Stress
Did you know that stress can show up in your hair?
Many of us are trying to juggle too many things at once. We strive for perfection in many areas in our lives and carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. This can be detrimental to the overall health of our hair. You can start to notice your hair thinning and even falling out. Do not ignore the stress in your life. Rather try to find ways to address the stress and if possible decrease it or remove the stressor all together. This may not always be possible and other options would be to add exercise, yoga, and meditation to your daily routine. Meditation is a time when you can quiet your mind for a few minutes and pause in the middle of a hectic day. Taking in deep breaths can slow down your heart rate, and reset your mood. Exercise has been found to be a great way to increase blood flow to the parts of your brain that are important for the regulation of emotions.
Below are some examples of how stress can show up in your hair.
Telogen effluvium
Hair follicles are stuck in the telogen phase (resting phase) and start to fall out or shed. It can appear as an abrupt temporary loss of hair. Usually secondary to more than just one day of stress, but rather long term stress. A common example is post partum. Women may notice that their hair starts to fall out after they have delivered. The good news is that hair will usually start to grow again and this does not lead to permanent hair loss.
Trichotillomania
Stress can accumulate to the point where people are pulling out their own hair. This is usually a psychological condition that manifests anxiety in the form of pulling out bodily hair. Treating the anxiety disorder can help to prevent further hair loss, as the anxiety/stress is usually what is leading to the pulling of hair.