Hair loss due to stress is one of the biggest causes of both men and women losing their hair. You may have noticed your hair falling out in clumps, particularly whilst washing or brushing. If you’re unsure of the root cause, stress could be the culprit!
Stress-related hair loss is caused due to chemical changes within the body when we’re put under stress. These changes confuse our normal bodily cycle and the result can be increased hair loss.
Why does stress cause hair loss?
As mentioned above, our bodies are finely tuned machines and any change can have a knock-on effect.
You may be confused as to why your body chooses to shed hair when it is stressed, the answer is that the normal cycle of hair loss is interrupted and this is what causes the hair to cease growth and fall out.
Stress can also have an affect on hormones and other chemical reactions in the body, such as adrenaline, testosterone and even cholesterol. Any imbalance in the bodies infrastructure, therefore, causes a shift in other functions of the body. This doesn’t just stop at hair loss, it can also affect digestive system and energy levels.
What to do when you notice hair loss
If you notice that your hair is shedding more than normal, there are a few steps you can take to identify the cause:
- Use mindfulness to identify stress or emotional imbalances
- Try a clean and healthy diet and exercise routine to see if it makes a difference
- Consult your GP – They will be able to identify if there is a deeper, medical reason for your hair loss
Getting a diagnosis from your GP should be one of the first points of call, should you experience a sudden onset of extreme hair loss. This hair loss could be due to stress, but there could also be other reasons, such as issues with your thyroid.
How to reduce stress
If your hair loss has been chalked up due? to stress, there are a few things you can do to try and ease the symptoms and reduce stress overall.
Many of the solutions include smaller tasks and steps to improve your mental health, so not only will they help to slow down your hair loss, but they will also help you deal with daily tasks and stressful situations with more ease.
- Practice meditation and mindfulness techniques, such as breathing exercises.
- Find out the main cause of your stress and see if there is a way to resolve the situation – this could be as simple as talking to your boss about your concerns or seeking professional help like therapy.
- Remove yourself from the stressful situation, if possible.
Once you have identified the route cause of your stress, you should be able to formulate a plan to reduce stress and consequently restore balance within the body.
If you have seen severe hair loss due to stress and are looking for a more permanent solution, why not come and visit us for a consultation and find out how we can help?