How Autumn Affects Your Skin and Hair: Expert Tips for Dryness and Seasonal Shedding

Autumn's falling leaves often get blamed for skin and hair woes, but does the season truly deserve the fault?

Seasonal shifts do influence skin health. As temperatures drop, air holds less moisture, leading to drier conditions. This hits those with naturally dry skin hardest, intensifying itchiness and potentially flaring eczema.

Read also: 'Get rid of your gray autumn complexion in 6 steps'

Lukewarm Showers for Soothing Relief

It's common for skin to itch more in fall, but simple changes can help.

• Opt for short showers with lukewarm water instead of hot.
• Choose shower oil over regular foam to better lock in hydration.
• Always apply a moisturizer post-shower; ask your pharmacist for one formulated to bind water molecules to skin.
• For intense itching, avoid scratching. Dress lighter, or apply menthol to cool affected areas.

Understanding Seasonal Hair Loss

Season changes can also prompt extra shedding. We each have about 100,000 hair follicles, each cycling through growth (around 800 days), rest (200 days), and renewal. Like animals shedding summer coats, humans may too.

This isn't usually concerning—normal daily loss averages 100 hairs, though it can spike to 300 one day and drop to 20 the next. Monitor if hair doesn't regrow after three months, appears suddenly thinner, or sheds excessively. Consider blood tests for vitamin deficiencies.