Does Stress Cause Hairloss?

Long-term, or chronic, stress puts people at risk for a variety of health problems. These can include depression and anxiety, as well as problems with digestion and sleep. Chronic stress has also long been linked to hair loss, but the reasons weren’t well understood. 

 

Hair growth involves three stages. In growth (anagen), strands of hair push through the skin. In degeneration (catagen), hair ceases to grow, and the follicle at the base of the strand shrinks. In rest (telogen), hair falls out and the process can begin again. Hair is among the few tissues that mammals can regenerate throughout their lifetime.

 

The hair growth cycle is driven by stem cells that reside in the hair follicle. During growth, stem cells divide to become new cells that regenerate hair. In the resting period, the stem cells are inactive. Until now, researchers hadn’t determined exactly how chronic stress impaired hair follicle stem cells.

 

What is stress?

Stress is an emotional or physical strain on your mind or body that is positive when it comes in short bursts but detrimental to your health when it lingers. Positive stress can help you meet deadlines or avoid danger, while negative stress can progress into anxiety and depression. You may experience stress from events or thoughts (stressors) that make you feel overwhelmed, angry, or frustrated.

 

The two major forms of stress are acute and chronic stress.

 

Acute stress goes away as quickly as it comes; it’s what you experience when in a fight-or-flight mood with your adrenaline pumping. Chronic stress lasts much longer than acute stress; it may go on for weeks or even months.

 

What are the symptoms of stress?

The symptoms of stress are in two parts; physical and mental or emotional symptoms. Stress affects you physically through:

 

• Hair loss (stress alopecia)
• Poor immune system
• Body aches and pains
• Insomnia
• Muscle tension
• Exhaustion
• Digestive problems
• High blood pressure

 

One-word answer – yes. According to reliable evidence, chronic stress can cause three types of hair loss:

 

TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM

Chronic stress forces hundreds of hair follicles into the telogen or resting phase. The affected follicles suddenly stop undergoing stem cell regeneration, and after about 2-4 months, the hairs attached to the follicles fall off. This process occurs during normal shedding, but where only 5-10% of hair follicles shed, chronic stress can crank it to a staggering 50%.

 

TRICHOTILLOMANIA

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder that compels the sufferer to pull their hair, usually to cope with negative emotions such as tension, stress, and anxiety. So, the memes and social media stickers you see pulling their hairs out in response to stress aren’t exaggerations. Stress can actually make you rip your hair out.

 

ALOPECIA AREATA

In this condition, chronic stress causes the body’s immune system to attack hair follicles, causing them to fall off. The hairs may fall out in clumps and chunks, leading to stress bald spots or stress balding.