that it is winter, there may be another cause. Please take a flexible approach by considering other angles, such as stress and hormonal imbalance.



