The link between stress and hair loss

 


Stress levels are high, and for some, that could mean less hair on your head. In fact, telogen effluvium, a kind of hair loss, has been medically related to significant emotional stress. 

Three types of hair loss can be associated with high stress levels: 

Telogen effluvium -  

Significant stress causes a significant number of hair follicles into a resting phase, which is known as telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um). Affected hairs may start to come out abruptly after a few months of simple combing or washing.

Trichotillomania - 

Trichotillomania is the name for the irresistible drive to remove hair from your scalp, brows, or other parts of your body. Hair pulling can be a coping mechanism for unpleasant or negative emotions like stress, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, or irritation.

Alopecia areata - 

Alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh ar-e-A-tuh) is thought to be brought on by a number of reasons, including perhaps extreme stress. The immune system of the body destroys the hair follicles in alopecia areata, leading to hair loss.

Hair loss and stress don't have to be permanent. And if you manage your stress, your hair may start to grow again.

Consult your doctor if you have more frequent or sudden hair loss when combing or washing your hair. An underlying medical condition that needs to be treated can be indicated by sudden hair loss. Your doctor may also make treatment recommendations if necessary for your hair loss.

If you’ve been affected by hair loss from stress, there are some important steps you can take -  

1. Eat a Healthy Diet 

Both your hair and your general health depend on it! Among the causes of telogen effluvium, a 2015 review published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research names starvation, crash dieting, and malnutrition. Concentrate on entire meals and a balanced diet while considering the best foods to avoid stress-related hair loss. Eat foods that contain:

  • Lots of fruits and vegetables 
  • Whole grains 
  • Lean protein

2. Take a Supplement 

  • Ferritin
  • Vitamin D 
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin B12

3. Manage Your Stress

Stress management techniques you can do at home include:

  • Yoga 
  • Meditation 
  • Deep breathing 
  • Journaling
  • Spending time outdoors
  • Counseling or therapy

The relation between stress and the hair cycle 

On the adult scalp, there are about 100,000 hair follicles (although, this number may vary based on hair color). Every hair follicle alternates between periods of growth and rest. The bulk of these hair follicles are always in the anagen phase of growth. The hair is lost when the hair follicle enters the telogen phase, also known as the resting phase. A trigger results in an abrupt, aberrant shift of all the hairs into the telogen phase during an incident of telogen effluvium. One possible trigger for this sudden shift? Significant emotional stress.  

Telogen effluvium can be caused by:

  • stress
  • pregnancy
  • medication side effects 
  • other underlying health conditions

Stress and telogen effluvium (TE) hair loss 

The three phases of your hair's development cycle include growth, transition, and rest. During the period of relaxation, your hair sheds.

Your body may keep your hair in the resting phase longer when you are under stress. As a result, telogen effluvium hair loss may occur. This is due to the fact that your hair no longer grows new hair and sheds more readily.

A big stressful event, such as the death of a loved one or another unexpected traumatic occurrence, or continuous stress could be the cause of TE. TE hair loss symptoms include:

Hair loss that comes on suddenly

Losing hair all over your head instead (compared to pattern baldness)

Having thinning hair or hair loss that comes and resolves once you aren’t stressed

It’s important to note that you don’t experience TE hair loss at the same time you undergo stress. Because your hair cycle takes about three months, TE hair loss is often delayed until the cycle completes. 

Stress and alopecia areata (AA) hair loss 

This stress-induced AA hair loss occurs when your white blood cells attack your hair follicles and causes specific types of hair loss, including:

  • Losing your hair in clumps
  • Losing hair in round patches
  • Losing body hair in addition to hair on your head

With AA hair loss, your hair may grow back and fall out over and over. There’s no cure for AA, but medications can help manage hair loss.

Some of your stress-related TE and AA hair loss hair restoration treatment options include therapies such as: 

  • Custom-blended, prescription-strength medications
  • Noninvasive, low-level laser cap therapy
  • Hair transplantation with follicular unit extraction (FUE)
  • Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Types of Hair Loss

Image
  Types of Hair Loss Hair loss also known as Alopecia may awaken your senses in unexpected ways. Losing all of your hair abruptly for no apparent cause may certainly make any individual feel worse. Our body misidentifies hair follicles as alien bodies and fights them, destroying the follicles. In addition, it inhibits hair development. This immune system reaction to follicles can result in patchy or full hair loss. Alopecia affects people of all ages, from children to adulthood. Though hair loss may not always indicate Alopecia, it is always a good idea to consult a doctor. Furthermore, hair loss might be a symptom of any other condition in the body. There are many types of hair losses that are commonly seen on people. ALOPECIA AREATA This is a disease that develops when the body attacks its own hair follicles (where hair grows from), which can cause hair loss anywhere on the body. Alopecia areata affects many people who are healthy. They suffer hair loss and occasionally nail alterat
Read more

Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Hair Fall

Image
 Hair fall is a common issue that many of us face at some point in our lives. Whether it's a few strands of hair or a handful, hair fall can be a cause of concern for many. Hair fall can be caused by a variety of factors, such as genetics, age, hormonal changes, and environmental factors. However, lifestyle changes can help prevent hair fall and promote hair growth. Let’s look at some lifestyle changes that can help prevent hair fall. Healthy eating habits Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent hair fall. Some of the foods that are good for hair health include salmon, eggs, spinach, nuts, and seeds. Drinking plenty of water and herbal teas can also help keep your hair hydrated and healthy. Regular exercise Regular exercise is another lifestyle change that can help prevent hair fall. Exercise increases blood circulation, which helps to deliver essential nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles. This can help promote hair growth and prevent hair fall. Exercise al
Read more

What is FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction)?

Image
Follicular Unit Extraction , commonly known as FUE, is a modern hair transplant technique that has gained widespread popularity over the past few years. FUE is a minimally invasive procedure that involves extracting individual hair follicles from the scalp and transplanting them into the areas where hair growth is thinning or balding. This method is an alternative to the traditional hair transplant technique, Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), which involves the removal of a strip of skin from the back of the scalp, from which hair follicles are extracted and transplanted. In comparison, FUE is a less invasive procedure with a shorter recovery time. One of the main benefits of FUE is that it results in less scarring compared to traditional hair transplant techniques. Because FUE does not involve the removal of a strip of skin from the scalp, there is no visible scar, and patients can wear their hair short without fear of any visible scars. FUE also has a shorter recovery time comp
Read more