Seasonal hair loss

Abstract EN

Back ground : There are about 100,000 hair follicles in the scalp, which have the capacity of growing and re-growing hair several times in their life span.

Hair loss is a natural phenomenon.

Hair has to fall out, so that there is place for new healthy hair to grow.

Being mammals, we generally shed hair, during the onset of winter.

Seasonal hair loss has been observed in eight healthy women during spring.

Aim of the study : to assess the seasonality of hair loss.

Design : Prospective study of eight healthy women who complains of recurrent hair loss during spring time.

Patients and method : Eight patients with recurrent hair loss during spring season were observed for 12 months for possible seasonal pattern of scalp hair loss.

A careful examination of the patients was carried out including hair pull test, performed twice monthly for 12 months.

The test was done over different sites of the scalp including the top and the sides.

The hair is prepared by instructing the patients not to wash their hair 24 hours before test.

Results : telogen percentages by month of year showed an overall annual periodicity, manifested by a maximal proportion of telogen hair in April.

Conclusion : These results confirm the findings of former authors who have indicated seasonal changes in human hair growth, although the previous studies had shown a larger peak in July and a smaller peak in April, this study had shown a larger peak during April.

This may be due to difference in seaso,s lengths between Iraq and other countries.