Stress, and the spike in hormones it creates, is full of negative consequences for the human body. Most people are aware of the connection between stress and heart attacks, strokes, weight gain, and sleeping… but not everyone knows that too much stress can also cause hair loss.
Can Stress and Anxiety Cause Hair Loss?
Yes, stress not only can cause hair loss, it’s one of the top 5 causes of hair loss.
Mice do not have cortisol, the big stress hormone that humans produce. But when scientists studied the mouse equivalent in 2021, they found that it pushed their hair follicles in mice into the resting stage – but without re-growth.
Generally, when your hair is in the resting phase or telogen phase, that represents only about 10 percent of the hair on your head. Then, as the hair follicle begins a new growth, the old hair is forced out and lost. But when the hair is shunted into the telogen phase and no new growth is occurring, that hair loss may increase.
The increase may be due to breakage of the weaker older hair, or stress may trigger telogen effluvium or alopecia areata, breaking the normal cycle of hair growth. In some cases, stress and anxiety may even lead to a compulsive disorder called trichotillomania. When that happens, people are literally pulling their hair out. The disorder was first described in ancient Greece and is why we describe someone who over-stressed as “pulling their hair out.”
Can Stress Cause Hair Loss and Will It Grow Back?
The good news is that stress-induced hair loss can usually be stopped and reversed. The first step is to address the root causes: the stress. When you are concerned about hair loss due to stress, it can cause more stress. But it can be managed. The first step is to make sure you are eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of sleep. Giving your hair the basic nutrients it needs to grow is essential.
Stress and anxiety can also make it hard to sleep, but resting is an essential component in the road to recovery. Drinking plenty of water and practicing stress-reducing techniques, such as meditation or yoga, or even just getting more physical exercise, can help reduce the body’s cortisol levels and work toward stopping hair loss.
The therapists at Verywell Mind explain it this way, “You also may want to reach out to a therapist for support so you can avoid getting caught in a vicious loop where you stress out about losing your hair, and the stress makes the hair loss worse.”
Once the stress hair loss has stopped, or at least started to decline, topical treatments and hair regrowth medications may help restart the growth that was abnormally paused.
What Does Stress Hair Loss Look Like?
Unlike some types of hair loss which have a specific pattern, stress-related hair loss is often more diffuse. The hair loss is often spread out evenly across the scalp, much like normal hair loss. In fact, stress-related hair loss is normal hair loss, if you drastically increased the amount of hair you were losing.
In some cases, stress-related hair loss may lead to a widening of the part but – generally speaking – this type of hair loss is all over and not in a specific pattern. When you are suffering from stress-related hair loss, your hair may just seem like it is thinner overall, like there is less of it.
And stress-related hair loss takes a few months after the triggering event. If you experience a major stressful event today, it could be three or four months later that you notice the hair loss, leading many people to not see the connection at all.
When You Have Unexplained Hair Loss, Rothesay Laser & Hair Clinic Can Help Stop It
Here at Rothesay, we will help you find the cause of your hair loss and determine the proper treatment. Whether it is topical treatment, dietary changes or hair replacement surgery, our experts will work with you to find the source of your hair loss and the best solution. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.
