Hair loss due to stress is a common problem which affects men and women of all ages. People have a lot of doubts when it comes to stress related hair loss - How does stress trigger a loss of hair? How serious is it? Can it be treated? Can it be prevented? Will hair grow back after treatment? Let us look at the answers to these questions.
Hair loss due to stress - how does stress trigger it?
Hair growth is a complex phenomenon. There is an active growth period in which your hair grows actively for a period of about two years. Then there is a rest period in which there is no growth. Then comes a fall period in which the hair falls from your scalp. When you are stressed out, it has a negative effect on your entire body and your hair goes from active growth phase to rest phase very quickly. Then, within a few months, you start losing a considerable amount of hair. This process is usually called telogen effluvium.
What causes stress?
This is an important question. People get stressed out for a number of reasons - job loss, pregnancy, child birth, accidents, death of loved ones, serious health problems, and so on. It differs from person to person. When people become depressed or stressed out due to any of these reasons, their physical and mental health gets affected and this leads to hair loss due to stress.
How serious is this problem?
It is not a serious problem at all if you do not mind going bald. Jokes apart, you will lose a lot of hair even before you start noticing it. While you might not go completely bald, there might be a noticeable difference in your scalp. In most cases, hair loss due to stress is a temporary phenomenon and the hair usually grows back after some time. However, in some cases, it could lead to permanent, long term hair loss.
Can it be treated?
Of course, it is possible to treat hair loss due to stress. The first thing you should do when you notice that you are losing a lot of hair is visit a good dermatologist. By asking you some questions and by doing some tests, he should be able to find the cause for your hair loss. If it is due to emotional stress, he might ask you to attend counseling sessions. He might also suggest taking multivitamin tablets and omega 3 fatty acid supplements to improve hair growth.
Is it possible to prevent hair loss due to stress?
There is no definite answer to this question. In most cases, extreme emotional stress is triggered by life-changing incidents like child birth, death of close friends or relatives, or sudden job loss. So, it is never possible to predict such incidents and avoid them in advance. However, there are certain things you can do to reduce the extent of damage considerably. They include regular physical exercise, eating a healthy diet, taking vitamins and omega 3 fatty acid supplements, and by using a mild shampoo and conditioner regularly.
Will it grow back after treatment?
In most cases, it will. However, in some cases, it could lead to long term hair loss. It depends on factors like your health and genetics.
There's no need to be held back by hair loss due to stress. There are natural ways to treat it and have a major positive impact on your overall health too.