Yes, stress and hair loss can be related. Three types of hair loss can be associated with high stress levels:
Stress and Hair Loss: Potential Ways to Cope
Get regular exercise, which helps manage stress and its effects. Spend time with positive people — isolating yourself can make stress worse. Seek professional help from a therapist. Eat a healthy diet and take a multivitamin if your doctor recommends it.
Telogen effluvium hair loss — the type of hair loss linked to stress — typically affects your scalp and may appear as patchy hair loss. However, it can also cause you to shed more body hair or notice less hair on your body than you normally would.
The bad news is yes, but the good news is that stress-induced hair loss is usually temporary. “Telogen effluvium is the scientific name for stress-induced hair loss,” Robert Haber, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon, tells WebMD Connect to Care.
Yes, stress and anxiety can result in three main types of hair loss: telogen effluvium, trichotillomania, and alopecia areata. Is hair loss from stress temporary? Yes, when there are no underlying medical conditions, stress-related hair loss is almost always temporary.
Is stress-related hair loss permanent? If your hair loss is caused by stress, it's possible for your hair to grow back in time. The rate of regrowth will be different for everyone.
The human body produces the hormone melatonin. This hormone has been confirmed by researchers to regulate the sleep cycle and increase hair growth. While sleep has a direct impact on the human body's natural hormones, it means that poor sleep reduces the amount of melatonin, potentially cause hair loss.
Suddenly thinning hair could be caused by a variety of reasons, such as a period of extreme stress, pregnancy, discontinuing birth control pill use, hormonal changes, a high fever, or pulling at your hair.
The hair loss is temporary, and should return to its pre-effluvium density, although this process is generally slow. It can take months (but generally less than 6) before the shedding stops, and then months to years for lost hair to grow back at the sluggish rate of ~½ inch per month.
Long-term, or chronic, stress puts people at risk for a variety of health problems. These can include depression and anxiety, as well as problems with digestion and sleep. Chronic stress has also long been linked to hair loss, but the reasons weren't well understood.
The three most common triggers for hair loss in young women are stress, dieting, and hormonal changes. Less commonly, hair loss can be caused by certain autoimmune diseases. Here's more on these four triggers for hair loss in young women.
Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed up your reaction time, and enhance your focus—preparing you to either fight or flee from the danger at hand.
While experts haven't found evidence to suggest depression directly causes hair loss, depression may have a more indirect role in thinning hair. And, of course, a sudden or significant increase in hair shedding can easily create a new source of stress or worsen an already low mood.
If you are experiencing thinning or balding, our Bosley experts recommend washing no more than three times a week.
Your sudden shedding could be caused by telogen effluvium, a form of hair loss that is typically temporary and happens after a stressful or traumatic event, physical or emotional stress, changes in weight, pregnancy, illness, medication, or dietary changes, explains New York City–based dermatologist Marisa Garshick, ...
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
Severe dehydration may even accelerate hair loss. If you notice your hair beginning to thin or fall out in larger quantities than usual, increasing your daily water and vitamin intake should help. It's also beneficial to use a moisturizing conditioner and avoid blow drying your hair until its moisture content improves.
The way that sleep affects your body's natural hormones is probably the most important part of preventing hair loss. Your body produces a hormone called melatonin. This hormone helps your body regulate your sleep cycle, and it also has been shown to increase hair growth.
Get active. Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you're not an athlete or you're out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever. Physical activity can pump up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that enhance your sense of well-being.