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Can Anxiety Cause Hair Loss

Stress And Hair Loss: Is Stress Hair Loss Reversible

Can Stress Cause Hair Loss? | Hair Loss Expert Dr. Phipps

Yes, stress hair loss is, in most instances, reversible. That is, the hair loss is temporary and the hair grows back. However, the hair loss can occur in cycles with the affected person experiencing periods of excessive hair loss, regrowth, then the return of excessive hair loss.

Other things to keep in mind

  • Stress-induced hair loss is usually seen about three months after the stressful event that leads to it. This also means youll have to wait a few months for the stress effects to wear off and for you to begin seeing regrowth of hair. So, patience is necessary.
  • While the hair loss is sudden and excessive, regrowth is much slower. Earlier, we mentioned half an inch per month as the average hair growth rate. Your hair growth may actually be as little as a quarter of an inch per month. So, patience is REALLY necessary.
  • There are both prescription and OTC medications that can encourage regrowth of lost hair. Ask your doctor about them if you have any concerns about your hair loss.
  • You can encourage regrowth of strong, healthy hair by nourishing your follicles from the inside and outside. We have some useful links for you at the end of the article!

Also Check: What Is Female Pattern Hair Loss

Why Does Hair Loss Happen

Hair loss occurs when your normal hair growth pattern is interrupted. This can happen for a variety of reasons everything from genetics, to various illnesses and, you guessed it anxiety.

On average, healthy hair grows at a rate of 0.35 mm per day this adds up to about a half an inch a month, or six inches a year.

And speaking of hair growth, there are three phrases to the hair growth cycle. At any given time, your hair is in one of these three phases:

  • The anagen phase

  • The telogen phase

The anagen phase, or growth phase, lasts two to six years. At any given time, between 85 percent and 90 percent of hair follicles are in this phase.

After this, the hair transitions to the catagen phase, also known as the regression phase. In this phase, the hair has reached its maximum growth and is preparing to transition into the telogen phase.

Its a quick one, generally lasting around three to six weeks.

The resting, or telogen, phase lasts about three to five months. After this phase, the scalp sheds dead or inactive hair. Ten percent of your hair is in this phase at any given time.

That means that some hair loss every day is expected. Cest la vie and whatnot.

About 100 hairs a day are typically shed, more so with shampooing or other hair-care practices.

Hair Loss Due To Stress Will It Grow Back

The good news is that hair loss induced by stress is mostly temporary, and the hair tends to grow back once the stress levels are under control. The correct treatment options, combined with relaxation techniques and a healthy, balanced diet, are the best way to address stress and get it under control. This will not only impact your overall well-being but will also help grow your hair back!

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Simple Tips To Help Stop And Prevent Anxiety Attacks

The escalation of fear about having another anxiety attack is often the catalyst that brings on more attacks. Heres some recommendations to help calm sufferers and assist them in preventing anxiety attacks that lead to hair loss.

  • Relax your body as much as you can.
  • Calm yourself down. This will bring an end to the anxiety attack in time.
  • Go for a walk. Leisure walking often will cut back the anxiety.
  • In and of themselves, anxiety attacks arent harmful. They are merely strong reactions to chronic stress, fear and worry.
  • Remember, these attacks always end. The faster you calm yourself, the quicker theyll end.
  • Reduce stress, increase rest and give your body time to calm down.
  • The more relaxed you are, the less likely of a repeat attack.
  • Stop scaring yourself with worry. Worry is the number one cause of anxiety attacks.
  • Keep your stress in a normal range to prevent more involuntary attacks.
  • Reduce your sensitivity and reactivity to imagined dangers.

Can Anxiety Cause Hair Loss Yes There Are Some Specific Hair Loss Conditions That Anxiety Can Set Off:

Hair Loss and Stress in Women
  • Telogen Effluvium

Telogen Effluvium is a form of hair loss and happens when the number of hair follicles changes. The amount of follicles that are making hair starts to drop leading to thinning of the hair. This shows itself as hairl loss on the top of the head more than the back or sides of the head.

  • Reduction of important nutrients or what we call key nutrients

High stress can deplete the body of important minerals and nutrients. This in turn can give a host of physical symptoms. When our whole body starts to combat this the supplies important for hair growth can be exhaousted.

  • Alopecia Areata

This is a bit frightening and is a condition when clumps of hair suddenly may fall off. Often causing even more stress. The hair can grow back although continued high levels of stress will make the hairl loss to continue.

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Ways To Relieve Emotional Stress

While you cant always control the stressors that come in your life, you can control how you react and deal with that stress. Here are a few ways you can work on resolving existing emotional stress while also making you more resilient to future stressors.

Consistent and Frequent Exercise

Antidepressants arent the only way you can deal with depression. One of the best ways to make yourself feel better is through consistent exercise. You dont have to start by running a marathon every day, but simple movements for as short as 10 or 15 minutes a day can help improve your neurochemistry and relieve stress.

Meditation

The goal of meditation is to calm your mind from all of the stress you feel. Rather than letting your mind run wild, meditation gives it a time and place to unwind and take a well-deserved break.

Taking a few minutes at the start of your day, or whenever you start to feel stress, can be enough to counteract the stress thats causing your hair loss.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Many people carry stress in their muscles. When theyre stressed, their neck or backs start to seize and contract to create painful knots. Progressive muscle relaxation is a way for you to release that muscle tension. As you relax your body, your mind will follow, and you will start to feel less emotional stress.

Visualization

Eating a Healthy Diet

Getting Enough Sleep

Setting Boundaries

Social Support

Self-Care

How Can The Original Lasercap Help You

In many cases, hair loss due to stress is not permanent. No matter what the cause of your hair loss may be, losing your hair can be an emotional struggle. Fortunately, there are many treatment options to help you feel like yourself again! Some treatment solutions slow hair loss or regrow hair, helping you achieve the hair you deserve. As technology advances, there are more treatment options available than ever!

The original LaserCap uses Low-Level Laser Therapy , a modern non-surgical hair loss treatment that uses laser light to stimulate cell growth and re-energize inactive hair follicles. Advantages of LLLT for hair loss include:

Safe and natural Natural, drug free with no serious adverse side effects.

VersatileThe LaserCap works for almost all hair loss patients and in combination with all other treatments for hair loss.

ConvenientDo you have a busy lifestyle? Then LaserCap is for you! The LaserCap is portable and easy to use. Just insert LaserCap into your favorite hat, place it on your head, and turn it on for 30 minutes every other day.

With LaserCap, and LaserCapRx Tri-Therapy you can slow, stop, or reverse your hair loss, combining our advanced LaserCap technology with prescription medications for hair regrowth and nutritional supplements to support optimal hair health. Start your online consultation today!

Read Also: What Should I Do To Prevent Hair Loss

Can Phenobarbital Cause Hair Loss In Dogs

In contrast to the lethargic effects phenobarbital can sometimes have on a dog, they can also experience the other end of the spectrum, presenting as restless and hyperexcitable. Dogs that appear to be high strung, pace a lot, pant for no discernible reason, whine or otherwise vocalize, or exhibit other signs of restless or excited behavior may be related to phenobarbital.

How Stress And Anxiety Can Lead To Hair Loss

Stress can cause hair loss: Here’s what you can do to stop it

Stress can sometimes be a positive presence, motivating and creating the impetus to reach a target or a goal.

However, too much stress can lead to anxiety and this is a far less desirable emotion, causing not just psychological effects but also physical manifestations too.

One such symptom is hair loss we take a closer look at how stress and anxiety can lead to this.

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How Can You Stop Or Slow Down Stress

The first step seems obvious: relieve yourself from stress. But of course, thats easier said than done. Dr. Chiu recommends yoga, meditation, lavender aromatherapy, drinking chamomile tea before bedtime, and practicing self-care to help to slow down your stress brain waves. Dr. Kogan agrees, saying that combining lifestyle changes with nutritional shifts can be helpful in reducing stress both inside and out. She suggests taking ashwagandha, a botanical that has been clinically shown to help balance stress hormones and build resilience in chronically stressed adults. Additionally, Dr. Kogan suggests avoiding strict diets or cleanses during a particularly stressful time since they could be additional stressors on the body.

Symptoms & Signs Of Thinning Hair

  • A visible scalp as your hair is transparent.
  • Appearance of thinner spots and weaker shafts on your head.
  • Hair is more fragile, shorter and brittle.
  • Hair is less in density, volume, thickness and weight.
  • Hair starts to lose its colour.
  • Mild growth of dandruff starts showing up.
  • Few people notice curly hair on the scalp.

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Youre Getting Too Much Vitamin A

Overdoing vitamin A-containing supplements or medications can trigger hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Just FYI: The Daily Value for vitamin A is 5,000 International Units per day for adults and kids over age 4 supplements can contain 2,500 to 10,000 IU. So any more than that and you could risk some strands falling out.

The good news: This is also a reversible cause of hair loss, and once the excess vitamin A is halted, hair should start growing normally again.

Anxiety And Hair Loss Thinning Balding Bald Spots:

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Common anxiety related hair loss descriptions:

  • You notice your hair is thinning
  • You notice your hair is falling out in clumps
  • You notice you are getting some bald spots
  • It seems your hair is falling out and/or thinning more than normal
  • It seems you are going bald
  • It looks like you are losing hair on your head and/or other spots on the body
  • You notice there is more hair in your comb, brush, or in the tub or shower
  • You fear you are going bald because of your anxiety
  • You also notice an increase in the amount of hair coming out when you comb or brush your hair, when washing or rubbing your skin, or that you are pulling out clumps of hair at a time

You can experience hair loss on one area of the head only, many areas of the head, and the entire head. You can experience hair loss on any other part of the body, as well.

Hair loss can come and go rarely, occur frequently, or persist indefinitely. For example, you may experience hair loss, thinning, and balding once in a while and not that often, experience it off and on, or experience hair loss all the time.

Hair loss may precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety sensations and symptoms, or occur by itself.

Hair loss can precede, accompany, or follow an episode of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and elevated stress, or occur “out of the blue” and for no apparent reason.

Hair loss can range in intensity from slight, to moderate, to severe. For example, hair loss can be mildly, moderately, or greatly noticeable.

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Anxiety/stress Conditions That Lead To Hair Loss

  • Telogen effluvium This condition is a common cause of temporary hair loss. More hairs than normal prepare to fall out. Anxiety/stress can direct the follicles into a resting phase, and they dont produce new hair strands. Over time, hair falls out more easily, even if youre just washing, combing or brushing as you usually do. Also, this condition can be caused by poor nutrition and changes in hormone levels.
  • Trichotillomania This condition becomes real as a person literally pulls out his hair when anxious, stressed or tense. This psychological condition materializes when a person deals with negative emotions by pulling out hair from his scalp, face and other parts of the body. Hair pulling can be a way of dealing with negative or uncomfortable feelings, such as stress, tension, loneliness, boredom or frustration. Its most commonly seen in teenage girls.
  • Alopecia areata When your bodys immune system attacks your hair follicles, it can provoke your hair to fall out. It can cause the hair to thin or create bald spots as well. Hair can regrow over time, but possibly fall out again. Genetics may play a role, but there is no exact conclusion. It might be time to think about shaving your head.

Doctors say its highly likely that persons with mild hair loss caused by anxiety are suffering from telogen effluvium. If anxiety and stress are brought under control, then your hair can rebound.

Can Anxiety Make Your Hair Fall Out

Anxiety itself does not directly cause hair loss. Instead, it is the stressful situations that those with anxiety encounter that can cause the hair to fall out. The amount that falls out depends on the severity of the stress and frequency of the interactions.

Anxiety is the bodys reaction to stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. Though everyone feels anxious occasionally, those who suffer from anxiety disorders suffer such distress that it interferes with their ability to lead a normal life.

As with other emotionally stressful situations, anxiety can trigger telogen effluvium or alopecia areata which will ultimately cause hair loss.

If you think you are suffering from hair loss as a result of emotional stress, it is best to consult your doctor. Your doctor may refer to you to a counsellor or therapist, to address the underlying cause of the emotional stress which should help prevent any further hair loss, as well as allow the hair to regrow through the resolution of the source of emotional stress.

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