We love fall. How can you not? The cool crisp air, sitting in front of the fire with the Halloween decks up, pumpkin carving cute patterns and we can't forget the warming taste of the famous Starbucks Spiced Pumpkin Latte! There are so many things to love about fall. But unfortunately, there's just one thing that we're not falling madly in love with.

Seasonal hair fall, no pun-kin intended. As the cooler weather makes a move and dominates its season, our hair and scalp may feel the effects of the weather too. From the drier and cooler air, we may expect seasonal hair loss and/or shedding.

Unlike other mammal species, many things are still yet to be proved in regards to the biological state of human beings. One of those sectors being hair. Many mammals have a vast amount of body hair and tend to shed in the summer to help with regulating their body temperature - for humans, it's not the same. 

“The exact cause of seasonal shedding is unclear, but studies show that seasonal loss affects more women than men and occurs most often during the fall months, like September and October, and sometimes in the spring, April and May.”

- Jeffery Paul's Hair & Scalp Specialists

Dr Emily Wise, a Massachusetts-based dermatologist explains how we can expect more hairs in telogen (also known as the resting phase of the hair follicle cycle) in July. There is a second (smaller) peak in April too. The retention of telogen hairs is greater in the warmer months and Dr Emily Wise explains why this could be:

“The thought here is that perhaps in the summer months, we hang on to more hair. Why? To provide increased protection from the sun. A few months after, when we begin shifting into late fall and early winter, those hairs that we held onto during summer will make a transition into the shed phase. This may result in a temporary increase in shedding compared to your baseline.” 

- The Belgravia Centre

With less daylight in the fall and winter months, less protection is needed from harsh UV rays and temperature. From this, we can suggest that the top environmental factors that may see seasonal hair shedding/loss include:

• Amount of daily daylight 
• The temperature

100 days after the peak, hairs in the telogen phase tend to fall out. This is where seasonal shedding becomes even more noticeable as after 100 days (give or take), people share their concerns with shedding toward the end of summer and into fall. It's not all doom and gloom though. This is a healthy process for your hair follicles and the lost hairs aren't necessarily lost forever. The process follows back onto the growth phase. Belgravia explains, "the reason for this isn't entirely clear." 

Although we can't change evolution and environmental factors to help banish seasonal shedding, we most definitely can build a healthy regimen for fall that focuses on protecting, strengthening and hydrating both your hair and scalp to help deter excessive hair fall. Here's 5 helpful tips starring our flora fall favourites.

1) Pre-poo more regularly

Now more than ever, it is so important to keep moisture in the scalp and the hair. You can ensure that you do not strip your hair and scalp of its natural oils by pre-pooing. 

(Pre-pooing is prepping your hair for a wash with an oil of your choice. We suggest trying out a sulfate-free oil to completely banish the risks of drying out your scalp and hair.)

You can pre-poo with our Coconut Mint Scalp Refresh Pre-Shampoo Oil to help retain moisture and hydration in the scalp and help soothe and dislodge build-up. Let your scalp say "ahh" again with this delicate blend of essential oils to help increase blood circulation to enthuse hair growth.

2) Hair and scalp hydration 

Keep dry, brittle curls at bay and consider investing in a plant-powered, sulfate, paraben and silicone-free cleanser to truly nourish your curls. Our most nourishing shampoo is the Rose Water Cream Shampoo. This will envelop your strands in a coat of curl-quenching raw-pressed botanicals derived from honey, oat silk, aloe vera, coconut and rose water. Pure hydration will be delivered. 

Another hydrating alternative is our Coconut Mint Scalp Refresh Shampoo. Although this shampoo is a great cleanser for those with poor scalp conditions, it's a reliable preventer of dry and flakey scalps. A healthy scalp means healthy hair - try and incorporate this in your regimen too. Perhaps every 2 weeks, give your scalp a refresh and revitalise its balance and integrity. 

Remember to ALWAYS follow up your wash day using a sulfate-free conditioner. Our favourite for hair hydration is the Rose Water Cream Conditioner.

3) Protect your curls

As one of the main causes of seasonal hair fall comes from environmental factors, it makes perfect sense to add a layer of protection to your curls. Our multi-tasking

Citrus Superfruit Radiance Oil is great to use to protect your curls from: 

• Harsh UV rays 
• The heat from blow dryers and straighteners
• Seawater 
• Chlorinated water

It instantly seals in moisture with the use of 10+ anti-oxidant rich oils, promotes growth due to Vitamin-C rich botanicals and even soothes dry and itchy scalp (and curl friends, that's not it.) Make sure you apply a little oil after styling to reap the benefits of this natural layer of protection.

4) Don't forget about protein

In these cooler months, it's necessary to add more hydrating products to the mix. But, we're not about ridding protein. Protein is so important to our hair. It strengthens, repairs and keeps your curls looking and feeling great. But, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. This is your main goal during the cooler season. 

Luckily, all of our products are fabulous for just that. Even our protein-infused stylers have a generous dose of hydrating properties too. A great trio to keep curls quenched with a balanced dose of each would be using the Rose Water Detangling Lotion ,Sweet Hibiscus Curl Activating Lotion and the Sweet Hibiscus Curl Defining Gel. Just don't forget to add that layer of protection afterwards with our Superfruit Hair Oil, right?!

5) Treat your scalp and hair weekly

Treat your scalp and hair weekly. Simple. You can do this by either deep conditioning, scalp massaging or making a hot oil treatment for your scalp and ends too. We highly suggest prioritising these treatments to help with seasonal hair fall. And we definitely encourage you to alternate between these treatments. For instance, week one could see you deep conditioning, where week two will see you scalp massaging - and so on. 

Deep conditioning treatment.

Remember, we're all about restoring, retaining and rejuvenating the hydration in our scalp and hair during fall and winter and this is how you do it:

1. After cleansing your curls, apply a generous amount of the Rose Water Cream Conditioner to your hair. Rake it through with your Gentle Curl Comb to distribute the product evenly.
2. Now section your hair and either twist, plait or tie-up.
3. Leave the hair for 15 - 30 minutes for a more intense treatment. Rinse once the time is up and reveal silky, hydrated curls from nature's finest ingredients.

The insulating properties of our shower cap help to open the hair cuticles to allow for deeper penetration of the product. This means your curls will receive a deeply nourishing treatment straight to the core of your curls. 

Hot oil treatment

It's time to put the multi-functional Citrus Superfruit Radiance Oil to yet another great use. 

1. Pump a few drops of the Citrus Superfruit Radiance Oil into a heat-safe container (you could use a mug). Place the mug of Citrus Superfruit Radiance Oil into a heat-safe bowl.
2. Now pour boiling water into the bowl and allow for the Superfruit Radiance Oil in the mug to sit to allow for it to warm up.
3. Leave the mug in the bowl of boiling water for 3 minutes.
4. When the time is up, apply the hot oil carefully to your scalp and the ends of your hair to help strengthen and protect your curls. Keep for a total of 10 - 15 minutes to complete this treatment. Once the time is up, you can then proceed to wash your hair as normal.

This is an excellent treatment for strengthening, protecting and adding radiance to your curls.

Scalp massage

Encourage blood circulation to your scalp for healthy hair growth with a very easy method starring our Scalp Refresh Massager. Simply make parts in the hair to target the scalp and apply even pressure to perform a therapeutic scalp massage. 

You may add the Citrus Superfruit Radiance Oil ,Coconut Mint Scalp Refresh Pre-Shampoo Oil or the Coconut Mint Scalp Refresh Mist to further encourage hair growth with a soothing sensation.

Tip: Alternate between these treatments weekly to ensure your hair and scalp are feeling the full nourishing effects. 

There's always a way to ensure the health of our hair, no matter the season. When we say we've got your scalp and curls covered with no harsh ingredients, just natural goodness, we mean it. Now, enjoy fall and take care of yourself and your curls!

Disclaimer: Although seasonal hair fall is extremely common you should always visit your GP to further help you understand the severity of your hair fall/loss.