April 28, 2019

Can Stress Cause Hair Loss?

Yes.

Stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on your hair and hair follicles if left unchecked. It's astonishing to think that something aside from your hair care practices can cause your hair strands to weaken or contribute to bald patches emerging on your head. 

 

Of course, it’s important to note that bald spots or thinning hair do not happen overnight. There are a few tell-tale signs that may be present, but you are so bogged down by the weight of things that you may fail even to notice those strands are beginning to accumulate in your brush, comb or even on your pillow. 

What Kind of Stress Triggers Hair Loss?

You’re possibly wondering what it is you should be looking for as it pertains to the stress most likely to upset your precious hair follicles, but the fact of the matter is, there isn’t a single form of stress that experts can point to as being most likely to cause you to lose your hair.

Also, keep in mind that not all stress is mentally or emotionally driven. There are dozens of events that may disrupt any hair goals you might have including:

• Fitness regimen
• Poor eating habits
• Chronic illness
• Pregnancy
• Surgery
• Relationship troubles
• New medications

Be aware that these are just examples of situations that can trigger hair loss, but not every example above will necessarily cause your hair to shed.

Types of Stress Related Hair Loss

There are three types of stress-related hair loss you should know.

1. Telogen Effluvium occurs most frequently as a result of some form of physical stress that causes your hair to stop growing. After three to four months, your hair begins to fall out, creating unsightly patches.
2. Alopecia Acreata may occur as a result of your body’s immune system attacking your hair follicles and triggering hair fall.
3. Trichotillomania differs from the other types of stress-related hair loss in that it occurs because you are intentionally pulling out your hair in response to the stress.

Can Stress Hair Loss Be Reversed?

Don’t panic just yet. The good news is that stress caused by hair is not a permanent event.

It is widely reported that once you regain control of your stress, your hair woes should go away and those hair follicles should begin producing healthy hair once again.

How to Stop Stress Hair Loss

If you want to regain your hair length and volume, you will need to make some big moves to reverse this episode of hair problems due to stress. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Improve Your Diet. Eat a minimum of three healthy meals each day. This action will ensure that you are taking in the right amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals that support healthy hair growth.
2. Get Some Sleep. Your body needs sleep to function optimally. This statement is true for your hair health. Your body and scalp need time for reparations.
3. Avoid Excessive Hair Manipulation. If your hair does begin to shed, you may want to take a few precautions to decrease the amount of manipulation you subject your hair to - this means, combing with a solid wide tooth comb, not massaging your scalp as this only speeds up the removal of hair from your scalp(!) and avoid tension on the scalp, i.e. no tight hair styles!
4. Identify and Rectify the Source of Your Stress. Take steps to identify the source of your stress and confront it. You may very well have to make some tough decisions, but your hair is likely to thank you for it once it’s all said and done. There are a number of holistic therapies & techniques like EFT or meditation which will help you regain control, and you will :)

 

If your hair loss problems continue, talk with your doctor to rule out any potential undiagnosed medical issues you might have that may be contributing to your hair loss challenges & speak to a trichologist!

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