Other than male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness, people might also lose their locks with the turn of seasons, cautions hair restoration specialist Dr Robert Leonard.

Known as ‘seasonal hair shedding’, this type of hair loss is not progressive, meaning that you don’t have to press the panic button, assures the medic.

According to Dr Leonard, seasonal hair loss occurs mostly in mid-summer and winter and lasts for a couple of months. It can be worse during the coldest months compared to summer, he notes.

Explaining the reasons behind the seasonal balding, the Rhode Island-based doctor says the phenomenon can be likened to the shedding of fur by animals in specific times of the year.

Another theory, which is validated by a study, posits that exposure to sunlight in the months of April and May causes an inflammatory reaction in the hair follicles, leading to changes in a person’s hair profile (shed or regrowth) in 90-120 days’ time, notes the specialist.

While the condition is not an alarming one, medical consultation is recommended should the shedding continue beyond two months or at an increasing rate, Dr Leonard advises, reminding people that losing on an average 100 or more threads of hair every day could be a warning sign for male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness.

The expert from New England reiterates the importance of hair loss treatment early into balding, saying that many don’t even realise they are losing their scalp hair until half of it is gone.