Hair Fall in Monsoon: Shedding, Damp Scalp and What Helps
Hair fall in monsoon is usually one of three things: hair snapping from frizz and rough towelling, normal seasonal shedding (often set off by a summer fever two or three months earlier), or a scalp that stays damp and flares up with dandruff or itch. Each has a different fix, and most of it is timing: when you wash, when you oil, and how dry the scalp is before you tie it up. If you searched “barish mein baal girna”, start by working out which of the three you have.
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A comb full of hair in August is frightening. It is also, very often, not what it looks like. Below is how to tell the three apart at home, a humid-weather routine, and the signs that mean a doctor should look.
Which kind of monsoon hair fall do you have?
Pick up a few fallen hairs from your pillow or comb and look at one end of each. A hair that fell from the root has a tiny white or pale bulb at the tip, like a pinhead. A hair that snapped has no bulb, just a blunt or frayed end, and it is often shorter than the rest of your hair.
| Type | What you see | Usual cause |
|---|---|---|
| Breakage | Short pieces, no bulb, frizzy ends | Frizz, rough towel, tight bands on wet hair |
| Shedding | Full-length hairs with a white bulb, all over | Fever, illness, stress or a crash diet 2 to 3 months before |
| Scalp flare | Itch, flakes, smell, sore bumps | Scalp damp for hours, oil left on, sweat |
Plenty of people have two at once. That’s normal in barsaat, and the routine further down covers all three.
Why hair sheds a few months after a summer fever
Every hair grows for a few years, rests, and then falls out so a new one can take its place. Most of us lose somewhere around 50 to 100 hairs a day this way without noticing. A shock to the body, such as dengue, typhoid, a bad viral fever, heatstroke, surgery, childbirth or a sudden very low-calorie diet, can push many hairs into the resting phase at the same time.
Here’s the catch. They don’t fall out then. They fall out about two to three months later. So a fever in June or July shows up as shedding in September or October, just when everyone blames the rain. Doctors call this telogen effluvium. It usually slows down within about six months, and the hair grows back, though it takes months more to reach its old length. You’ll see short new hairs along the hairline first.
Our article on telogen effluvium and iron goes deeper into the causes a blood test can pick up.
A quick hair-pull check you can do at home
This is a rough guide, not a diagnosis, but it helps you decide whether shedding is still active.
- Don’t wash your hair for 24 hours before the check, so loose hairs haven’t already been rinsed out.
- Take a small bunch of hair, roughly 50 to 60 strands (about the thickness of a pencil), between your thumb and first two fingers, close to the scalp.
- Slide your fingers firmly but gently along the hair to the ends. Don’t yank.
- Count the hairs that come away. Repeat in three or four places: top, both sides, back.
- One to three hairs each time is ordinary. Around six or more from each spot, again and again, suggests active shedding worth mentioning to a doctor, especially if it’s been going on longer than three months.
Wash day always looks worse. Hairs that were already loose collect over two or three days and come out together in the shower. Count across the week, not on one wash.
A hair routine for 90 percent humidity
The main goal in monsoon is a scalp that is clean and dry most of the day, and hair lengths that are handled gently while wet.
- Wash every 2 to 3 days, or every day if your scalp sweats a lot or itches. Shampoo the scalp only, massaging with fingertips for about a minute. Let the lather run down the lengths; don’t scrub them.
- Condition the lengths, from ear level down, for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep conditioner off the scalp.
- Press water out, don’t rub. Squeeze with a cotton T-shirt or soft towel. Rubbing wet hair in a rough towel is a common cause of monsoon breakage and frizz.
- Dry the scalp, not just the ends. Part your hair in sections and use a fan or a hair dryer on the cool or warm setting, held about 15 cm away, until the roots feel dry. In humid air, hair left to dry by itself can stay damp at the roots for hours.
- Tie up only when dry, and loosely, with a soft scrunchie rather than a tight rubber band. Wet hair stretches and snaps more easily.
- Caught in the rain? Rinse your hair with clean tap water when you get home, since city rain picks up dust and grime on the way down, then dry the scalp. There’s no need to shampoo again every time.
If you get fine white or grey flakes and a waxy feel after a week of this, the problem may be product buildup rather than dandruff. The difference, and which shampoo fits which, is in our buildup vs dandruff guide. Frizz on its own is covered in the monsoon frizz swaps.
Should you oil your hair in the monsoon?
Yes, if you like it, but change the timing. Oil left on overnight in 90 percent humidity sits on a warm, sweaty scalp for eight to ten hours, collecting dust and giving the yeast linked to dandruff more to feed on. Many people find their itch and flakes get worse that way.
A better habit for these months: warm 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut, mustard or sesame oil, work it mainly into the lengths and ends (a little on the scalp is fine if it’s not flaky), leave it for 30 to 60 minutes, then wash. The oil still coats and softens the hair shaft, which helps against breakage. It just doesn’t camp on your scalp all night.
Weekly champi with warm oil is a deep household tradition across Pakistan and India, and Ayurvedic ritucharya (seasonal routine) has long advised lighter habits in the rainy season. The massage feels good and oil does protect lengths. What it can’t do is stop shedding caused by a fever, low iron or hormones. The claims around onion juice and special oils are weighed in our hair fall home remedies article.
When monsoon hair fall needs a doctor
Most seasonal shedding settles by itself. Some patterns don’t, and they’re worth a proper look rather than another bottle of oil.
You see round or patchy bald spots; your scalp is painful, burning, or has pus-filled bumps; there is a scaly patch with broken hairs (especially in a child, which can be a fungal infection that needs prescription treatment); shedding carries on beyond three months, or your parting or crown is clearly widening; or hair fall comes with tiredness, breathlessness, heavy or long periods, feeling cold, or weight change. A doctor may check ferritin (iron stores), thyroid and a blood count. Please don’t start iron or other tablets on a guess, because too much iron is harmful too.
A dermatologist is the right person for scalp and patch problems; a GP can start the blood tests. More guides like this sit in our Hair Care section.
Monsoon hair fall questions
Why does hair fall more in the monsoon?
Mostly three reasons: frizzy hair breaks more when handled roughly, a damp scalp is prone to dandruff and itch, and shedding from a fever or stress in early summer shows up two to three months later, which lands in the rainy season.
Is barish mein baal girna normal?
Some extra shedding and breakage is common in the rainy months and usually settles within a few months. Patches, scalp pain or shedding lasting more than three months are not normal and need a doctor.
How many hairs a day is normal to lose?
Roughly 50 to 100 hairs a day is commonly quoted as normal. Wash days look heavier because loose hairs from the past two or three days come out at once.
Does rainwater cause hair fall?
Rainwater itself doesn’t make hair fall out. City rain can carry dust and grime, and hair left wet for hours breaks more easily, so rinse with clean water and dry your scalp when you get in.
How often should I wash my hair in the monsoon?
Every 2 to 3 days suits most people, and daily is fine if your scalp sweats or itches. Use a mild shampoo on the scalp and conditioner on the lengths.
Can I oil my hair overnight in the monsoon?
You can, but many people with flakes or itch do better with 30 to 60 minutes before washing. Overnight oil on a warm, damp scalp can make dandruff worse.
Can dengue or typhoid cause hair fall?
Yes. A high fever or serious illness can trigger shedding that starts about two to three months later. It usually settles within about six months and the hair grows back.
Should I get my iron and thyroid checked for hair fall?
If shedding lasts more than three months, or comes with tiredness, heavy periods or weight change, ask a doctor about ferritin, thyroid and a blood count. Don’t take iron tablets without a test.
Is it bad to tie wet hair?
Yes, especially tightly. Wet hair stretches and snaps more easily, and a tied-up damp scalp stays wet for hours. Let the roots dry, then use a soft, loose tie.
Will hair grow back after monsoon hair fall?
Hair lost to seasonal shedding or a fever usually grows back over the following months. Hair lost to scarring conditions or long-term tight pulling may not, which is why patches and pain need early attention.