Monsoon started early this year! And it definitely brings some relief from India’s regular scorching heat. But the solution to this heat is brought about with humidity. And we all know what that means for our hair – itchy scalp, oily hair, increased dandruff, all leading to excessive hair fall in monsoon. So when the air is literally thick with humidity, how do we protect our hair from it? How do we shield our hair from weather changes that we can’t run from? We’ve curated this guide of monsoon hair care tips to help you protect your hair during the rains.
What Does Monsoon Do To Your Hair?
The rains themselves aren’t really the villain – it’s the increased humidity content in the air during monsoon that affects our hair. When there’s a large number of hydrogen atoms in the air, it makes the air thick with moisture content, called humidity. There’s a little bit of interesting science behind why our hair is so deeply affected during the rainy season.
The chemical component of our hair is incredibly sensitive to hydrogen. Normally, our hair does need moisture to sustain its health. But the way that airborne water molecules interact with our hair strands is uncontrolled and hurtful for our hair. When our hair absorbs the moisture in the air, the water molecules stick to our hair strands by creating hydrogen bonds. This causes each strand to swell. Now imagine, every one of your hair strands absorbing moisture at different levels and swelling up – this is what results in frizz! Or if you have thin and fine hair, the moisture in the air might even be too heavy for your hair to handle, causing flat hair.
Basically, the atmospheric changes during monsoon can alter our hair’s natural shape and quality. Our hair is the first to know when there’s an increased humidity level – you’ll see it in abrupt changes to your hair texture like oiliness, flat hair, frizzy hair, etc.
Why Does Our Hair Fall During Monsoon
Even with everything good the rainy season brings, no one wants to deal with all hair problems it causes. The moment the rains hit, it seems like our good hair days go on vacation. Hair fall in monsoon has almost become a seasonal ritual, but there’s actually more to it than just bad weather luck. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes (or rather, under the scalp) that leads to hair loss in monsoon.
1. Loss of Natural Oils: Excessive humidity strips our scalp of its natural oils and nutrients content. Without these natural oils, our roots become weak and dry.
2. Scalp Infections: The combination of moisture in the air and sweat because of humidity can damage our scalp health. It can create bacterial infections, leading to dandruff or an itchy scalp.
3. Tangled Hair: Swelling of the hair strands because of frizz, and the chemicals of rainwater, both can make our hair unruly and tangled. This makes our hair brittle and more prone to falling.
4. Dangers of Heat Styling: Since our hair becomes frizzy and difficult to manage during monsoon, many people turn to heat styling or excessive products to maintain their hair.
This can also have detrimental effects on our hair, weakening the hair strands and follicles.
All these effects on the hair ultimately damage the health and strength of our hair, leading to hair fall.
Monsoon Hair Care Tips Against Humidity
The main culprit of hair problems and hair loss in monsoon is humidity. So how can we safeguard our hair from humidity and keep our hair frizz-free this monsoon? Try our monsoon hair care tips to rain-proof your hair this season:
1. Switch to Microfiber Towel: We may undermine the quality of the thing we use to dry our hair – but that’s actually an important anti-frizz tool! Rough abrasive towels create friction and poof up the hair, leading to frizz. A microfiber towel or t-shirt is a better option to drying your hair to minimise frizz. Also, don’t rub – gently pat down your hair to remove excess moisture, or wrap your hair.
2. Keep the Heat Off Your Hair: While heat styling seems like the most efficient way to manage your hair in the monsoon, it actually does more harm than good. Hair dryers, flat irons, and curling wands can damage hair especially in humid weathers, adding to the frizz rather than reducing it.
3. Use the Right Products: Invest in products that suit your hair type and needs. Oil your hair regularly and incorporate a leave-in conditioner or cream to your hair routine. Choose shampoos and conditioners created specifically for your hair type – straight, wavy, curly. All have different needs and characteristics that these products are made to cater to. So listen to your hair and opt for products that know how to care for it.
4. Sleep on Silk: Our regular cotton pillowcases can aggravate frizz. Replace them with silk covers and see how it impacts your hair. Silk is softer and gentler on the hair, while retaining our hair’s natural moisture.
Maybe by combating humidity, we can learn how to prevent hair fall in rainy season, coming one step closer to reducing our hair loss in monsoon and nourishing healthy strong hair.
Monsoon Hair Fall Protection
We know how weather, humidity, and scalp health can create various hair problems. Shielding our hair against humidity is one way to combat excessive hair fall in monsoon. But to say goodbye to the seasonal loss of hair more successfully, we need to get to the bottom (or roots!) of the issue.
1. Wash Out the Rain: One of the most important hair care tips for rainy season is to keep that rain water out of your hair. The acidity of rain water is harmful for scalp health, leading to dandruff or itchiness. Wash your hair whenever it comes into heavy contact with rain to make sure rain water isn’t trapped in your hair.
2. Keep Your Hair Dry: Our hair is weakest when it’s wet – so make sure to keep your scalp and hair dry during monsoons. Use umbrellas or hats when caught in the rain, pat off excess water after washing your hair, and let it air-dry (avoid the heat!). Also don’t tie your hair while it’s wet, as this causes breakage, leading to hair fall.
3. The “Minus-One” Hair Wash Rule: A study has come up with this rule of washing your hair a day (or precisely 24 hours) before you’re usually supposed to, according to your regular hair wash routine. This means, if you normally wash your hair every three days, you should wash your hair every two days during the monsoons to reduce hair fall.
4. Feed Your Hair Right: Your diet directly impacts your hair strength and health. The protein keratin is mostly responsible for our hair health, and biotins are keratin-boosters. Beans, nuts and seeds, eggs, lean meats are good sources of both keratin and biotins.
Lysine is an amino acid that stimulates collagen production and calcium absorption to maintain hair health. Dal, beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, poultry, and shellfish provide lysine to the body. And iron is essential for carrying oxygen to our hair follicles; which we can get from leafy greens.
Final Thoughts
Hair fall during monsoon might feel inevitable, but with the right care and consistency, it doesn’t have to be. By understanding what your hair goes through and making a few mindful changes, you can stay one step ahead of seasonal hair problems. So the next time, you’ll already know how to prevent hair fall in rainy season, and your hair will thank you for it.
FAQs
Q1. Is it normal to lose hair in monsoon?
Yes, it’s completely normal to lose hair during monsoon, or if your hair is falling more than usual. The increased humidity levels weaken our hair in many ways – right from the scalp to each individual strand. The breakage and weak hair follicles caused by this will lead to more hair loss in the monsoon.
Q2. How much hair fall is normal in monsoon?
While usually we lose about 50-100 hair strands a day, the increased humidity and change in weather in monsoon can make us lose around 200-250 hair strands a day. This stark increase is startling, but there are ways to combat the humidity and prevent hair fall – mainly, protect your hair from rain, wash out rain water from your hair, and use the right products to maintain your hair health.
Q3. How to stop hair fall in monsoon?
To reduce hair fall in monsoon, keep your scalp and hair clean (especially from rain water), invest in the right hair care products (like conditioners and hair masks), incorporate oiling into your routine, and avoid heat styling. Also follow a healthy diet to nourish and strengthen your hair from the inside out.
Q4. How to control frizz in monsoon?
To control frizz in monsoon and humid weather, focus on protecting your hair’s natural moisture. Use hats or umbrellas in the rain, use hydrating products that suit your hair type, and avoid heat styling.