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Is stress the reason behind hair loss? 3 steps to reduce stress

An overview;

The adult scalp has approximately 100,000 hair follicles. The growth phase of each hair follicle repeats. The majority of these hair follicles undergo continuous anagen stage growth.

The hair is shed when the hair follicle reaches the telogen phase, also called the resting phase. During an incident, a trigger causes a sudden, abnormal shift of all the hairs into the telogen phase.

Numerous circumstances, including as elderly age, family history, radiation exposure, and systemic disorders, might cause this trigger. One of the main causes of this trigger is extreme stress. Stress is the name for our body's response to pressure.

Numerous diverse situations or life events might cause stress. It frequently begins when we experience something new or unexpected that threatens our sense of self or when we feel helpless to alter the situation.

Causes of significant emotional stress;

Grief, divorce or separation, job loss, and unforeseen financial challenges are just a few of the many causes of stress. Work-related stress may have an adverse effect on your mental health. People who endure work-related stress miss 24 workdays on average.

Even good life improvements like upgrading to a bigger house, getting promoted at work, or going on vacation can cause stress. If you feel stressed in certain situations, you could find it difficult to understand why or reluctant to communicate your feelings to others.

Can stress cause hair loss?

Stress contributes to the following condition, which is called stress-induced hair loss.

1. Telogen effluvium hair loss;

This disorder frequently results in temporary hair. Stress can cause hair follicles to go into a "resting" phase where they cannot produce new hair.

Over age, your hair may start to come out more readily, even if you just wash, comb, or caress it. Telogen effluvium can also be brought on by inadequate nutritional intake and changes in hormone levels.

2. Trichotillomania;

Trichotillomania is a disease in which you physically pull your hair out when you are stressed or anxious.

People with this psychiatric disorder shave their faces, their scalps, and other portions of their bodies to relieve emotional distress like tension and anxiety. Teenage girls encounter it the most frequently.

3. Alopecia areata;

Your immune system attacks your hair growth in this disease, which causes stress-related hair loss. Sometimes alopecia areata just results in hair thinning, but other times it might result in bald spots.

Before losing once more, hair might grow back over time. Although the precise cause of alopecia areata is uncertain, heredity may contribute. Even though stress isn't what causes alopecia areata, it can still be quite distressing for everyone who has it.

Chronic stress management;

Hair loss can be brought on by various stressful situations, including pregnancy, chronic disease, accidents, relationship issues, financial anxieties, poor diet, surgery, antidepressant medication, and even jet lag. Try these suggestions to lessen stress and save your hair.

1. Relax yourself;

You must engage in relaxation exercises like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing if you want to lower your stress levels.

2. Regular exercise;

Exercise raises dopamine levels in the brain, which aids with stress management and hair growth prevention.

3. Spend time with positive people;

Positive individuals give you more inspiration and get you working on something useful. Your focus can be diverted from tension and the causes of stress by doing this.

4. Take a Balance diet to cope with stressful events;

A healthy immune system and cell healing can be supported by a balanced diet. It gives you the extra energy you need to handle stressful situations. Vegetables and diets rich in polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fats, may help to regulate cortisol levels.

How does your body respond to stress?

If you are under stress, you may feel the following symptoms;

1. Light head ach

2. Nausea and vomiting

3. Indigestion

4. Sweating

5. Patchy hair loss

Hair loss treatment;

The following treatment options are recommended for more hair loss;

1. Lifestyle changes

a. Healthy diet;

Keeping a healthy diet may help you maintain hair health. A mix of fruits, vegetables, complete grains, unsaturated fats, and lean meats should be included in your diet. Reduce the number of sweets you eat.

b. Relieve stress;

Stress can have a negative impact on both the health of your hair and the rest of your body. Hair loss may result from an active lifestyle. By engaging in regular exercise, yoga, and meditation, you can lower your stress to stimulate hair regrowth.

c. Massage your entire scalp hair;

In addition to making massages feel wonderful, m assage of the head stimulates the hair follicles.

d. Quit smoking;

If you smoke, you've probably heard about all the negative effects it has on your lungs. Did you realize that smoking might contribute to hair loss, though? A study found that smokers typically experienced some degree of hair loss more frequently than non-smokers.

2. Treatment laser therapy;

The irritation in the hair follicles that stops cells from regrowing is thought to be lessened by laser treatment in some hair loss conditions, such as alopecia areata. Several types of hair loss may be helped by low-level laser therapy to encourage hair growth.

3. Medical treatment;

Two types of medications are recommended for hair loss.

a. Minoxidil;

Minoxidil is available as a solution or a foam. To stimulate hair development and prevent hair loss, use it twice daily to the scalp. Minoxidil results can be observed after four to six months. Additional elements that impact performance include application and dosage.

b. Finasteride;

A drug called finasteride should be taken daily. It can only be obtained with a prescription from a doctor. The FDA states that it normally takes at least three months of consistent dosing for a medication to begin to take effect.

4. Hair transplant;

Follicular unit transplantation and follicular unit extraction are the two most common hair transplant techniques.

Remember that both hair transplant procedures are surgical, which means they can be costly and sometimes uncomfortable.

There are additional risks, including infections and scarring. You might need to have several hair transplant surgeries to get the finest results.

To learn more about hair loss, see our information page here.

Or, if you would like to learn more about mental health, click here.