Can stress cause hair loss? Yes, stress can cause hair loss, but it’s not quite that simple; there is a complex relationship between the two. The connection depends largely on the type of hair loss involved, its extent and permanence and how those vary between individuals.
However, one thing always remains consistent – losing your hair can be an incredibly difficult experience, whether the loss is temporary or permanent, caused by stress or otherwise. Read on to discover how stress can cause hair loss, as well as how to combat and remedy it.
Who Experiences Hair Loss Due to Stress?
Stress-related hair loss can affect anybody who has recently experienced trauma or extremely elevated stress levels. Trauma refers to a deeply distressing experience, ranging from physical and mental illness such as depression to major life events like divorce or bereavement. Stress can cause hair loss regardless of age or gender as the condition is prompted by environmental factors rather than being hereditary.
Why Does Stress Cause Hair Loss?
Stress-related hair loss is most commonly due to telogen effluvium, which puts the hair follicles into a state of rest. Trichotillomania and alopecia areata are two other conditions that are strongly linked to stress and can result in hair loss.
Telogen effluvium: here, stress can cause hair loss by forcing the follicles to enter the ‘resting’ phase of growth prematurely. This results in hair falling out from the friction caused by simple daily activities, such as combing and washing. With telogen effluvium, hair doesn’t necessarily fall out but stops growing as it should. Telogen effluvium can cause normal hair shedding to become extensive, affecting up to 70% of scalp hair.
Trichotillomania: this is a disorder in which an individual compulsively pulls hair from the body, including the scalp, as a reaction to stress. The individual often doesn’t realise the practice is occurring.
Alopecia areata: this condition is caused by several factors that may or may not include stress. Alopecia areata triggers the body’s immune system to attack the individual’s hair follicles, in turn causing hair to fall out either in patches or completely. Having alopecia areata can also cause stress which can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You can learn more about different types of hair loss on our comprehensive hair loss guide. Despite their differences, all of the above forms of hair loss are, or can be, a reaction to stress. However, they are not the only reasons that stress can cause hair loss. Other reasons why stress causes hair loss include:
Hormonal imbalance: Stress can cause hormonal imbalances that lead to hair loss. Increased volumes of testosterone can be activated by an influx of adrenaline and have been known to trigger hair loss, particularly in women.
Nutrition and diet: Stress can cause hair loss through poor nutrition. A common side-effect of stress is to stop taking care of yourself, which can lead to malnutrition and result in hair loss.
Additionally, stress can cause hair loss by affecting digestion to the point that nutrients may not be properly absorbed.
How Can You Combat Stress-Related Hair Loss?
A range of different treatments exists to combat hair loss through stress. Common treatments include ointments, tablets, lotions, and different forms of therapy, amongst other methods. If these methods are unsuccessful, hair transplant surgery is an increasingly popular option.
The best way to figure out the right treatment for you is by consulting your GP. They will help you determine whether stress truly is the root cause of your hair loss, and should offer alternative treatment options that are suitable for you.
However, the most effective treatment for stress-related hair loss is undoubtedly not to target the loss of hair itself but the stress causing it, which you can also discuss with your GP. Once the cause of your stress has been recognised, you can work on tackling and hopefully extinguishing it.
As well as removing the source of stress from your life, it’s also good to look at regularly practising stress-prevention techniques as this will help prevent hair loss from returning. Some tips to reduce and prevent stress include:
DIET – eat filling, healthy meals and make sure to drink enough water. If you are a vegan, ensure you’re incorporating any necessary supplements to keep your hair healthy.
SLEEP – aim for eight hours of sleep at night; if you’re struggling, try a meditation app to help you drift off.
EXERCISE – known to release endorphins and reduce stress levels, exercise can help bring you back to a calmer state of mind.
MINDFULNESS– practising yoga or mindfulness can help banish anxiety or nervous thoughts.
HELP – if you’re feeling down or struggling with stress, talk to a friend or loved one. If stress is holding you back and you can’t see a way out of it, seek help from a professional.
Does Hair Loss Due To Stress Grow Back?
When stress does cause hair loss, it’s likely that you’ll only experience hair loss for as long as you are feeling stressed or anxious. Your hair should typically begin to regrow within a few months after lowering your stress levels.
Sometimes, however, removing your source of stress isn’t so easy. What’s more, the regrowth timeframe can vary drastically between individuals, and trying to accept your newfound hair loss for the time being, even if temporary, can be incredibly tough.
Easing the Transition
One way to ease this difficulty is by wearing a wig. Wigs have proven to increase the confidence of those with hair loss (stress-related or otherwise), boost self-esteem, and create the opportunity to experiment with different looks in previously unavailable ways. They also have the added bonus of not putting any strain on your existing hair, which is particularly useful if you are dealing with telogen effluvium.
Wigs allow you to remain self-assured in situations where you may otherwise feel uncomfortable and make managing daily life with hair loss that much more bearable. Hairpieces are also extremely effective if you need to cover a certain trouble area. To prepare yourself, read up on wearing a wig for the first time, as well as what you need to keep in mind when purchasing a wig.
Potentially the worst part of stress hair loss is that worrying about your condition will keep you stuck in the hair loss cycle! So put yourself first, employ the above stress-reliever techniques, and remember that hair loss is more common than you think. Keep reading our blog for more advice, stories and information from those also experiencing hair loss.
Thank you for this article which I hope will reassure many people who find their hair falling out for no apparent reason, and for the advice on how to try to deal with it. I am pleased to have my wig to fall back on – and as my own hair loss has regrown and now fallen out again, patchily, I think I can now deal with it. Well worth reading carefully and noting the advice given.