Stress and Hair Loss
Many argue that stress can induce hair loss. All of us undergo some level of stress everyday, but does that mean we all suffer from stress-induced hair loss? No. Experts at WebMD say everyday stress is not going to make you bald. Stress-induced hair loss is not caused due to the heavy workload or tensions in your family or workplace.
Hair loss is an auto response to the physiological stress caused to the body. Stress in clinical terms refers to a condition wherein you start getting certain symptoms that affect your physiological balance. For example, people suffering from stress might experience sleep apnea, lack of appetite, mood swings and hypertension. All of these symptoms are likely to have an impact on your hair.
How Does Stress Cause Hair Loss?
Stress can directly influence the hair cycle. A normal hair cycle consists of a growth phase (anagen) and a resting phase (telogen). The growing phase of a single hair lasts for two to three years. After that it will go to the resting phase that lasts for 3 to 4 months before it falls out and is replaced by new one.
Severe stress can cause alterations in the physiological functions in your body and cause disproportionate number of hairs to go into the resting phase at a time, according to Carolyn Jacob, MD, founder and medical director of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology. As a result, the person experiences unusual hair fall three to four months later, or it may continue depending on the severity and duration of the stress experienced by the person.
What Causes Physiological Stress?
Physiological stress that causes hair loss can be diet, medication or lifestyle changes, says Amy McMichael, MD, professor of dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C, as quoted in WebMD.
For example, use of oral contraceptives might cause hair loss in women.
Over exercising is another example of stress-induced hair loss. Excessive exercise induces chronic stress conditions which cause the premature hair enter the telogen phase resulting in hair loss. Similarly, sudden weight reduction causes the body to lose essential nutrients, causing hair to enter the telogen phase quickly than usual.
The good news, however, is that stress-induced hair loss is temporary. Once the body returns to normal, hair growth resumes. If you are experiencing hair loss or any other symptoms of physiological stress such as sleep disorder and lack of appetite, you should consult a doctor and identify the factors that cause the stress. Accordingly you may slow down your exercise or stop the medications that cause the stress. As soon as you address the stressor, the normal hair cycle resumes.
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