Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Can Stress And Depression Cause Hair Loss

How To Identify Stress

Can Stress Cause Hair Loss?

Telogen effluvium usually causes diffuse thinning, a type of hair loss that affects your entire scalp. If you have telogen effluvium, your hair will normally look thinner and less dense than normal, especially under bright light.

Normally, telogen effluvium doesnt cause a receding hairline, crown hair loss or other common symptoms of androgenetic alopecia . It also usually doesnt cause patches of hair loss, which are a common symptom of alopecia areata .

Its normal to lose between 50 and 100 hairs every day. Diagnosis of telogen effluvium is usually made if you shed more than 100 hairs daily, or if you dont quickly regrow the hairs you lose as a result of stress-induced hair loss.

Stress-induced hair loss can usually be identified by looking at the hairs you lose. Since the hair loss from telogen effluvium occurs during the telogen phase, many of the hairs you lose should have a small, white bulb at the root.

If youre worried that you might have telogen effluvium, the best option is to schedule a meeting with your healthcare provider. Theyll be able to identify and diagnose the type of hair loss youre experiencing, making it easier to choose an effective treatment.

Does Depression Cause Hair Loss

Depression can significantly affect the quality of our hair. Our hair breaks very easily, it becomes dry, it loses its lustre and shine, and dandruff appears. Most importantly, experts say that depression can cause hair loss. Psychological states of depression, such as low mood and self-esteem, pessimism, discouragement, futility, and feeling drained can be a major factor in the rapid death of our hair.

What Is Hair Loss

Hair loss is a common problem that affects up to 50% of men and women throughout their lives .

Hair loss can be broadly categorised into scarring alopecia and non-scarring alopecia, with hair loss on the scalp further classified as focal or diffuse alopecia.

Hair loss can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly affects the scalp. Abundant scalp hair has societal and cultural importance. Loss of scalp hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes frequently leads to psychological distress.

Hair loss

Also Check: Difference Between Crippling Depression And Depression

Causes Of Anxiety Hair Loss

Hair loss is never the only symptom of anxiety. But it is a distressing one.

The key issue between anxiety and hair loss is stress. Anxiety can create long term and persistent stress. While technically these are two separate conditions and long term stress on its own can lead to many of the same symptoms, the reality is that anyone dealing with anxiety is putting themselves under severe mental and physical stress all the time.

Stress can cause many conditions that lead to hair loss. These include:

  • Alopecia Areata – Sudden loss of large clumps of hair in areas around your scalp or gradual hair loss that builds over time.
  • Telogen Effluvium – This is a condition where more hairs than normal prepare to fall out.
  • Trichotillomania – This is a habitual condition caused by stress and anxiety where the person pulls out hairs – sometimes without realizing it.

It’s highly likely that those with mild hair loss caused by anxiety are suffering from either telogen effluvium, or simply stress weakened hair. But the other two are also a concern and affect a smaller percentage of the anxiety population.

Many individuals with anxiety conditions suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Lack of vitamins will develop problems with growing back hair that naturally falls out daily.

Hairs have a growth cycle of two years before stopping and falling out two months later. If your body “tells” more hairs than normal to stop growing, two months later more hairs will fall out.

What Are The Factors That Add Stress To My Body

Hair Loss Depression Anxiety
  • Fear and uncertainty. Hearing regularly in the papers about the threat of terrorist attacks, global warming and toxic chemicals can be stressful, especially because
  • Relationships and opinions. The way you look at the world or a particular situation can determine whether it is stressful.
  • Unrealistic expectations.

Recommended Reading: Can Depression Be Cured Permanently

Potential Ways To Cope

Maybe youre stuck in a job you hate. Or, youre overwhelmed by emotional events, such as a divorce, death in the family, or a wayward child who is now a juvenile delinquent. These catastrophic life-enduring events can easily cause severe anxiety and depression. And, thats when you notice substantial hair loss, a bonus you can do without. Following are tips to counteract anxiety and depression and hopefully trigger hair improvement.

  • Learn and practice relaxation techniques regularly, such as deep breathing, meditation or yoga.
  • Get regular exercise, which helps to manage anxiety and its effects.
  • Spend time with positive people. Dont isolate yourself, which makes anxiety and depression worse.
  • Eat a healthy diet and take multivitamins and other supplements as prescribed by your doctor.
  • Treat your hair with care when washing, drying and styling.
  • Think about if you would look bald. Try it for a period of time before you stabilize your hair and it grows back.

How To Fight Back

First and foremost, take active steps to reduce your anxiety levels. If you are not currently undergoing anxiety treatment, the professionals at Destination Hope can help you understand the root of your anxiety and provide treatment options so you can live a healthy life.

With your anxiety and stress reduced after receiving treatment, your hair may begin to grow back on its own. A healthy diet and exercise can help also provide the nutrients needed for hair growth. Hair growth is a long process and your hair may not come back for months, so its important to be patient and continue working on monitoring your anxiety.

Don’t Miss: Best Anxiety And Depression Podcasts

Can Anxiety Cause Hair Loss And What Can You Do About It

Anxiety is a form of stress that not only affects the way you feel and act but also has an impact on your physical health and appearance. I went through many years of debilitating social anxiety and I journalled the effects it had on my physical health and appearance. I noted an increase in hair loss, a deterioration of skin appearance, increased muscle tension and increased skin sebum. But are these symptoms typical of anxiety?

In observing many of the physical symptoms of those who suffer anxiety I can say with confidence that hair loss is certainly not a guaranteed result of prolonged anxiety. In fact many anxiety sufferers can go for years suffering the condition without any major impact on their hair growth. However, emotional stress does have an impact on physical health, which undoubtedly affects the appearance of skin and hair whether it causes increased acne or worsening of hair health, or other visible physical symptoms.

What Should I Eat To Stop Hair Loss

Can Stress Cause Hair Loss? | Hair Loss Expert Dr. Phipps

1) Spinach: Spinach is an excellent vegetarian food for hair growth. Spinach is an excellent source of iron, vitamins A and C, and protein. 2) Eggs and Dairy: Eggs and dairy are great foods for hair growth and density. 3) Walnuts – Add walnuts to your diet to stop hair loss.

How long does it take to grow hair after shaving your head?

Read Also: What Should You Do If Your Depressed

Can Stress Make You Lose Hair Everyday

A little bit of daily hair loss is normal and there is nothing to worry about. However, if you feel like you’re losing too much hair, you may have a condition called telogen depletion, which means hair loss due to stress. Listen to the changes in your life over the past few months to see if it has caused stress.

Can Hormones Cause Hair Loss In Dogs

Cushing’s disease. This condition occurs due to an increase in corticosteroid levels caused by overproduction in the adrenal glands or an imbalance due to long-term corticosteroid treatment. Hypothyroidism is the most common hormonal disorder in dogs. Decreased production of hypothyroid hormones can lead to hair loss.

Also Check: What Should I Do For Depression

How Long Does It Take To Regrow Hair

Most of the time, any hair you lose from stress-induced hair loss will come back. After youve treated the root cause of your hair loss, its normal for your hair to grow back over three to six months.

However, because it can take several years for hair to grow to its full length, it can take quite a lot of time for your hair to completely restore itself after stress-induced hair loss.

Hair Loss Due To Stress

Stress causes hair loss

The connection between hair loss and stress has been confirmed by research and studies. However, stress-related hair loss is temporary. Mental stress can disrupt the normal growth cycle of your hair which causes it to stop functioning completely.

Stress forces hair follicles to rest, stopping the growth and leading to excessive shedding of your hair. When you are relieved of the stress the growth cycle gets restored to normal.

Stress has an important part in depression, anxiety as well as other mental health issues.

Also Check: I Am Depressed And No One Cares

Reduce Anxiety And The Hair May Come Back

The good news for anxiety sufferers is that not all anxiety related hair loss is permanent. If stress and anxiety are what caused your hair loss, then reducing that anxiety can help your hair come back when combined with vitamin and mineral supplements to aid in the process.

For more information about anxiety treatment strategies, .

Remember – not all hair comes back after it’s lost regardless of the cause, and your hair loss may be natural and not caused by anxiety at all. No matter what, you need to make sure that you are addressing your anxiety directly in order to both reduce the likelihood of anxiety related hair loss and reduce the anxiety you experience because of your lost hair.

Was this article helpful?

Anxiety/stress Conditions That Lead To Hair Loss

  • Telogen effluvium This condition is a common cause of temporary hair loss. More hairs than normal prepare to fall out. Anxiety/stress can direct the follicles into a resting phase, and they dont produce new hair strands. Over time, hair falls out more easily, even if youre just washing, combing or brushing as you usually do. Also, this condition can be caused by poor nutrition and changes in hormone levels.
  • Trichotillomania This condition becomes real as a person literally pulls out his hair when anxious, stressed or tense. This psychological condition materializes when a person deals with negative emotions by pulling out hair from his scalp, face and other parts of the body. Hair pulling can be a way of dealing with negative or uncomfortable feelings, such as stress, tension, loneliness, boredom or frustration. Its most commonly seen in teenage girls.
  • Alopecia areata When your bodys immune system attacks your hair follicles, it can provoke your hair to fall out. It can cause the hair to thin or create bald spots as well. Hair can regrow over time, but possibly fall out again. Genetics may play a role, but there is no exact conclusion. It might be time to think about shaving your head.

Doctors say its highly likely that persons with mild hair loss caused by anxiety are suffering from telogen effluvium. If anxiety and stress are brought under control, then your hair can rebound.

You May Like: Do Cell Phones Cause Depression

What Further Research Is Required On The Psychological Effects Of Hair Loss

A strong theoretical understanding of the psychological impact of alopecia is required, including knowledge of the immune system, the stress response, and psychological responses to hair loss. Appropriate treatment strategies and regimes need to be established, implemented, and studied in a clinical setting.

Self-consciousness about body image is consistently portrayed and commented upon in the media. The role of the media in emphasising an expectation of a full head of hair should be explored, as well as how it can be used to educate society about hair loss and tolerance of peoples physical differences.

Sufficient Care For The Body

Can stress or anxiety cause weight loss?

It is very essential to take good care of your body physically as well as mentally. Make sure to get ample exercise of the right kind, that suits your body needs and intake of necessary nutrients. This in turn helps in lowering the level of lethargy and energy drain caused by depression and also helps in lowering the amount of stress you have to deal with.

Manage to eat a well-balanced diet and get enough rest possible.

Recommended Reading: What It Feels Like To Have Depression

How To Cure Hair Fall

  • Egg Mask Eggs are rich in sulfur, phosphorus, selenium, iodine, zinc and proteins, which together promote hair growth. To prepare a mask, 1.
  • Whisk the paste and apply from root to tip.
  • After 20 minutes wash off with a mild shampoo.

Scalp massager for hair growthIs a scalp massage good for hair growth shampoo not losing? Scalp massage test. It is controversial whether improving circulation is the mechanism by which massaging the scalp improves hair growth. However, there is some evidence that massaging the scalp in some way can cause hair to grow back. In this 2016 study, nine men received a standard 4-minute scalp massage per day.Does massaging the scalp stim

How To Prevent Hair Loss Due To Stress

Medication will take you only so far. Treatments will only help recover from the visible signs of hair loss. But lifestyle changes are required to reduce stress and in turn, solve your problems of hair loss further

Stress can be a very silent yet integrated problem in your daily life. Keep stress and anxiety at bay and also allow the early signs to be taken up to an expert for timely resolution. Do not get carried away by home based solutions as they may cause further damage to your hair. All you need is a holistic treatment plan that suits your condition. For more information, visit your Oliva Clinic today!

Was this article helpful?

Recommended Reading: How To Control Depression Thoughts

How To Treat Hair Loss In Men

How to treat hair loss. 1. Eat more protein. Consuming more protein and following a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of hair loss. A 2017 study found that some of them took 2 multivitamin supplements. 3 Follow the Mediterranean diet. 4 Try a scalp massage. 5 Using coconut oil for damaged hair.

Hair regrowth for women

Can My Hair Loss Be Treated

can depression cause hair loss onettechnologiesindia com ONETTECHNOLOGIESINDIA.COM” alt=”Can depression cause hair loss > ONETTECHNOLOGIESINDIA.COM”>

Hair loss caused by mental health issues can in most cases be treated. The underlying problem of hair loss for most mental health issues is stress. Stress related hair loss, in most cases, stops its growth phase during a stressful period and lie dormant, causing the hair to shed. If the stress continues, the hair continues not to grow.

However, if the stress does stop your hair will resume its normal growth phase and after a month or so youll notice your hair loss would have stopped and new hair will begin to grow.

Other factors, such as side effects from medication cant be stopped, however, it is a possibility that you can talk to a GP about changing to medications that have different, and maybe fewer side effects.

If you would like to speak to one of our hair loss specialists about your hair loss please contact us for a no obligation consultation.

Recommended Reading: Suboxone For Anxiety And Depression

Overcoming Depression And Anxiety When Losing Your Hair

Going bald can seem terrible like everybody is laughing at you. Here is our advice on how to overcome depression and anxiety when losing your hair.

Depression and anxiety are hair killers! They affect our physical and psychological state, and often manifest themselves in hair loss. A significant loss of hair, often times, is directly related to overwork, stress, lack of sleep, a marriage breakup, drugs and poor health.

But it is your hair. You can take steps to overcome these hair killers but you must understand the impact that hair loss is having on you and take steps to mitigate it. It is up to you to either save your hair or embrace the loss and become beautifully bald!

Psychological states of depression, such as low mood and self-esteem, being pessimistic, feeling drained of energy, being continually discouraged, and believing life is futile, can result in the rapid death of hair.

Anxiety and hair loss have a complex relationship. If youre living in constant fear of losing your hair, you may actually be contributing to your own hair loss. This fear can create such anxiety and stress that your hair literally falls out.

Do Women Experience More Hair Loss Due To Covid

Generally, women pay more attention to their appearance than men and they are more sensitive to their looks. Therefore, when experienced with a COVID-19 related hair loss, they exhibit stronger symptoms of depression and anxiety which trap them in a vicious circle of stress and hair loss.

Utkan Kzltaç, MD

Chief Physician and Dermatologist Hair Transplant Surgeon of UnitedCare, a dermatology clinic helping patients become the best version of themselves.

Also Check: Who Do You See For Anxiety And Depression

Normal Hair Loss Vs Hair Loss Due To Depression

There are certain points of differentiation between normal hair loss and hair loss caused by depression. Some of them are as given below

  • There will be no hairline recession in hair loss caused due to depression which is not the case with normal hair fall caused due to other reasons.
  • Hair loss caused by depression lasts much longer than normal hair fall.
  • When in depression, the hair growth cycle goes into a shocking state which stunts the growth of the hair follicles abruptly when compared to normal hair loss that mostly takes place gradually.

Popular Articles
Related news