Can Stress Cause Hair Loss?

Can stress cause hair loss? People losing more strands of hair than usual often wonder if anxiety or long-term stress is to blame. A number of factors contribute to hair thinning, hair loss, and balding. Commonly, chronic stress is believed to be a contributing factor to hair loss, however, people want to know whether there is any truth to that claim.

If you are overworked, going through a divorce, or grieving the loss of a family member, chronic or long-term stress will give rise to a variety of health problems. Follow along to know stress-related hair loss and whether its effects are permanent or temporary.

Does Stress Lead to Hair Loss?

Yes, anxiety and stress trigger hair loss that causes them to fall out. Luckily, stress-induced hair loss lasts about three to six months before the regrowth starts. To clarify, not all types of hair loss can be associated with stress, sometimes it can be caused by an underlying medical condition.

Moreover, stress-induced hair loss does not mean that hair growth is stopped permanently. Instead, the normal hair growth and regrowth cycle resume once the stress level gets back to normal. If there is no underlying health condition to be accountable for hair loss, the hair will grow back once the specific period passes.

Stress-Induced Hair Loss Types

Yes, anxiety and stress trigger hair loss that causes them to fall out. Luckily, stress-induced hair loss lasts about three to six months before the regrowth starts. To clarify, not all types of hair loss can be associated with stress, sometimes it can be caused by an underlying medical condition.

Moreover, stress-induced hair loss does not mean that hair growth is stopped permanently. Instead, the normal hair growth and regrowth cycle resume once the stress level gets back to normal. If there is no underlying health condition to be accountable for hair loss, the hair will grow back once the specific period passes.

Stress-Induced Hair Loss Types

Emotional stress causes hair to fall out on its own and as people get anxious about losing hair, it increases the stress levels further and causes significant hair loss. Higher levels of stress are associated with mainly three types of hair loss.

Alopecia Areata – Alopecia Areata (AA) is linked with chronic stress that attacks hair follicles resulting in hair loss. In some cases, this autoimmune condition causes mild thinning while in other cases circular bald spots appear across the entire scalp.

In extreme cases, round patches progress to complete baldness. Mostly, hair growth returns back to normal after a few months. This autoimmune condition affects both men and women, it can be cured with some prescription medications.

Trichotillomania – Colloquially known as hair-pulling disorder, it is a physiological condition in which the person has an irresistible urge to pull hair from the scalp or other parts of the body.

It is believed to be linked with higher stress levels, boredom, tension, frustration, and loneliness. Mostly common in preteens, the individual may pull hair to relieve negative emotions or stress.

Telogen Effluvium – Lastly, Telogen Effluvium (TE) is the most common type of hair loss associated with significant emotional stress. Despite having hundreds of thousands of hair follicles, not all of them grow actively. Hair in the resting or ‘telogen’ phase stops growing before eventually falling out in a few months.

People suffering from TE have more hair follicles pushed to the resting phase. On average, people with TE suffer from significant hair loss, losing about 300 hair each day. Many researchers suggest that severe stress can reduce the anagen phase, pushing more hair follicles into the telogen phase.

This type of hair loss is triggered by chronic stress, anxiety, and negative emotions. Importantly, hair may not start to fall out until several weeks after a stressful experience. Fortunately, this hair loss type is not permanent and hair return to pre-effluvium density within six months

Is Stress-Induced Hair Loss Permanent?

No, fortunately, most people experience hair regrowth within a few months. They just have to wait it out before the period passes, however, the rate of regrowth will vary from person to person.

If the hair loss is caused solely by the higher stress levels, this condition will resolve on its own and the person will experience regrowth. To expedite hair growth, consult a doctor for treatment and medication.

For hair loss types associated with AA and TE, it takes from six to nine months for the normal hair growth cycle to begin. As for Trichotillomania, there is a possibility that it may be genetic, therefore, often lasts a lifetime.

Treatment For Stress-Induced Hair Loss Types

In some instances, people do not experience regrowth, or the growth pattern is not fully resumed. Different treatments are available to expedite hair growth and reverse hair loss.

• Telogen Effluvium Treatment – Doctors usually recommend a topical treatment for mild thinning caused by TE. For this purpose, most patients are prescribed minoxidil (Regaine) for the treatment of Telogen Effluvium.
• Alopecia Areata Treatment – For treating AA, GP and dermatologists prescribe steroid creams, lotions, tablets, or injections. In addition, other treatments available for Alopecia Areata are Dithranol and Immunotherapy.
• Trichotillomania Treatment – Since Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder, it is suggested to go for psychological therapy, for instance, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

It is advised to discuss it with your doctor about the treatment before taking any medication.

Various Ways to Reverse Stress-Related Hair Loss

There are a number of ways to accelerate new hair growth after stress-induced hair loss.

Nutrition – Eating a balanced diet full of essential nutrients is necessary for hair health and growth. Include all essential vitamins important for hair growth in the diet. Vitamin C, Vitamin B, and Vitamin E are significant contributors to hair growth and a healthy scalp.

Stress Management – Identify the situation that triggers stress and anxiety to find a way to manage stress levels and prevent further hair loss. Some of the stress management techniques include doing exercises, yoga, and meditation regularly. Besides, a person can develop new hobbies and write about their experiences to relieve stress.

Castor Oil – A popular home remedy for hair growth is the use of castor oil. Anecdotal evidence indicates that castor oil stimulates hair regrowth.

If you are not seeing any hair regrowth, the hair loss may not be stress-induced but due to other factors. Aging, genetics, medical conditions, and hormonal changes also cause or contribute to hair loss. Plus, nutritional deficiencies expedite hair loss and delay regrowth.