Does Hair Grow Faster in Summer or Winter Months?

 

Have you ever looked in the mirror during the summer and thought your hair looked longer than usual? Do you notice that your hair fall is more intense during the winter? If so, you may have asked yourself...does hair grow faster in summer or winter? And today, we'll take a deep look at this question to help you uncover the truth.

One of the most common hair myths we hear all the time is that the seasons play a role in our hair growth. But how true is it that the seasons affect our hair? Is summer hair growth and winter shedding a real phenomenon?

Today, we're going to get to the bottom of this myth and help you understand if there is some truth in these claims or if it's just another old wives tale. Let's not waste any more time - here's what you need to know about hair growth in winter vs summer months.

Does Hair Grow Faster in Summer or Winter Months?

Before we dive into the meat of our hair growth in winter vs summer discussion, you need to understand more about how our hair grows. Every hair on our body—whether on our scalp, face, arms, or legs—goes through a 4-stage hair growth cycle. There's the anagen phase, the catagen phase, the telogen or resting phase, and the exogen phase.

• Anagen Phase: At this phase of your hair growth, your hair follicles begin to grow new hairs. This is the growth phase of your hair and lasts about 3 to 5 years.

• Catagen Phase: Also known as the transition phase, where your hair follicles begin to shrink, and hair growth slows. Your hair detaches from the bottom of your hair follicle but still remains in place. This phase lasts for 10 days and makes way for the next phase.

• Telogen Phase: Or the resting phase. This is when your hair stops growing, but your hair doesn't fall out either. It just rests for about three months before moving on to the next phase.

• Exogen Phase: This is also considered as the shedding phase and is actually just an extended phase of the telogen phase. It happens for 2 to 5 months.

Most people aren't aware that the hair growth cycle doesn't occur simultaneously. The hair growth cycle is different for each hair follicle. That is why sometimes our hair grows out unevenly.

For the most part, it looks like it's growing evenly, but it really isn't. Otherwise, all your hair would fall out at the same time too.

Many factors can influence how our hair grows. Whether the seasons affect human hair growth is what we came to find out. But we can't just rely on hearsay to determine the truth, which is why we turned to research to see whether or not human hair growth is affected by the seasons like other mammals are. If you want to learn more about how fast black hair grows, we have a complete guide on the topic.

A Deeper Look at the Science Behind Hair Growth in Winter vs Summer

There are very limited studies on whether seasons actually affect how our hair grows. Luckily, there is one study that focused on the seasonal changes in human hair growth. Although the study only focused on 14 Caucasian males between the ages of 18 to 39, it's the closest we could get to a legitimate answer 1.

Based on this study we found that a large proportion of these men's scalp hair was at the anagen phase in March. Their hair started to fall out steadily through September, and their hair fall peaked around August and September where the least amounts of hair were in the anagen phase.

Right now, you're probably thinking that this does mean that our hair grows faster in the summer and sheds more in the winter—but don't jump to conclusions just yet.

This is just one preliminary study. More research needs to be done to really confirm that our hair grows faster in the summer and sheds more in the winter months.

So, Does Hair Grow Faster in Winter or Summer Months? The Verdict

So, does hair grow faster in winter or summer months - what's the verdict? After looking at all the evidence discussed above as it pertains to hair growth in winter vs summer, here's what we believe.

As of now, we really don't have a definitive answer—there's just too little evidence to claim that the summer hair growth phenomenon is true.

Warmer weather might affect our hair growth. Experts say it's probably caused by increased circulation due to heightened activity during warmer months.

Increased circulation means better oxygen flow, and better oxygen flow means more nutrients brought to your hair follicles.

But, the thing is, even if the summer season does increase our hair growth by a bit, there's no denying that hot weather can be just as damaging to our hair as cold weather. So why do so many people believe that their hair grows faster in summer weather?

Hair Loss Seasonality is all in Your Head!

Some experts explain that the reason why we think our hair is longer during the summer season is due to sun oxidation.

Because the sun lightens our hair the demarcation between the base of our hair and the scalp tends to be more apparent in the summer than in the winter months.

It's basically all an illusion! Thus, summer new hair growth and breakage in winter is another case of the mind playing tricks on us.

Tips for Healthy Hair Growth in Winter vs Summer Months - or Any Season for that Matter!

If you really care about hair growth, instead of focusing on which seasons make your hair grow faster and which causes more hair fall, try to focus on keeping your hair healthy during any season.

Here are some tried and tested tips that are sure to protect your hair during any season and help you achieve the long and healthy hair of your dreams:

• Eat Healthily: Our diets play a huge role in our hair growth. Unhealthy diets are known to cause higher levels of hair loss. We have a blog post on all the top foods that promote hair growth and health, so make sure to check that out.

• Trim Your Tips: Some people also think this is a myth, but trimming your tips actually does help. By getting rid of split ends your hair is less likely to get more damaged. You can learn about when to cut hair for growth in our blog.

• Quit Shampooing Every Day: Shampooing every day might feel like the right thing to do, but it isn't. It actually strips your scalp and your hair of all its natural oils leaving it dry and damaged. Learn more in our article addressing the question of how often should African Americans wash their hair. Moreover, you should consider the stuff in shampoo that causes hair loss. If your bottle has these ingredients, throw it out!

• Focus On Conditioning Instead: You should condition religiously. Leave-in conditioners are great for keeping hair healthy and for hair growth.

• Ditch The Heat: The more you expose your hair to heat the more damaged it can get, this not only pertains to the sun but to hair irons, curlers, and driers as well.

• Air Dry: We all love to wrap our hair up in a towel after a shower, but this actually damages our hair. Instead of squeezing your hair dry, opt to air dry your hair instead.

• Consider Supplements: If the food you're eating isn't enough for your hair, consider taking supplements.

• Try Essential Oils and Serums: Last but not least, essential oils and hair serums. These are a more natural route to hair growth that also helps protect your hair from getting dry during extreme weather—that goes for both summer and winter.

All these tips can be found in our complete guide to taking care of natural black hair with an African American hair routine for growth. If you want to know more about other the safety of hair growth products, we have an article on that too! And down below, we'll introduce you to the #1 solution to influence hair growth beyond warmer weather.

Does Hair Grow Faster in Summer or Winter? Wrapping Things Up

There you have it - all you need to know about hair growth in winter vs summer months. We hope this answered the question you came here with - does hair grow faster in summer or winter? While you may experience incrementally more hair fall - or even slow hair growth - during cold weather, there is really no definitive relationship between hair growth in winter vs summer.

By now you should know that when it comes to hair growth, you can't just leave it all to the seasons. Your hair needs a little more extra love than that. Treat your hair with Allurium Beauty's all-natural hair growth serum - the best hair growth product for African American women.

Our hair serum is packed with all the essential oils that have been proven to stimulate hair growth, such as peppermint oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, tea tree, horsetail, and so much more!

Its unique blend of organic herbs and natural vitamins not only boosts hair growth but keeps your hair healthy during any season. Plus it's especially effective on Black hair.

Once you've tried our serum, it'll be an essential part of your hair care routine. Hundreds of our customers have tried and fallen in love with our product—you sure will too! Don't delay any longer - slow hair growth or hair loss can become a thing of the past by heading over to our website to get yours today.