Stressed out? So is your hair!

Even without a major pandemic, everyone’s experience is vastly different. Still, in 2020, I think we can all agree we had some shared experiences. I am talking about stress. And, sadly, just because the ball dropped this month, doesn’t mean it’s gone away.

We know that stress impacts the body. My shoulders will start to get tense and pull towards my shoulders. Often, I’ll get headaches. You probably know your own stress signs. For many people, hair loss is a symptom of stress.

Why stress causes hair loss?

Three types of hair loss that can be associated with high stress levels are:

• Telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase. Within a few months, affected hairs might fall out suddenly when simply combing or washing your hair.
• Trichotillomania. Trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh) is an irresistible urge to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body. Hair pulling can be a way of dealing with negative or uncomfortable feelings, such as stress, tension, loneliness, boredom or frustration.
• Alopecia areata. A variety of factors are thought to cause alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh ar-e-A-tuh), possibly including severe stress. With alopecia areata, the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles — causing hair loss.

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be permanent. Get a handle on your stress, and you will likely see the hair loss stop. In the meantime, remember that different cuts and styles can diminish the appearance of the loss.

Stress and hair loss don’t have to be permanent. If you get your stress under control, your hair might grow back. So, feel free to reach out me to if you are experiencing hair loss.