If you're under an inordinate amount of stress, it's possible that you may experience thinning hair and hair loss. According to MayoClinic.com, high levels of stress may be a cause of certain types of hair loss. Stress-related hair loss disorders are usually not permanent, and it's possible for your hair to grow back once the stressful situation has been resolved.
Hair Growth Cycle and Stress
According to BBC Health, normal hair growth occurs in a cycle that alternates between two key phases. Your hair actively grows for a few years during the anagen phase. It then enters the telogen, or resting phase, where it ceases growth and is eventually shed due to new hair growth. Stress can cause an abnormal amount of your hair to enter the resting phase. Several months later, these hairs are shed at once, causing abnormal hair loss and hair thinning.
Types
Stress may be a cause of three different types of hair-loss disorders. According to MayoClinic.com, stress can play a role in alopecia areata, an immune disorder resulting in hair loss, telogen effluvium, a hair-loss disorder related to psychological and emotional stress, and trichotillomania, a psychological disorder in which people pull out their own hair due to stress.
Causes
Certain types of stress are prominent factors in hair loss disorders. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, stressors such as childbirth or pregnancy, high fevers, illness and inordinate amounts of psychological stress are factors in telogen effluvium. According to Aurora Health Care, the same factors play a role in alopecia. People who suffer from trichotillomania pull out their hair as a distraction from dealing with negative feelings, anxiety and other forms of psychological stress, according to MayoClinic.com.
Treatment
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, certain home remedies and lifestyle changes can help you to deal with stress and prevent certain types of hair loss. Eating healthy, nutritious meals, engaging in regular exercise and implementing a relaxation program through techniques such as meditation or yoga can help you to reduce the symptoms of certain hair-loss disorders.
Expert Insight
According to an August 26, 2010, New York Times interview with Dr. Maria Hordinsky, a dermatologist from the University of Minnesota, stress is not always a factor in hair loss. You may experience hair loss even if you're not undergoing severe stress. Similarly, experiencing stress doesn't always mean you will lose your hair. More scientific research is needed to fully validate the link between hair loss and stress.
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