Stress and Hair Loss
“I’m so stressed out, I’m losing my hair!” said a friend going through trials with her teenage children. Stress really can make one lose their hair and they even have a name for this type of hair loss, called telogen effluvium. This common type of hair loss is often seen by dermatologists.
Telogen refers to the resting state between hair growth periods and effluvium means “outflow.” The three stages of hair growth are: anagen, where 80 to 90 percent of hairs are in the growth stage, catagen is the transitional stage where hair follicles shrink and telogen is the stage before hair loss, where 10 to 15 percent of hair lies.
Stress causes more hair to enter the telogen phase. The hair stops growing, then falls out two to three months later, but will usually grow back in six to nine months. This is why the hair loss is not immediate, but occurs after a stressful event, such as the loss of hair that occurs three to six months after childbirth. The sudden change in hormones creates this post-pregnancy stress; this type of hair loss is also called postpartum alopecia.
Other sources of stress that can cause telogen effluvium hair loss are: surgery, auto accidents, medical problems such as thyroid disease or lupus, physical trauma, dietary deficits, medications and severe emotional stress. Some dermatologists believe that low iron can contribute as well as lack of other substances that are frequently missing in our diets, such as zinc, amino acid L-lysine, or vitamins B6 and B12.
Teflogen effluvium is usually reversible once the precipitating event has passed or is treated, and the hair follicles return to their normal balance between anagen and teflogen. If emotional stress is the cause of the hair loss, then clearly the emotional burden is taking its toll and searching for ways to relieve stress becomes even more important.
Stress reducers such as exercise, listening to calm music and learning new ways to react to stressful situations, as well as eating a good diet, may help. It is also important to determine if any medical reason is contributing to the hair loss.
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Stress certainly may cause telogen effluvium, generally temporary hair loss. The writer did a good job explaining this especially the recommendation to see a physician to rule out any medical reasons or to see if the hair loss might be symptom of something else. Good article.
--Candace Hoffmann author Breaking the Silence on Women's Hair Loss
Thank you for taking the time to write such a positive comment. I went to your site and learned about the Sox21 gene study that indicates a gene may be responsible for hair loss. I hope it turns out to be a missing link. I think with hair loss, like many health issues, women suffer from being told their problems are psych related instead of practioners taking the time to be sure.
Michele
Did anyone see the documentary, "Gray Gardens," about Edie Bouvier, Sr. and "Little" Edie (relatives of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis)? Little Edie suffered from alopecia that seemed to be associated with a high level of stress in her life.
Princess Caroline of Monaco also suffered this condition.
How is alopecia diagnosed versus other conditions that might cause the hair loss?
Hi Alysiak,
I copied just this sentence from the article below as you aren't supposed to copy and post any part of the article but it is a good article from American Family physician with photos and describes some of the treatments.
"The diagnosis is usually based on a thorough history and a focused physical examination. In some patients, selected laboratory tests or punch biopsy may be necessary."
This is the site of the rest of the article:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030301/1007.html
In general, a good physical exam by a doctor with screening labwork to rule out other medical conditions that a woman shows other symptoms of may provide clues as to whether the hair loss is an isolated problem or not. Review of medications is also important as hair loss could be a side effect of drugs as well.
Interesting article. My mother's hair thinned in her 40's as does my own. Both of us suffer anemia/or low iron. This is the first I have read that iron may be a contributing factor. I'm on my way to pick up some iron supplements now, along with a good multivitamin. Thank you, very informative.