Stress and Hair Loss in Women & Men

It is scientifically proven that stress and hair loss in women and men is related. Symptoms often show as gradually loss of hair over a longer period of time, typically related to psychological stress with acute anxiety and depression.

Examples could be a difficult divorce, death, extreme weight loss, pregnancy, surgery or a stressful work environment.

Stress affects our hormone balance and can contribute to excess tallow production on the scalp resulting in scalp disorders that cause the hair loss. If you are affected by severe stress or other mental problems, it may cause one of the following two types of hair loss conditions.

  • Telogen effluvium is a stress related condition particularly common for physical and mental stress that cause sudden hair loss while either showering or combing. Stress causes more hair to be pushed into the resting stage where the hair stops growing and eventually falls out. The effects usually take a couple of months with stress, before the hair loss occurs, and in most cases grows back within 9 months, once the stress is relieved.
  • Another stress and hair loss related condition is called alopecia areata in which white blood cells attack the hair follicles. The most common area is the scalp, but hair loss can also occur throughout the entire body. Symptoms are small bald patches that can have any shape, but are usually round and can have a tingly sensation. This condition involves rapid hair loss where a patch of hair suddenly falls off and can in some cases be the result of an underlying medical condition.

Stress and Hair Loss in Men

Stress related causes of hair loss in men are much more common than with women. The three most common causes of hair loss in men are stress, hereditary baldness and lack of proper nutrition and vitamins. Luckily stress is the least severe condition of the three, and can be treated in the majority of cases.

Stress and Hair Loss in Women

Women on the other hand are not prone to hair loss as men, but in some circumstances, stress is one of the causes of hair loss in women. As with men, hereditary baldness is one of the most common forms of hair loss, female genetic alopecia also known as fragile hair is one of the main causes of hair loss in woman. Women with this hereditary gene defect can be affected by stress and hair loss, but rarely goes completely bald. In women, the hair line does not recede although hair becomes thinner.

Back in 2006 it was proven that stress can function as a hair growth inhibitor by experimentation on mice. You can reduce stress by yoga or other mental relaxation methods and by listening to your favorite relaxation music and exercise such as swimming or running. Stress and hair loss can also be reduced by participating in a stress program which most of the time explains all the factors connected to stress and gives you a set of tools to prevent stress.

In severe cases of mental problems or depression causing stress and hair loss, you should consult your doctor for a physical check up. Hair loss can easily be caused by genetics, heredity or vitamin and mineral deficiencies.