There’s a reason autumn is called fall: the trees drop their leaves, after all. For some, it’s more personal than that—their hair starts to shed, too. “Every autumn, patients in our practice complain more and more about hair loss,” reports Dr. Christian Merkel of Munich’s Skin and Laser Center at the Opera.
If you, too, have noticed more hair shedding than usual as the days become shorter, don’t stress: the number of hairs that fall out is often just a harmless part of the natural renewal process—just like the seasons themselves. “Hair grows in a fixed cycle,” says Merkel. “Growth over several years is called the anagen phase. Then the hair enters the catagen phase. Within a few weeks, the hairs detach from the scalp and eventually fall out. In the telogen phase, the roots recover before the cycle begins again.”
We lose around 100 to 200 hairs a day through this cycle, but in the fall, we tend to lose even more. “In evolutionary terms, our hair is part of our coat. Accordingly, there is also a shedding cycle,” says Merkel.
The best foods for preventing hair loss
“Nutritional deficiencies can also lead to hair loss,” says Arpa. What you eat is therefore crucial for full hair. To that end, the doctor recommends eating foods that are rich in iron, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, biotin, selenium and vitamin B5 for healthy hair growth. “Proteins and antioxidants also have benefits for the hair,” says the dermatologist. Below, a list of her favorite foods to eat for healthy hair:
Legume and egg dishes for protein
Nuts for omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E
Oatmeal for iron, zinc, and biotin
Salmon for omega-3 fatty acids
Apricots for vitamin B5
Tomatoes, blueberries, papaya, and pulses for antioxidants