Stress and Hair Loss

Stress is widely known to have some very severe effects on the hair, and can usually manifest in a few different ways. With stress, it is often worth looking at treating the root cause of the stress, rather than just the hair loss. This can be lifestyle or environmental changes, but they can have lasting effects not just on your hair, but also your entire body.  

In many cases of hair loss, the root of the problem is stress. Stress is not a new phenomenon. However, increased awareness, both through medical advances and the way that the condition is reported in the media, there is now a better understanding of the debilitating effect stress can have on hair. 

Telogen effluvium

Telogen effluvium is the most common type of stress-induced hair loss. In this type of hair loss, the hair stops growing and lies dormant, only to fall out 2 or 3 months later. It then grows back within 6 to 9 months. 

Read more about telogen effluvium →

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is another stress-related cause of hair loss. This occurs when white blood cells attack hair follicles, leading to rapid hair loss. The hair loss often occurs in patches, but within the space of a few weeks, the entire scalp can be affected. In extreme cases, body hair can also fall out. The hair often grows back in time, but not always; in some cases treatment is required.

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Emotional stress

It is well known that hair loss can be related to emotional stress or anxiety. Any hair loss that is the result of emotional stress will usually regrow once the underlying cause of emotional tension has ceased. 

Read more about the effects of emotional stress →

Physical stress

Stress does not need to be purely emotional in order to cause hair loss. Extreme physical stress can cause hair loss. Events such as childbirth, changes to diet and even hairstyling can all cause physical stress on either the body as a whole or directly on the hair. 

Read more about the effects of physical stress →

If you are experiencing hair thinning or baldness and you think there may be a problem then it is advisable to consult a doctor. It may be the body’s natural ageing process but if you are still young; in your teens or early twenties, or if the loss seems irregular or uneven then there could be an underlying issue that is causing it.