The autumn hair shed is real – here’s what you can actually do about it

Few things are quite as alarming as washing your hair and noticing what feels like a clump of it coming out as you shampoo. But, if you’ve noticed it happening recently, there could be a surprisingly simple explanation: autumn.

Seasonal hair shedding is a real phenomenon. “Seasonal shedding can occur from late August through to October,” says trichologist Tiffany Hall. “Hair growth follows a seasonal rhythm. The leading theory points to daylight. Longer, brighter days over summer appear to prolong the resting – or telogen – phase in a portion of our hair follicles. This is known as delayed telogen release.”

As the days get shorter, those resting hairs can then be released at a similar time. “It’s a normal, cyclical pattern,” says Hall. And while that might provide some reassurance, there’s an important caveat: not every increase in shedding that happens in October can automatically be blamed on the season.

Before getting into what might help, it’s useful to distinguish between increased shedding and other forms of hair loss. Seasonal shedding relates to more hairs moving through the natural hair-growth cycle and falling out around the same time. If that’s what’s happening, Hall says it is usually temporary, with things generally settling back to normal by December or January.

But increased shedding can have lots of other causes. “Hair can shed for lots of reasons, including stress, low iron, thyroid disease, medications, weight loss and illness,” says Hall.

There’s also telogen effluvium: a form of excessive shedding that can occur after the body experiences a trigger. “Triggered shedding can occur following illness, a high fever, major stress, crash dieting, rapid weight loss, GLP-1 medication or childbirth,” says Hall.

Confusingly, you might not connect the two events because the hair doesn’t necessarily start falling immediately. “Shedding also has a delay, meaning the trigger may have occurred 12 weeks before the hair starts falling,” she adds. That makes figuring out why you’re shedding a lot more useful than simply buying a product labelled for thinning hair.

If what you’re experiencing is seasonal shedding, you may not need to ‘stop’ it at all. It’s simply part of the hair cycle and should eventually settle. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. Hall says some scalp serums containing ingredients such as caffeine or aminexil may help reduce the amount of hair being shed when the cause is seasonal. But she stresses that a serum isn’t a universal solution.

“It’s more complex than simply saying yes or no, because it depends on what’s causing the shedding in the first place. If the shedding isn’t seasonal and is being triggered by something else, a serum alone isn’t necessarily going to help.” In other words, think of topical products as potential additions to a routine rather than an alternative to figuring out what’s going on.

One thing that’s easy to overlook when you’re concentrating on the strands coming out is the skin underneath them. “Inflammation around the hair follicle or an underlying scalp condition that you may not even be aware of could be contributing to the shedding,” says Hall. “This is why I always emphasise that an itchy scalp alongside increased hair shedding shouldn’t be ignored.”

If your scalp is also flaky, itchy or irritated, this is where a targeted medicated shampoo may be useful, not because shampoo can magically regrow hair but because treating the underlying scalp problem matters.

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If you want to add a leave-on treatment, now is the time – as there are some really interesting new launches and technology out there. I’ve been using the new K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum, £110, for almost two months now. Let’s get the obvious bit out of the way: £110 for a scalp serum is a serious investment. It’s applied nightly, and one bottle is designed to last around a month, so this isn’t a casual addition to your Boots basket.

But it’s one I’ve been particularly interested in testing as the research behind the launch is seriously impressive. K18 developed the serum to target shedding, greying and scalp health, and its 12-week clinical study reported reduced hair fall across participants, alongside improvements in density and the scalp barrier. The brand also reports that 70% of participants showed fewer grey hairs after three months.

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Hair supplements are another area where it’s easy to spend a lot of money without knowing whether you actually need what’s inside them. “Low iron is one of the possible causes of increased hair shedding,” says Hall. “However, it’s important to understand what’s causing the shedding before deciding how to address it.”

In other words, taking iron because you’ve noticed more hair in your shower isn’t a good idea unless a deficiency has actually been identified. A trichology assessment can include blood tests where appropriate, and your GP can investigate potential nutritional or medical causes too.

More broadly, hair is made primarily from keratin, a protein, so getting adequate protein as part of an overall balanced diet matters. If you’re struggling to meet your protein needs through food alone, a protein powder can simply be a convenient way to supplement your diet – but it shouldn’t be sold as a treatment for shedding.

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There’s one final distinction worth making: sometimes what looks like increased shedding isn’t all coming from the root. Bleaching, frequent heat styling, tight hairstyles and general mechanical damage can cause strands to snap, which can leave hair looking thinner even though the hair-growth cycle itself isn’t necessarily the problem.

Take a look at the hairs you’re finding – a full-length strand that has naturally shed is different from shorter broken pieces. If breakage is contributing, reducing heat, being gentler when detangling and using conditioning or bond-supporting treatments can help protect the hair you already have.

It’s not quite as exciting as discovering a miracle bottle that switches hair fall off overnight, but hair shedding is one of those concerns where understanding the cause really does matter more than building an elaborate product routine.

For most people experiencing genuine seasonal shedding, Hall says things should settle as winter arrives. But there are circumstances where it’s worth getting professional advice rather than waiting it out.

“If shedding lasts longer than three months, you’re noticing visible thinning or more scalp showing through, or you experience itching, flaking or soreness alongside the shedding, it’s worth having a proper assessment,” she says.

A trichologist can examine the hair and scalp closely, which Hall says may include trichoscope analysis to assess things such as density, while blood tests can sometimes help identify an underlying cause.

So, yes: that extra hair appearing in your brush this October really could just be the autumn shed. But if something doesn’t feel right, don’t assume the season is responsible, and don’t feel as though you need to work your way through every serum, shampoo and supplement promising fuller hair before asking someone to take a proper look.