Is stress making your hair fall out?

by Brigitte Dale (Subscribe to Brigitte Dale's posts)
Nov 16th 2006 3:15PM

Categories: Stress Reduction, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health

When your body is dealing with stress, your hair becomes a low priority for receiving the body's energy and nutrients. So during especially stressful times your hair can enter a resting phase, basically falling out and waiting to regrow until the body is under less stress.

Stress triggers for hair loss are usually personal and emotional, like the death of a family member, divorce, surgery or major illness, or being involved in an accident. For some women, the stress of pregnancy also leads to hair loss, despite the common assumption that pregnancy equals beautiful, healthy hair and nails. (That's usually more a result of the prenatal vitamins anyway.)

It takes a few weeks for the hair loss to begin, so often by the time you notice your hair thinning, the stress has passed. The good news is that once the stress is under control, hair will usually begin to regrow after 6 to 12 weeks. Eating plenty of protein and healthy fats can help your hair regrow as quickly as possible.

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Comments (29)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Kia Guest 11-23-2006 @ 11:59PM

I know this too be true, because over the course of 6 years, I have noticed how thin my hair has gotten, especially within the past year where my stress load was astronomical! Just yesterday, I combed out a clump of hair..and I take my multi-vitamin, flaxseed oil, and calcium daily..yet my hair is still falling out.

Agnesmarie 11-19-2006 @ 2:47PM

Increasing the amount of biotin and horsetailrush herb extract in the diet will help considerably. Try GNC's Hair. Skin & Nails formula, it helped me.

Linda 11-19-2006 @ 3:00PM

also thyroid problems can cause hair loss. Have your thyroid checked.

Shana 11-19-2006 @ 3:20PM

This came at the right time my hair is totally falling out and it has just added to my stress. But it is nice to know that it will come back(of course it takes forever)

Linda Roberts 11-19-2006 @ 9:50PM

About fast foods and healty eating, the 2 don't mix. If I go to a fast food restruant, I expect, fast not healty. I rarely go to them, but the last time I went, the food was not as good, is this because of the healty innovations that have been made.

Sandi 11-19-2006 @ 5:03PM

This is true, I was in a stressful situation, and it fell out in patches. I was so embarassed. The dermatologist told me I had alopecia, my hairdresser told me to drink more wine...lol. In about 6 months, the patches grew a white soft fuzz, which fell out again, then replaced with normal hair. Stress is a horrible thing when you allow it to consume your being.

Stephanie 11-19-2006 @ 3:35PM

I've been using that same GNC Skin Hair & Nails formula, and it's been making a big difference for me too! It does work.

Please tell me, where do you get the HorseTailRush Herb Extract? I would really like to try it!

Carolyn 11-19-2006 @ 3:37PM

I am in the earlier stages of diabetes II. Can it make your fall out? I am now controlling my blood sugar.

diane 11-19-2006 @ 3:51PM

If you are taking Coumadin, antidepressants and high blood pressure medication all at the same time or each one by itself that can cause hair loss.

Sarah Arant 11-19-2006 @ 4:18PM

Now that there is a lot of emphasis on eating nuts to prevent altzhimers be aware that Brazil Nuts contain so many antioxidents that eating too many of them will cause your hair to fall out, the same as if you were taking chemo. (Info found in a health magazine). Eating all things in moderation is the best advice.

BOB 11-19-2006 @ 4:34PM

GET THE HORSE PRODUCT AT THE RED BARN IN TARZAN AND OXNARD

J 11-22-2006 @ 4:33PM

hormonal changes causes hairloss-check your hormonoes by your doctor and also use baby shampoo because it leaves your hair clean and does not weight it down

Dw. Dunphy 11-19-2006 @ 4:47PM

Yes, stress causes baldness. Stress causes one to pull out one's own hair too.

When will everyone just face the facts: male-pattern baldness is just something that happens, like life and "poop". Thousands have smeared ungodly substances on their pate to grow back the surrendering follicles, and all they became were tempting treats for escaped bears.

My point: Unless you would like to be an h'ors d'ouvres for a rampaging grizzly, make the best of what you've got and stop sweating what you've not.

DwD

Denise 11-19-2006 @ 4:50PM

Iron deficient anemia will also make your hair fall out.

Stacey 11-19-2006 @ 4:59PM

Check out Dr. Matt Leavitt's book "Women and Hair Loss: A Physician's Perspective" (sold on his website) for great info on the many reasons women lose their hair. There is also a wonderful section on all the questions your doctor should be asking you when you have hair loss, what tests he/she should be doing on you, etc.

Ralph Garcia 11-19-2006 @ 5:27PM

You won't believe this but I found it to work. When dealing in times of stress I found that my scalp will throw off a greasy type of sweat. It's not like normal sweat. I find that these cause hair follicles to clog up. I try to take a tissue to wipe it off. When I do, I find that my hair goes back to getting thicker. Ever wonder why bald people have shinier scalps? My theory is that they sweat out this sweat or grease from the top of their heads. To prove that this isn't bunk have you ever noticed that they're hair is not shiny from the sides or the back? Take a piece of dry cardboard and blot the top of your head. Then try the side of your head. Look at the cardboard. See what I mean. The part you blotted the top of your head with will have some kind of grease. Meanwhile the one you blotted the side of your head with is dry.

Robyn Webb 11-19-2006 @ 5:18PM

Lupus can also be a cause of hair loss. I had noticed for a couple of years that my hair had been thinning, and didn't know what the cause was. I didn't find out why my hair was falling out until I was diagnosed with lupus a year and a half ago. So, hair loss can be caused by more than stress.

Miles 11-19-2006 @ 6:30PM

The article isn't about male pattern baldness, which is a totally different issues. Stress related alopecia is not genetic and is, hopefully, temporary. Most of the rest of the above certainly are on the mark-thryroid, nutrition and lifestyle changese are relevant factors.

Agnesmarie 12-18-2006 @ 9:06AM

horsetailrush herb extract is in the GNC product Hair, skin and nails. Look at the labels of various vitamin supplements for hair most will have the biotin & horsetail rush. My hair was falling out in clumps, it was so bad I had to comb/brush it outside. My hairdresser told me about this product, a customer of hers was on chemo and the doctor advised she increase her intake of biotin and horsetailrush. My hair stopped falling out in two weeks.

toni 11-19-2006 @ 6:06PM

I really appreciate this article today.I am noticing my hair thi nning a lot lately.I am on Thyroid meds and when ever the Doc changes the dosage...Out comes the hair.I still think they have not found the right dose for me......I was thinking of a vitamin that would help.Thanks to you all I am going to try the GNC product.

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