Does cold temperature affect hair growth?

Now temperatures have plummeted, most of us are avoiding venturing outside as much as possible, coupled with cranking up the central heating indoors and piling on the layers. But what is all this doing to our hair? Does a change in the weather really affect hair growth? Read on to learn about about hair loss during winter...

Do we experience more hair fall in winter?

While many other mammals grow thick fur coats in the winter, which they shed in the summer (anyone who’s ever owned a cat will know this all too well), the received wisdom is that for us humans, the opposite is true – making us unique as a species (having opposable thumbs is quite nifty too!).

But while many people think that the colder weather makes us lose our hair – this is technically a myth.  A six-year study found that actually we shed the least amount of hair in winter. So we’re similar to many of our furry friends in that respect – in fact, during the winter our bodies go into a similar ‘hibernation’ mode, producing more melatonin (the sleep hormone), which also regulates hair production.

But don’t get too smug. The above information accepted, there are indirect ways that we can lose more hair in the winter, which goes hand-in-hand with the changes in lifestyle it entails. For example if we happen to feel lower during the winter months – coupled with the stress of Christmas and tax season in January – the increase in ‘stress hormone’ cortisol can have a knock-on effect when it comes to hair loss. (Read more about it here.) 

Plus the cold, harsh weather and moisture-zapping central heating can result in a dry scalp – which can lead to irritation and flakiness, both of which are big factors in hair loss. Winter hats can also cause friction on the hair and scalp, causing the hair shaft to break or uproot altogether.

Combating Winter Hair Loss

One solution to keeping both your scalp and hair happy and hydrated during the colder months is with MONPURE’s Winter Healing & Hydration Gift Set. This trio of products work to replenish parched, dry scalp-skin and keep frizzy, brittle strands nourished and soft. Our Strengthening Silk Protein Shampoo and Essence-Conditioner are ultra gentle (with zero sulphates), both starring vegan silk peptides that work to fortify fragile strands and repair any damage and dehydration in the process. The aromatic scent is also very ‘wintery’ too – and will fill your bathroom with a pleasant herbal fug.

The jewel in the crown is our Hydrate and Soothe Scalp Serum that will calm and quench dry, red scalp-skin without feeling heavy or greasy, thanks to anti-inflammatory witch hazel and aloe vera. And our Style and Protect Scrunchie Trio is made from 100% pure silk, which is so, so much gentler on your hair than your traditional ‘rip-it-out-by-the-root’ hair bands.

It also makes the perfect gift (or treat-to-self). Plus 15% of profits go directly to The Little Princess Trust, a charity giving hair and hope to children suffering from hair loss due to illness such as cancer treatment.

Click here to find out more and shop. 

You may have noticed the gift set’s jazzy packaging – it’s a limited edition design by artist Shira Barzilay. Read our Q&A with her here.

Between 50 and 100 hairs fall out of your head each and every day. Run the numbers and that's about 30,000 hairs a year literally down the drain. But don't worry—while your plumbing surely notices, chances are your online dating pic doesn't. You have a whopping 100,000 hair follicles on that scalp of yours, and they're in a constant cycle of growth, rest, and release that can last anywhere from two to six years.

So aside from genetics, what makes your head to shed faster than usual? Common causes are stress, the foods you eat, and the season—but maybe not for the reason you think.

Fortunately for the months ahead, the rumor that scalps get drafty in the winter is flat-out false. In fact, one six-year study from the University Hospital of Zrich shows that people actually lose the least amount of hair in the winter.

A growing body of research suggests this might be a leftover evolutionary adaptation. (Just think how thick Fido's fur gets in the winter.) For instance, melatonin, notorious for making you drowsy during the dark days of winter, actually helps regulate hair cycles, spurring longer, and warmer winter coats in mammals—opposable-thumb-wielding species included.

Still, there are a few cold-weather caveats to consider. Dry scalps are unhealthy, and grow brittle, breakable hair, which excessive friction—like pulling on and off a too-tight hat—can snap or uproot altogether. (In fact, according to research published in the International Journal of Dermatology, caps are a significant contributor of hair loss among nurses.)

Instead of covering your head with an endless array of hats (they only create cowlicks, anyway), treat your hair right with products that are designed to protect your scalp and strands from dry weather and even dryer indoor heat. This winter, forget about having good-hair days and start focusing on having a good-hair season.

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