The Telogen Truth: The Hair-Cycle Phase Behind Your Autumn Shed

The Autumn Drain Scare: Why Now?

As the leaves turn and the temperature drops, many women notice a startling change in their morning routine: more hair in the shower drain and a brush that fills up twice as fast as it did in July. If you are experiencing this right now, you aren’t alone. This is not a random occurrence of bad luck; it is a documented biological shift known as seasonal shedding.

To understand why this happens, we have to look past the hair itself and dive into the clockwork of the human hair follicle. While it can feel like your hair is “falling out,” it is actually just making room for a new cycle. The secret lies in a phase called Telogen, and understanding it is the first step to calming the autumn hair-loss anxiety.

The 3 Phases of Hair Life: A Quick Refresher

Every single hair on your head is at a different stage of its life. On a normal day, about 90% of your hair is growing, while the rest is resting.

• Anagen (The Growth Phase): This is the active stage where hair is physically attached to the blood supply. It lasts anywhere from two to seven years.
• Catagen (The Transition Phase): A short, two-week window where the hair follicle shrinks and detaches from the root.
• Telogen (The Resting/Shedding Phase): The hair sits in the follicle like a “club” for about three months before finally falling out to allow a new Anagen hair to grow in its place.

Why Autumn Triggers the “Great Shed”

So, why does the Telogen phase seem to peak in October and November? Science points to three primary evolutionary and biological reasons:

1. The Summer Protection Theory

Research suggests that humans keep more hair in the Anagen (growth) phase during the summer months. Biologically, this provides an extra layer of protection for the scalp against intense UV radiation. Once the sun’s intensity fades in the fall, the body no longer feels the need to hold onto that extra “sunshield,” and those hairs simultaneously enter the resting phase.

2. The 100-Day Biological Lag

There is a significant “lag time” in hair biology. A hair that enters the Telogen phase usually stays in the scalp for about 100 days before it actually sheds. This means the hair you are losing in November likely stopped growing back in July or August, triggered by the peak summer heat and light changes.

3. The Mammalian Instinct

While humans don’t have thick winter coats, we are still mammals. Our bodies are programmed to respond to circadian rhythms and seasonal light shifts. As daylight hours decrease, our hormonal balance shifts, which can nudge a higher percentage of hairs into the shedding phase at once.

Just as your hair follows a seasonal rhythm, your skin operates on its own internal schedule. While autumn may be the time for shedding, it is also a season where your skin’s resilience fluctuates. Understanding the best time to introduce high-performance ingredients during your monthly cycle can help you maintain a radiant complexion even when your hair density feels lower than usual.

Seasonal Shedding vs. Chronic Thinning

It is crucial to distinguish between a temporary seasonal shift and a more serious condition like Telogen Effluvium (stress-induced loss) or female pattern thinning.

How to Support Your Strands During Telogen

While you cannot stop a biological cycle that has already begun, you can ensure that the new hair growing in is as strong as possible.

1. Scalp Stimulation & Circulation

A healthy scalp is the foundation for hair quality. Using a Scalp Health-focused routine that includes gentle massage can help increase blood flow to the follicles, encouraging the next Anagen (growth) phase to begin more robustly.

Managing the environment of your follicles is essential during this high-shed period. Often, a simple adjustment in how you cleanse can make the difference between a clogged, sluggish scalp and a healthy one. You can learn from one woman’s journey to transforming her scalp health by making a strategic change to her washing routine—a method that supports the emergence of new Anagen hairs.

2. The Nutritional Safety Net

During a shed, your body needs extra building blocks. Ensure your Supplements or diet are rich in Iron, Vitamin D, and Biotin. According to the Cleveland Clinic, nutritional deficiencies are the most common reason a temporary seasonal shed turns into a long-term problem.

3. Low-Friction Care

When a hair is in the Telogen phase, it is only loosely held in the follicle. This is the time to avoid high-tension hairstyles (like tight ponytails) and excessive heat. Using a high-quality Hair Mask can improve the elasticity of the remaining hair, preventing breakage that makes thinning look worse.

Expert Insight

Anabel Kingsley, a world-renowned Trichologist and President of the Philip Kingsley clinics, has explained this phenomenon in various hair-health publications:

“Research shows that we actually have the most hair in the resting (telogen) phase in July, and these hairs usually fall out 100 days later, in October and November. It is a completely natural evolutionary throwback, and while it is alarming, it is usually no cause for concern as the hair will grow back.”

Conclusion: Respecting the Cycle

Seeing extra hair in the drain can be emotional, but in the autumn, it is usually just a sign that your body is in sync with the world around it. By focusing on a Minimal Routine that nourishes the scalp and managing your internal Stress & Health, you can navigate this transition with confidence.

Have you noticed more shedding this month? Does your hair follow a seasonal pattern? Share your thoughts or memories in the comments below!

If you’re trying a new routine to strengthen your hair this fall, show us your progress using #sylvaia_com on social media!