Stress and Hair Loss

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:16:16 -0700

People often fail to realize how stress can affect many aspects of their physical health, as well emotional or mental health. The health of your hair is no different, and it too can fall victim to the effects of stress. Yet many people neglect to associate any issues of sudden hair loss to the level of stress they may be living with at a particular time in their life.

Telogen Effluvium is the term used in reference to hair loss occurring due to severe or sudden stress. During a period of heavy stress in a person’s life, it’s possible that the hair follicles prematurely enter their resting phase. This will result in many hairs falling out, or ‘shedding’. This sudden hair loss will normally occur within 2 to 3 months after a person faces some type of stressful situation.

This is not to be confused with the normal loss of hair, which happens on a daily basis. Anywhere up to 100 hairs can fall out of your head daily in normal circumstances, and isn’t usually a cause for worry. During a period of higher stress, a person can easily lose considerably more than this amount; almost 300 to 400 hairs per day. This is normally a temporary situation, and returns to normal hair loss levels once the immediate reasons for stress have been eliminated.

Here are a few tips to help you with your hair loss issues which are a result of any stressful situation you are currently dealing with:

1) Physical exercise: When you are dealing with stressful situations, your system releases adrenaline. While this is normally a good thing, too much adrenaline can result in sudden hair loss.
By participating in regular physical exercise, the amount of adrenaline your body releases is diminished, thereby leaving you in a much more relaxed frame of body and mind. Regular exercise also promotes better sleep patterns, which can also assist you in dealing with stress, as thereby providing you with a better level of physical and mental health.

2) Relaxation: Along with proper sleep, relaxation exercises can also be beneficial. Finding a quiet, peaceful area (your bedroom with the door closed perhaps), assuming a comfortable position and simply doing some deep breathing exercises, can do wonders in finding yourself in a more relaxed state. You might even want to imagine yourself in a peaceful location, such as on an island, or other place which would bring you a sense of peace and tranquility.
Including a 20 minute period of relaxation exercise in you daily routine will result in a significant change in your stress levels. You can adapt this exercise for use at any point during your day where you feel stress taking over.
Even if you don’t have a full 20 minutes, any time you do have to permit yourself to relax will reduce the release of adrenaline, and therefore diminish the amount of hair loss you’re experiencing as a result of any stressful situation.

3) Proper diet: Be attentive to what you’re eating. A diet rich in protein, vegetables, fruit, whole grains and dairy products will supply you with the essential vitamins and minerals your body requires to lead a healthier lifestyle. This in turn will result in less stress, and an overall happier and healthier you.
It must be taken into consideration as well that often hair loss is a result of some type of hereditary genetic issue. If you have any concerns or doubts that this may be the reason why you’re experiencing trouble with hair loss, please take a moment to take a look at our hair loss treatments comparison table. You can find it at http://www.hairlosscompare.com/hair-loss/compare/comparetable.aspx. There you will find a number of product reviews for potential treatment options which may benefit you.

By applying these tips to any stressful situations encountered in life, you’ll find yourself better equipped to deal with them. Finding a way to deal with, or eliminate, stress in your life will ultimately provide you with a potential solution to your sudden hair loss problems.