How Stress Affects Hair Loss

The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. Hair loss is a lifelong possibility for both men and women. Stress may be a contributing factor in your hair loss.

Continue reading to find out how stress can impact your hair’s health, whether those effects are long-lasting, and what you can do to promote regrowth.

Hair loss due to stress in many forms

Stress is not always the reason for hair loss. There are three forms of hair loss;

Telogen effluvium

When the proportion of hair follicles that are actively producing hair changes, telogen effluvium (TE) takes place. It’s possible for shedding to result from this alteration if it happens while the hair is in its telogen, or resting, phase.

Not every area of the head may see this thinning. Especially in the scalp’s middle, it frequently appears in patches. The majority of scalp hair loss by TE patients is not all of it.

You might notice thinning hair on other places of your body in more severe situations. This includes the genitalia or the eyebrows.

Dermatologists believe that TE is the second most typical kind of hair loss they encounter.

The hair loss brought on by TE is completely reversible. The hair follicles are not permanently harmed by TE. The length of time it takes for your hair to regrow will depend on the source of your TE.

Alopecia areata

An autoimmune condition is known as alopecia areata (AA). When your immune system targets your hair follicles, it develops. Stress may be the cause of this, which can lead to hair loss.

On the scalp, hair loss can occur in circular areas or all over the area. Alopecia universalis, a more severe variant of AA, causes whole body hair loss.

Over time, the hair may continually shed out and heal up. Although there is no proven treatment for AA, some prescription drugs may be helpful for those who have lost more than 50% of their hair.

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania, also referred to as the disorder of hair pulling. You could feel the impulse to yank hair out of your scalp or from other areas of your body. It’s classified as an impulsivity disorder.

When bored or distracted, for example, hair pulling may occur automatically without much thought. Another possibility is that the hair pulling is done deliberately as a way to cope with stress or other unpleasant feelings.

It is frequently obvious when hair is pulled from the scalp, brows, or eyelashes. The disorder’s cycle may be perpetuated by this, resulting in extra stress.

Trichotillomania can last a lifetime and typically begins in preteens. Trichotillomania’s origins are unknown, however research points to a possible hereditary component.

Is hair loss brought on by stress always there?

It’s feasible for your hair to regrow if stress is the source of your hair loss over time. Everyone will experience regrowth at a different rate.

There are four phases to the cycle of human hair development.

On average, there are 100,000 hair follicles on a human scalp. Each of your hair follicles is currently in a distinct stage of this cycle at any one time:

Phase of anagen. The hair is currently in its growth period. between two and seven years.

Phase of catagen. The hair follicle enters this brief, two-week phase as it starts to contract.

Phase of telogen. This resting period lasts for three months.

Phase of exogenous. This stage is when the hair is lost from the follicle and fresh hair growth starts.

Managing your stress may be the key to restoring a healthy rate of hair growth if stress has been the cause of your hair loss.

Attainable actions

There are several things you may do to stop hair loss and promote new growth.

Nutrition and diet

Your body, as well as your hair, need to be fed a balanced, nutrient-rich diet of whole foods.

Even though it’s crucial to have all the necessary vitamins in your diet, some may be particularly beneficial for hair growth:

C vitamin. This vitamin is necessary for constructing collagen, the connective tissue that makes up hair follicles and is found in the skin. Citrus fruits, broccoli, bell peppers, and strawberries are examples of foods that contain vitamin C.

B vitamin. This multivitamin complex encourages a healthy metabolism in addition to healthy skin and hair. Dark leafy greens, beans, almonds, and avocados are examples of foods that are high in b vitamins.

E vitamin. Strong antioxidants found in this vitamin may help promote a healthy scalp. Sunflower seeds, spinach, olive oil, broccoli, and shrimp are among the foods high in vitamin E.

Consult your doctor about supplements if you don’t consume enough of these nutrients through your diet. They can talk about your alternatives and suggest the right dosage for you. Never change your habit without seeing your doctor about adding nutritional supplements.

Overall health also depends on staying well hydrated. Water is necessary for the healthy functioning of every cell in your body.

Men should aim for drinking 15 1/2 cups per day of water, while women should aim for 11 1/2 cups. Food, water, and other beverages can all contribute to that total. Eight glasses of water a day is a reasonable target, and the remaining liquids can come from food and other drinks.

Management of stress

You may be able to lower your risk for subsequent hair loss by learning appropriate stress management techniques. Obviously, it’s often simpler to say than to actually execute.

It’s possible that you’ll need to test out a few different stress-reduction strategies before you find one that suits you.

What if you don’t experience progress?

It’s possible that stress isn’t the cause of your hair loss. You could lose your hair for a variety of reasons and medical conditions.

Additional frequent causes of hair loss include:

Aging
Genetics
Drugs, such as some blood thinners or antidepressants
Chemotherapy
Sick or just had surgery
Hormonal changes, such as delivery or menopause, a shortage of iron or protein in the diet, or both

Hair Transplant For Permanent Hair Loss

If you are prone to stress in your daily life, it may be natural for you to worry about how stress may influence your hair transplant. The majority of top hair transplant surgeons concur that stress has no effect on transplanted hair, despite the fact that some initial hair loss is a typical part of the transplantation process.