What Is Stress Hair Loss And How To Treat It
While losing 100 to 150 strands of hair per day is normal, some women lose much more. This is often known as stress hair loss, which can be a huge problem. If you want to know if stress can cause hair loss and subsequently how to regain hair loss from stress, read on. Luckily, there are measures you can take to prevent and treat hair falling out from stress.
Does Emotional Stress Cause Hair Loss
Emotional stress, such as loss of a loved one, work-related pressure, financial troubles or parenting problems, can cause hair loss. These changes in mood can trigger hormonal imbalances, which lead to hair loss, often through telogen effluvium.
During periods of extreme emotional stress, telogen effluvium can cause the hair to fall out. Telogen effluvium is the most common type of stress-induced hair loss but is not permanent. Hair often grows back within 2 or 3 months.
Emotional stress can also trigger a specific type of alopecia, called alopecia areata. This is characterised by sudden bald patches on the scalp, which can spread to cover the entire head. Again, hair loss caused by alopecia areata is not permanent and often grows back, although sometimes treatment is required.
How Will A Healthcare Provider Diagnose Hair Loss In Women What Tests Are Done
The tests performed to diagnose hair loss in women can be simple or complicated:
- Gently pulling on your hair to see how many hairs come out.
- Blood tests. These check for vitamin and mineral levels and hormone levels .
- Scalp examination under a microscope and trichoscopy.
- Scalp biopsy to remove and examine a very small piece of scalp skin.
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Myths Associated With Stress Hair Loss
Misunderstanding your hair problems can be dangerous, so lets dispel the most common myths about stress hair loss.
- It appears immediately. Stress hair loss takes anywhere from 6-12 weeks to appear, based on hair growth cycles. Your hair goes into a resting stage to protect itself when under stressful situations, as most studies suggest. Once your hair cycle returns to normal, it pushes the hair out to grow new strands. It is possible for hair loss to appear up to three months after that stressful event.
- Minor stress can cause hair loss. A stressful event can be physical like surgery or trauma. It can be emotional, like a divorce or loss of a job. Stress can also be hormonal, like switching birth control or recently having a baby. Anxiety hair loss doesnt usually happen because you are stressed about your morning commute.
- Any hair loss is stress-related. Stress does not equate balding. Just because you see your hairbrush covered in day-old hair or you are sweeping up more hair than usual these days does not mean it is stress-related. It may be damaged hair breaking off. Make sure you are not damaging your hair if you want to maintain thickness.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
How To Regain Hair Loss From Stress
Hair loss due to stress, will it grow back? You may be asking yourself this after seeing extra hair in the shower drain recently.
Again, if you see hair loss, it is most likely that the stressful event has passed and your hair has begun to regrow. Thats good news! In order to reverse hair loss from stress, its important to have stress under control and talk to a doctor if its a recurring event in your life.
Even if you are seeing lots of fallouts, its unlikely others will notice a change in your hairs thickness. However, in the meantime, get a jumpstart in regrowing hair and ensuring it is strong and healthy so that you are your most confident self.
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The Initial Causes Stress Hair Loss Female Treatment
The main cause of hair loss is stress. While most of us shed about 50 to 100 strands of hair daily, we also continue to grow new ones at the same rate. This shedding is normal, and its perfectly natural to replace lost hair with new ones. However, if youre losing hair that is excessively slow or isnt growing back, youre experiencing hair fall. There are many possible causes for this condition, but theres no one single solution.
Tinea capitis, also known as scalp ringworm, is a fungal infection that affects the scalp. Symptoms include bald spots and patches of hair loss. Infection may be caused by fungus, and scaly, red patches may develop. In severe cases, sores may develop on the scalp and oozing pus may be present. Treatment with a prescription may be necessary, but the long-term results of taking these medications are not always permanent.
In some cases, temporary hair loss may be the result of a hormonal imbalance. While some women experience hair loss due to hormonal fluctuations, others may experience permanent loss of hair. These changes can be caused by hormones in the body, such as those produced by the thyroid or by the adrenal glands. In severe cases, the loss of hair is caused by medical conditions. Inflammatory diseases can cause an excess of androgen, a male hormone. High levels of vitamin A in the blood and in the body can also result in hair thinning.
Treating Stress Related Hair Loss
Stress related hair loss makes a bad situation even worse. Fortunately, most cases will pass and others will respond to treatment.
If you have stress related hair loss you may be at a loss on how to cope with the problem. Youre already stressed out and now here comes this additional burden which makes you feel worse.
This is especially a problem with alopecia areata . You are struggling to cope with various problems and suddenly you feel self-conscious because you fear people are starring at the bald spot on your head.
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Hair Loss From Thyroid Problems
Either an underactive thyroid, a medical condition called hypothyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, can result in hair loss because each condition causes a hormonal imbalance. Hormones help to regulate nearly every function in the body, including hair growth. Getting the right treatment to control either of these thyroid conditions will get hormones under control, stop hair loss, and allow your hair to starting grow back.
Treating Hair Loss Due To Stress
On a daily basis, the head loses around 100 hairs. The body naturally replaces those, but as it ages, it can no longer replace them so easily. Stress is one of the leading causes of hair loss. It is important to try to reduce stress by figuring out the source and focusing on managing it. The key to preventing hair loss is by strengthening it and stimulating hair growth. Methods include hot oil treatments, eating nutrient-rich foods, and reducing stress. All of these treatment are natural, low-cost, and easy to do at home.
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When To See A Doctor For Stress
Stress does cause hair loss, but it isnt the only cause. If youre experiencing sudden and ongoing hair loss, visiting your family doctor is a good first step. Your doctor can evaluate the hair loss, review your medical history, and refer you to a dermatologist if necessary.
You might think of a dermatologist as just a skin doctor, but this doctor also specializes in problems of hair and nails. Visiting a doctor sooner, rather than later, can improve your outcome.
Can Ptsd Make Your Hair Fall Out
Those with PTSD will find that their stress hormones never return to normal levels and that their bodies choose to conserve energy and nutrients for essential functions of the body, preventing hair from regrowing once it is shed.
Those with PTSD suffer from being stuck in a fight-or-flight mode permanently, where loud noises or sudden changes in lighting can cause them to panic or become extremely distressed.
The effects of existing in fight-or-flight mode do not just affect their behaviour, but also the internal hormonal levels in the body. If the body is stuck in fight-or-flight, it will choose to preserve any nutrients for essential core functions of the body. As the hair is deemed non-essential, hair follicles do not get the nutrients they need to produce hair follicles. This means the hair will shed without being replaced, ultimately causing hair loss.
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Different Types Of Alopecia
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, and there are two main types: alopecia areata and androgenic alopecia. Alopecia may cause hair loss only on the scalp or all over the body. It may result in thinning hair, patches of hair loss, some balding, or total baldness, and it may be permanent or temporary. There are numerous causes, including genetics. Talk to your doctor about possible treatments.
Emotional Stress And Your Hair
When you’re dealing with a life-altering event, like a divorce or break-up, bankruptcy or other financial problems, the loss of a home, or the death of a loved one, significant emotional stress can also disrupt the normal cycle of hair growth. Significant emotional stressors can cause temporary hair loss, but once stress is brought under control, normal hair growth is usually restored.
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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!
What Questions Might Your Healthcare Provider Ask To Diagnose And Categorize Your Hair Loss
Your healthcare provider might ask about your habits:
- What kinds of hair products do you use?
- What kinds of hair styles do you wear?
- What types of food do you eat ?
- Do you have a habit of pulling your hair out ?
They might ask about your history:
- Has anyone in your immediate family experienced hair loss?
- Is there anything stressful going on in your life?
- What medications and supplements do you take every day?
- Has hair loss ever happened to you before?
- What foods are in your diet?
And, they might ask about your observations:
- How long have you been losing hair?
- Have you been shedding more?
- Have you noticed hair loss in places other than your scalp, like your eyebrows? Leg and arm hair?
- Does anything worsen your hair loss?
- Does anything improve your hair loss?
- Have you noticed hair loss occasionally or has it been going on continuously?
- Have you noticed if your hair growth has changed?
- Has your hair been breaking more often?
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Pandemic Hair Loss The Best New Treatments For Growing Luscious Locks
She also advises patients not to get their hair colored or wear it in braids anything that adds stress to tresses. And, Green said, I tell them not to get a haircut because it might feel like you have less hair.
As for special shampoos and conditioners that claim to curb hair loss, Green said shes skeptical.
Im not convinced a shampoo or conditioner can grow back hair. Its not something you leave on your scalp long enough to make a difference, said Green, adding that serums, including Pureauty biotin hair serum could be more effective because theyre designed to stay on longer.
When it comes to more stubborn cases, she might suggests investing in a scalp-stimulating LaserCap, which uses Food and Drug Administration-cleared Low-Level-Laser Therapy, starts at about $1,000, and can be ordered through a physician.
If none of these treatments do the trick, Green will call in blood work to rule out hormonal changes. Shell also ask patients to collect strands of their hair over 24 hours, which shell send to a lab to test for autoimmune diseases, such as lupus.
But, Green said, patients need to be patient. It takes three months for a hair follicle to grow back, so you wont notice a difference for four to five months.
Some are looking beyond the dermatologist office for help. Sarah, a 38-year-old mother of two living in New York City, was losing her locks in large clumps. My cleaning lady even commented on all the hair she found on the bathroom floor, she recalled.
How To Get Growing Again
Luckily, anxiety-induced hair loss is reversibleand you can start by dialing up your self-care, says Dr. Sood.
Focus on a healthy diet, exercise, good sleep, and relationships, he advises. Consider yoga, meditation, or other relaxation techniques like music, massage, coloring, gardening, or reading.
Dr. Sood says mindfulness is also an important stress buster, and you can start by asking yourself a few simple questions: The first step is to ask yourself, Why is this situation stressful? Is it because you’re overcommitted, feeling you have no control, or can’t find any positive meaning in it? he says. Can you delegate, seek help, simplify, prioritize, better manage time and responsibilities, and connect with others? Or can you choose to accept this situation, acknowledging you’re blessed in so many other ways?
Anxiety-induced hair loss is reversibleand you can start by dialing up your self-care.
You can also help your body find balance through supplementation. Dr. Kogan recommends two Ayurvedic herbs, neem and brahmi. Another MD-approved supplement that addresses stress is Nutrafol, which incorporates soothing turmeric and ashwagandha. Dr. Kogans also a fan of bhringraj oil for hair loss, which she has clients apply topically to their hairline and temples twice daily.
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Hair Falling Out From Stress Lets Talk
Hair loss can happen to anyone and for a number of reasons, so its important to talk to a doctor if you are seeing handfuls of hair in the shower unexpectedly. However, if you need a pick-me-up after a few stressful weeks or months in your life, you can reverse hair loss from stress at home with the help of hair care products and the right vitamins and supplements. So while there is no magical pill for knowing how to stop hair loss from stress, reading up on what causes hair loss and practicing self-care are two of the first steps. And youve already begun them both!