How To Prevent Hair Loss From Stress
Stress and accumulated tension can trigger several emotional signs and symptoms that are pretty notorious, such as bad humor, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, etc., but also some physical ones like hair loss or nervous alopecia. This generally happens because the hair bulb weakens when we are suffering from stress and anxiety. Therefore, hair falls excessively. In this OneHowTo article, we help you prevent this situation showing you the measures you should take to prevent hair loss from stress and strengthen your hair quickly. Take note!
Nervous alopecia has general hair loss as a main symptom, this means hair falls in the same amount around the scalp, not locally. Therefore, what you will usually notice is a significant decrease of hair density and a diffuse loss of hair that happens during periods of stress or psychic tension.
This, generally, is a temporary condition and when you get over this stressful period or emotional crisis, your hair will grow back normally after a few weeks all by itself and will be as full of life and strength as it used to be. If the hair doesn’t grow again, it will be necessary to go to a specialist to start the most adequate treatment.
On the other hand, to have a calm and relaxed life you can use some methods we describe below:
To prevent hair loss the first thing to consider is the tool with which you comb every day it is advisable to use a soft-bristled comb to avoid pulling your hair. It is best if the comb is made of natural fibers.
How Hormone Imbalance Leads To Thinning Hair
Women have 40% fewer androgen receptors than men do. So, while female hair thinning patterns tend to be different from menâs, DHT can still cause hair to grow thinner and less densely.
Women have 40% fewer androgen receptors than men do. So, while female hair thinning patterns tend to be different from menâs, DHT can still cause hair to grow thinner and less densely.
Women often see changes in their hairline or a widening part. You may also experience acne, unwanted facial hair growth, or irregular periods.
DHT is an androgen hormone thatâs responsible for the development of male traits. Women have a much lower level of it than men, but DHT can become elevated in women due to triggers like stress, glucose metabolism, and hormonal changes in motherhood. Itâs also produced in the scalp and causes the hair follicle to slowly shrink and eventually close entirely so that hair can no longer grow back. DHT sensitivity can also be caused by aging, smoking, medications, poor diet, and environmental toxins.
Saw Palmetto, Pumpkin Seed, Stinging Nettle, and African Cherry help to support healthy hormones and prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT, which are critical for hair growth.
Why Does Stress Cause Hair Loss
Stress is one of the most common causes of Telogen Effluvium. This is because when we are stressed, we often do not look after ourselves as well as we should do. For instance, we may skip meals or eat more processed foods than usual which, despite their convenience, have very little nutritional benefit. Stress also impacts digestion and your bodys absorption of vital nutrients.
Whats more, hair is a non-essential tissue, so it is often the first thing to suffer if your body is lacking in nutrients. Vitamin imbalances, iron deficiency, inadequate protein intake, and meals that contain too few calories, can all contribute to hair shedding.
Furthermore, stress affects our immune system, making us more susceptible to illness. Illnesses like the flu, high fevers and systemic upsets often trigger hair loss. For more information about diffuse hair shedding, please visit our section on Telogen Effluvium.
If you are worried about any form of hair loss, our Clinics in London and New York specialise in all aspects of hair and scalp health, and will be pleased to welcome you.
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Can Stress Cause Hair Loss And Will It Grow Back
Stress is well known to cause hair loss. However, this hair loss is unlikely to be permanent and will grow back. The hair should start to grow back roughly 6 months after the stress has resolved.
It is important to distinguish between physical and emotional stress when it comes to hair loss. While both can cause hair loss, physical stress can often be quicker to address and fix than emotional causes of stress. Physical stress can include severe illnesses, childbirth and extreme changes to diets.
Why Your Hair Is Falling Out
You might start seeing more hair loss than normal thanks to the following:
- Genetics.
- Hormonal changes like pregnancy or menopause.
- Certain hairstyles.
- Damaging haircare like perms or bleaching.
- Medications like chemotherapy.
- Medical conditions like fungal infections or thyroid disease.
Working with a dermatologist, you can begin identifying what might be causing your hair loss. Your doctor will ask about your health, your medications and your family history.
I tell the patients to keep track of events that are unusual for them, for instance, a heavy menstrual period, says Dr. Bergfeld. So when we go back to look for triggers, well have some hint at what it could be.
Your doctor will also look at other areas on your body like your eyebrows, lashes, underarms, pubic area, legs and arms to assess if theres hair loss.
Many times, hair loss is an indicator that something more serious is going on.
Hair loss, particularly shedding, is just a sign that something has happened to the body, says Dr. Bergfeld. The hair follicle is one of the three fastest turning over cell lines in your body. Anything that affects your body and throws it out of balance will affect those systems. So shedding hair is an indicator that somethings wrong.
Also Check: What Causes Black Women’s Hair Loss
Initial Signs Hair Loss
The early signs of male pattern baldness are as follows:
Noticeable change in your hairline
Male pattern baldness generally begins in the hairline, when you notice that your mildly receded hairline has turned into a more obvious M-shaped hairline. For most men this begins around the temples and the crown and often starts with thinning rather than total hair loss.
Noticeable thinning of your hair
Not all men experience baldness in their hairline. Some men experience what is defined as diffuse thinning a type of hair loss that either affects the entire scalp or specific areas like the crown that results in hair loss that starts from the back or top, rather than from the hairline.
Excessive hair loss after showering or brushing
On average, people lose round 50-100 hairs a day, meaning that the five to 10 hairs you notice between your hands after shampooing aren’t anything to be concerned about. However, if you start noticing an excessive amount of hair falling out throughout the day, then there is a risk that it could be the result of male pattern baldness.
In general the early signs of hair loss show up in the following ways
Gradual thinning of the hair on the head
Receding hairline that becomes more visible with each passing year
For women, the first noticeable sign of hair loss is often a widening part or less fullness to their ponytail.
How To Manage Stress
Its very distressing when you feel you are losing your hair and it can cause intense suffering and can affect your social functioning and ability to work.
Dr Lee said: Hair loss has severe psychological effects including loss of self-esteem, poor body image, loss of confidence, depression, and anxiety.
Women with high-stress levels are 11 times more likely to be suffering from hair loss than women with normal stress levels.
See your doctor if you are concerned about hair loss sooner rather than later.
The doctor will ask questions and is likely to arrange blood tests to rule out common causes such as iron deficiency, or a low thyroid hormone level.
There are a range of different types and causes of hair loss, and once a diagnosis is made, the best treatment can be offered. You may need to see a consultant dermatologist.
You may prefer to arrange to see a hair specialist a trichologist. This is not available on the NHS. You can find a qualified trichologist here.
Looking for somewhere to start? Dr Lee has revealed five ways to deal with stress-related hair loss.
Read Also: How To Regrow Thinning Hair Male
First How Stress Affects Your Hair
Both Rieder and Wechsler say that the type of stress-induced hair loss that affects most people is known as telogen effluvium. The condition commonly surfaces two to three months after a stressful event such as a medical procedure, illness, psychological stressor, weight loss, or even the start of a new medication, says Rieder. Essentially, your hair follicles suddenly shift from the anagen, or growth, phase to the resting phase, called telogen, Wechsler explains. And the loss can be quite dramatic.
Though theres much we dont know about how telogen effluvium strikes, additional research suggests that cortisol, a stress hormone, may interfere with normal functioning of the hair follicle. Bottom line: If youre pumping out cortisol because youre feeling tense or anxious, your hair may react accordingly.
Another less common condition called alopecia areata occurs when your immune system attacks your follicles. Like all autoimmune diseases, this can be brought on in susceptible individuals by a stressor, explains Wechsler. Even less common is trichotillomania , which is when stress leads you to pull out your hair.
How To Fight Back
First and foremost, take active steps to reduce your anxiety levels. If you are not currently undergoing anxiety treatment, the professionals at Destination Hope can help you understand the root of your anxiety and provide treatment options so you can live a healthy life.
With your anxiety and stress reduced after receiving treatment, your hair may begin to grow back on its own. A healthy diet and exercise can help also provide the nutrients needed for hair growth. Hair growth is a long process and your hair may not come back for months, so its important to be patient and continue working on monitoring your anxiety.
Also Check: How To Slow Postpartum Hair Loss
How To Stop Your Hair Falling Out & Thinning From Stress
Hair loss when due to stress is not always nice, but there are ways that you can fix it. Firstly, lets be grateful to see hair in the drain: it means the stressful event has passed and its regrowing. This is good news and you have to get your stress under control for it to stop falling out. Even if your hair is coming out when you brush it or wash it, you will find that its more likely you who are noticing it will reduce in thickness. Others wont notice it much and you can get a jumpstart to hair regrowth and strengthening it. This can make your hair healthier, and this will enable you to be more confident as a result. Some of the treatments that can help your hair to regain its health include:
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Why Does It Happen
Sudden hair loss usually occurs in the 2-3 months following a specific event.The triggering event may be:- Seasonal changes- Surgery or illness- Some drug treatmentsAll will have an impact at cellular level. The resting phase of the hair will begin before the end of the growth phase. This hair loss is very dramatic. It can naturally decrease after a few weeks/months, but without treatment it may last longer.
Read Also: What Is The Best Treatment For Female With Thinning Hair
Heres How The Hair Growth Cycle Works:
Ok, its science-y but very cool, basically each hair follicle on our scalp undergoes three stages of a life cycle, explains Dr Wong.
AnagenThis is the active growing phase, which can last between 2-7 years during which the hair becomes longer and thicker.
CatagenAfter anagen, the hair follicle moves into the short transitional phase called catagen when the hair fibre stops growing, followed by the resting phase telogen which lasts around 3 months.
TelogenDuring telogen the old hair is gradually pushed up towards the skin surface before it is then shed naturally and replaced with a new emerging anagen hair.
On a typical head of hair each follicle is at a different stage at different times so you probably wont notice it happening. Very cool. This cycle continues repeatedly throughout our lifetime and each hair follicle is cycling independently of neighbouring follicles meaning that human hair growth is asynchronised, says Dr Wong.
Its important to note that hair loss is a very common problem for women much more so that people realise. “Research shows that at least 1 in 3 women will suffer from hair loss or reduced hair volume at some point in their lifetime,” says Anabel Kingsley. So, if you are losing strands, it’s important not to freak out, your mane willrecover. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know…
Stress And Telogen Effluvium
Telogen Effluvium is a form of diffuse hair loss on your scalp. It occurs when the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle is cut short by an internal disturbance in your body. This causes many more hairs than usual to move from their anagen phase into their telogen phase, resulting in excessive daily hair fall around three months later. On average, it is normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day, but postpartum shedding can result in as many as 400 hairs being shed in a 24-hour period.
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How Stress Causes Hair Loss
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Noticed more hairs on your brush, pillow or around the shower drain than normal? Dealing with hair loss is never fun, especially when youre not sure whats causing it.
Most male hair loss results from androgenic alopecia, or male pattern baldness a form of hair loss triggered by a genetic sensitivity to DHT.
However, its also possible for a range of other factors to cause and contribute to hair loss.
One of these factors is emotional stress. If youre feeling overly stressed due to work, your personal life or anything else, its possible that this stress could contribute either tomild hair thinning, or significant hair loss.
Below, weve explained how and why stress can cause you to lose hair. Weve also looked at a range of treatment options that can help you regrow any hair you lose due to stress.
Is There A Way To Prevent Hair Loss Caused By Stress
Now that weve explored the link between stress and hair loss and how to regain hair loss from stress, youre probably wondering how to prevent stress-related hair loss.
The most important thing is to learn effective stress management techniques to help you to reduce your stress levels. Proper stress management can help reduce some of the strain and prevent hair loss due to stress.
Since its thought that stress may affect the hair follicles ability to function properly, another way to prevent hair loss caused by stress could be to use products that support a healthy scalp such as:
Recommended Reading: How To Combat Hair Loss From Stress