1. Telogen Effluvium
Episodes of severe emotional or physical stress, like surgery or illness, can lead to hair loss. The most common form of stress-related hair loss is Telogen Effluvium.
Each hair on your head lives through three stages: The growing (anagen) stage; the transitional (catagen) stage; and the resting (telogen) stage. Each day we lose between 50 and 100 hairs, which fall out because new, or anagen, hair begins to grow and pushes out the resting hair in that follicle. On a daily basis, so few hairs are involved that we hardly notice except on a hairbrush or in the bathroom sink.
But an episode of severe stress can cause an abnormal amount of hair to shift abruptly into the telogen, or resting phase. Nothing noticeable happens at first, but within a few months, the new hair begins to grow in, and the resting hairs are nudged out all at once, causing noticeable hair loss.
2. Alopecia Areata
In another kind of hair loss linked to severe stress, white blood cells attack individual hair follicles and stop hair growth. This condition, called Alopecia Areata, starts in small round patches. A person may have one or two of these "bald islands," or the hair loss may spread to the entire scalp (Alopecia Totalis). Even body hair may fall out (Alopecia Universalis).
3. Hair Often Grows Back
In the case of Telogen Effluvium, hair falling out is actually a sign that new hair is growing in. Unfortunately, a coverage gap exists, and it may be six to nine months before you begin to notice an improvement in the appearance of your hair. Medical treatment is rarely necessary. Alopecia Areata may resolve on its own, too.
4. Medical Treatment to Restore Hair Lost to Stress
Although Alopecia Areata may get better spontaneously, especially if it's limited to one or a bald spots, some people need medical help. A dermatologist may decide to treat you with a topical steroid, which may make hair regrow over the course of several months. Injecting a steroid may speed the process. Minoxidil may also work, especially when used with another medication, anthralin. This treatment irritates the skin, which in some people triggers hair regrowth. Another combination that may work in people with Alopecia Areata is the drug psoralen, which is taken by mouth, and exposure to UVA light.
5. When to See a Doctor Because of Hair Loss
See your doctor if the scalp in the area of the hair loss is scaly or red. Are you in your teens or 20s and losing hair fast? If so, make an appointment with your doctor. The same advice holds if you have menstrual problems or other symptoms like muscle weakness or cold intolerance.
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