It's an October morning. You're washing your hair and notice a suspiciously large clump in the drain. Then a few more strands on the brush, on the pillow, on the collar of your coat. Same shampoo, same diet, nothing unusual has happened. So why now?

For many women, autumn starts with exactly this question. In most cases the answer is a calm one: this is how the natural hair cycle works. Sometimes, though, there is something else behind the shedding, and it helps to know how to tell the two apart.

Every hair runs on its own schedule

A hair doesn't grow forever. For several years it grows actively (a phase called anagen), and then the follicle takes a break of about four months. This is the resting phase, or telogen. By the end of it, a new hair is already growing underneath and gradually pushes the old one out.

On a healthy scalp, around 85% of follicles are growing and around 15% are resting. That's why losing roughly 50 to 100 hairs a day is completely normal. Your hair is simply renewing itself.

Why autumn in particular

The balance between growing and resting hairs shifts over the year. Swiss dermatologists followed 823 healthy women over six years and found a clear rhythm: the largest share of hairs enters the resting phase in summer, a smaller second peak appears in spring, and the lowest point comes in late winter.

Here's the interesting part. A hair that "went to sleep" in July doesn't fall out right away, but a few months later. Hair specialists observe that visible shedding lags one to two months behind the resting-phase peak. Hence the clump in the drain in September and October. Science still can't fully explain why the body follows this calendar, but the pattern itself has been described in several studies.

Summer itself can add to it. Dermatologists list strong sun, long-haul flights across time zones, illness with fever, stress and crash diets among the triggers of increased shedding. If you dieted hard before your holiday and then spent two weeks under the southern sun, the autumn peak may be more noticeable than usual.

Three myths that add to the worry

"If my hair is falling out, it has stopped growing." With this kind of shedding it's the opposite: the old hair leaves because a new one is pushing it out. Dermatologists even describe it as a sign of regrowth. Sometimes you can spot a fringe of short new hairs along the hairline.

"Washing less means losing less." Hairs in the resting phase are ready to go, and shampoo doesn't decide their fate. Washing less often just collects them into one big clump that looks even more alarming. We covered how often to wash your hair in a separate article.

"Vigorous massage and extra brushing will wake up the roots." During a period of heavy shedding, dermatologists recommend the opposite: gentle handling, without over-vigorous brushing or strong massage. Light fingertip movements to spread a product are plenty.

When it's not just the season

Doctors distinguish between two different things. Excessive shedding (telogen effluvium) usually resolves on its own: it gradually eases, and within six to nine months hair tends to regain its usual fullness. Hair loss, on the other hand, happens when something stops hair from growing, and it often doesn't go away by itself.

It's worth booking an appointment with a dermatologist or trichologist if:

• the shedding doesn't settle by winter or gets heavier week by week;
• round bald patches appear;
• your parting is widening or the crown is noticeably thinner;
• your scalp itches, turns red, flakes or hurts;
• alongside the hair you notice fatigue, brittle nails or sudden weight changes.

A doctor can check your thyroid function and your levels of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. Sometimes a person has seasonal shedding and another cause at the same time, and only a specialist can untangle that. The earlier the cause is found, the easier it is to work with.

How to support your hair right now

Seasonal shedding doesn't need to be "treated", but you can get through it more calmly.

Be gentle with your lengths. Use a wide-tooth comb and start from the ends. For these months, set aside tight ponytails and braids: constant tension can lead to hair loss on its own.

Take a look at your plate. Hair growth needs protein, iron, and plenty of vegetables and fruit. A strict "post-holiday" diet in autumn only adds strain.

Look after your scalp. It's the same skin that has just been through sun, sweat and salt water, and heating season is around the corner. A calm, non-irritated scalp gives new hair the best conditions.

And give it time. Hair grows slowly, and any care routine is judged over months, not a week.

Ingredients worth looking for

Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps the skin produce ceramides, the lipids that hold in moisture and strengthen the protective barrier. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. On the scalp it isn't a hair growth treatment; it's a way to keep the skin calm and hydrated. It's especially useful if your scalp has become more sensitive or drier after summer.

Nicotinic acid esters (ethyl nicotinate, for example) temporarily widen small blood vessels and increase blood flow to the skin. That's why you may feel mild warmth, tingling or redness after applying them, which soon fades. In a small pilot study, other compounds from this group noticeably increased hair fullness in women with thinning hair over six months. It's an interesting signal, but not proof for every product with a similar ingredient. Don't apply these products to broken or inflamed skin, and if the burning doesn't fade, rinse it off.

Arginine is an amino acid the body uses to make nitric oxide, which matters for blood vessel tone. In scalp care it's used as a supporting ingredient, and it works better as part of a formula than on its own.

Zinc and plant antioxidants, such as green tea and larch extracts, round out a formula. Their job is to help the scalp stay balanced and cope with environmental stress.

This exact combination (niacinamide, arginine, zinc, ethyl nicotinate, green tea and larch extracts) is used in the scalp spray from the RAVI Vitality Line. The formula was clinically evaluated by the independent laboratory ISPE in Milan, and we explained how that test works in our article on clinical testing.

One last thing

An autumn clump in the drain is usually not a malfunction but a change of season inside your body. By winter the shedding tends to ease, and new hairs are already growing in place of the ones you lost. Be gentle with them, look after your scalp, and don't hesitate to see a doctor if something doesn't follow the usual pattern. We cannot stop the calendar, but we can meet it prepared.