You reach for your brush and pause. There's more hair than usual. You check the shower drain. Yep, definitely more than yesterday. Sound familiar? Every autumn, we hear the same thing from customers, and honestly, some of us on the Icon Haircare & Beauty team have been there too. The good news: it's almost certainly not something to panic about.
Autumn shedding is real, it's common, and it has a name. Here's what's actually going on, and what you can do about it with the right products.
So Why Does Hair Shed More in Autumn?
Hair goes through natural growth cycles. Growing, resting, then shedding to make way for new growth. In summer, more hairs tend to stay in their growth phase (researchers believe this may be the body's way of providing extra UV protection). When the season shifts, those hairs enter the resting and shedding phase all at once, which is why you'll often notice a sudden uptick in hair fall around March and April here in New Zealand.
Add to that the shift from humidity to dryer indoor air as we start heating our homes, and you've got a scalp that needs a bit more attention than it did in January.
The key thing to understand: this is shedding, not hair loss. Shedding is part of your hair's natural renewal cycle. For most people, it settles down within 6–8 weeks.
What Autumn Shedding Actually Looks Like
Typical seasonal shedding is:
• Diffuse - spread evenly across the scalp, not in patches
• Temporary - it eases up as your hair cycle rebalances
• Normal volume - most people shed 50–100 hairs a day; in autumn this can increase but shouldn't feel dramatic
If you're seeing significant thinning, patchy loss, or shedding that doesn't ease after a couple of months, it's worth talking to your GP.
What You Can Do: A Practical Autumn Routine
This is where we can help. Rather than just waiting it out, a few targeted changes to your haircare routine can support your scalp health and make a real difference to how your hair looks and feels through the season.
1. Start With Your Scalp. It's the Foundation
Think of your scalp the way you think of your skin. If the foundation isn't healthy, what grows from it won't be either. Autumn is a great time to add a dedicated scalp treatment or switch to a range designed specifically for hair health and density.
We recommend: The Brelil Professional range is one we genuinely rate. The Hair Express and Anti Hair Loss lines are formulated to actively support the hair growth cycle. They work on the follicle level, not just the surface. If you've been looking for something more targeted than a regular shampoo, this is where we'd point you.
2. Add Some Strength Back In
Autumn hair is often more prone to breakage alongside the shedding - drier air, more indoor heating, and the cumulative effects of a summer of sun and salt all take a toll. A strengthening treatment that focuses on hair health from root to tip is worth adding in right now.
We recommend: The Angel en Provence Rosemary Hair Activating range is one of our quiet favourites. Rosemary has strong research behind it as an ingredient that supports scalp circulation and hair health, and this range combines it beautifully with a formula that doesn't weigh hair down.
3. Don't Neglect Your Thickness
One of the things that makes seasonal shedding feel worse than it is, is that hair can look and feel flat and thin even when the shedding itself is normal. A volumising and thickening routine helps you maintain the appearance of fullness while your hair cycle does its thing.
We recommend: Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening range is our go-to here. It's energising for the scalp, has a genuinely lovely sensory experience to use, and the thickening effect is noticeable without any stiff or sticky residue. We also love the Paul Mitchell Anti-Thinning Scalp Care range for anyone wanting a more targeted approach alongside their regular wash routine.
A Simple Autumn Hair Health Routine
You don't need to overhaul everything. Here's a simple approach that covers the bases:
• Wash with a strengthening or anti-thinning shampoo (Brelil Anti Hair Loss or Paul Mitchell Anti-Thinning)
• Follow with a conditioner from the same range, consistency matters
• Once or twice a week: use a scalp treatment or serum (Brelil Hair Express serum applied directly to the scalp works well here)
• Weekly: try a nourishing hair mask with the Angel Rosemary range to keep lengths strong
• Be gentle. Reduce heat styling where you can, and use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair
The Bottom Line
Autumn hair shedding is one of those things that looks worse than it is. A bit of extra attention to your scalp, some targeted products, and some patience, and your hair will be back to full strength before winter sets in.
If you're not sure where to start, feel free to reach out to us at info@iconhairandbeauty.nz. With over 50 years of combined experience in hair and beauty, helping you find the right products is genuinely what we love to do.
Browse our full haircare range at Icon Haircare & Beauty, every brand we carry has been tried, tested, and genuinely approved by our team.
