How Stress Causes Hair Loss

Losing your hair can be a stressful experience, but did you know that stress can also cause hair loss? Stress hair loss is real — but fortunately, it’s also temporary.

It’s no secret that emotional stress can take a toll on your body. While a little bit of stress is unavoidable (and healthy), chronic and severe stress can impact your immune system, brain function, heart health and — you guessed it — your hair.

Whether you’re experiencing it in response to a traumatic event or you constantly face high stress levels because of work or personal issues, stress can disrupt your hair growth cycle, eventually causing hair shedding.

The good news? Stress hair loss is not permanent. Once your stress levels improve, your hair will slowly start growing back. Plus, certain hair loss treatments can help promote healthy hair regrowth. 

If you think you’re experiencing stress-related hair loss, take a deep breath — we’re here to guide you through it.

Below, we’ve explained how and why stress can cause you to lose hair. We’ve also explored a range of treatment options that can promote hair health and boost regrowth.

Finally, we talk about how to regain hair loss from stress.

Contrary to popular belief, stress is not linked to male pattern baldness. Also called androgenetic alopecia, this type of hair loss causes permanent hair loss around your hairline, temples, and crown. 

That said, stress can trigger and potentially worsen a form of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium. Note that telogen effluvium is different from androgenetic alopecia.

Stress can also worsen trichotillomania, a mental health condition where you compulsively pull your hair. 

Both telogen effluvium and trichotillomania can be triggered by chronic stress as well as traumatic events (events like the loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, or assault).

There are three main types of stress hair loss: telogen effluvium, trichotillomania, and alopecia areata. 

Telogen Effluvium

If your hair starts falling out a few months after a stressful or traumatic event, you’re probably experiencing telogen effluvium. 

Telogen effluvium affects your hair by interrupting the natural hair growth cycle.  

The phases of the hair growth cycle are as follows:

• The anagen phase (growth phase), during which the hair grows to its full length

• The catagen phase (transitory phase), which is when the hair follicle transitions to the next phase

• The telogen phase (resting phase), during which the hair stops growing

• The exogen phase (shedding phase), where the old hair falls out so that a new hair can grow in its place 

Telogen effluvium affects hair follicles in the telogen phase. Normally, about five percent to 10 percent of your hairs are in the telogen phase at any one time. With telogen effluvium, as much as 30 percent of your hair can suddenly enter the telogen phase, resulting in hair shedding.  

Hair loss from telogen effluvium isn’t immediate. Usually, you’ll start to see hair loss three months after a stressful or traumatic event. It can last several months. 

Telogen effluvium isn’t only caused by emotional stress, though. Other common causes of telogen effluvium include nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, and chronic health conditions like thyroid problems. Hair loss can also be a side effect of certain medications. 

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania, or hair-pulling disorder, is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which a person repeatedly pulls out strands of hair, causing thinning and hair loss.

Although trichotillomania isn’t directly caused by stress, many people with trichotillomania find that stressful situations are a common trigger for their hair-pulling behavior. 

Others note that pulling their hair helps them to relax when they’re feeling stressed.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata, is another hair loss condition that can also be worsened by stress. 

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your hair follicles, thus damaging them. This causes patchy hair loss across your scalp. In some cases, alopecia areata can lead to complete scalp hair loss and hair loss across your entire body.

Stress doesn’t cause alopecia areata, but recent research suggests that stress can lead to a “flare-up” of alopecia areata, leading to further hair shedding.  

While you can’t cure alopecia areata, certain treatments can help you manage the symptoms of this autoimmune disease. This can help reduce hair loss. 

If you’re experiencing hair loss due to stress, you’ll usually notice the classic symptoms of hair loss: 

• Extra strands of hair on your pillowcase, bedding, and shower drain catch

• Less hair density 

• Noticeably thinning hair 

• Exposed areas of your scalp, especially under bright light 

If you’re worried that you might have hair loss due to stress, it may help to take regular photos of your hair to track any changes in thickness over time.  

If you notice hair loss, it might not be easy to tell which cause of hair loss is to blame. 

The best possible solution is to talk with a healthcare professional. They can help you narrow down the cause of your hair loss. 

There are several major differences between stress-related telogen effluvium and hair loss from male pattern baldness.

• Male pattern baldness is typically permanent, while telogen effluvium is usually temporary. 

• Male pattern baldness typically causes a receding hairline, balding on the crown or other baldness patterns. Telogen effluvium causes diffuse thinning on the entire scalp, while alopecia areata causes bald patches or complete baldness.

• Telogen effluvium is not related to androgen hormones such as DHT. As such, some treatments for male pattern baldness, such as finasteride, aren’t effective as treatments for stress-related hair loss. 

• Stress-related hair loss can affect your body hair also, while male pattern hair loss exclusively affects your scalp hair.  

If you’re starting to lose your hair and aren’t sure whether it’s caused by stress or male pattern baldness, it’s best to talk to a healthcare professional. 

Most GPs or dermatologists can diagnose telogen effluvium using one or several tests, including a hair pull test.

Because telogen effluvium has a variety of potential causes, there’s no one hair loss treatment that works for everyone. 

If your hair loss is caused by a one-off stressful event, such as a physical accident, surgery, or a traumatic event, your hair will typically grow back on its own over the course of several months.

But there are a few things you can do to promote healthy hair regrowth.

Medications

You can purchase minoxidil (Rogaine®), an over-the-counter topical treatment, to speed up and improve your hair growth.

Minoxidil works by increasing the blood supply to your hair follicles and prompting your hair to enter the growth phase of its cycle. 

Studies have found that it’s highly effective at promoting hair growth, although it can often take several months to see results. 

Lifestyle Changes

Changing your lifestyle and habits can often help you manage stress in a healthy way. This can include steps to reduce the sources of stress in your life and cope better with existing, unavoidable sources of stress.

Useful stress management strategies include:

• Recognize when you’re stressed. Take note of your stress response, whether it’s difficulty sleeping, feeling low in energy, or something else. Being able to identify when you’re stressed can help you to track your progress. 

• Exercise. Exercise is great for your physical and emotional well-being. It reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol and boosts endorphins. If you’re not super fit right now, there’s no need to overdo things — a 20-minute walk is a great start. 

• Mindfulness techniques. Meditation, breathwork, and body-scanning can help soothe stress in the moment. This guide lists six techniques that you can use to relax and relieve stress.

• Eat a healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet is important for your general wellness, and can reduce stressors on your body that come with eating unhealthy foods. Plus, a nutritious diet promotes healthy hair growth. 

• Get support from friends and family. No man is an island — lean on your community of loved ones when you need them. Whether you’re venting or spending time together, being with company can help you feel better.

• Find the right resources. If your stress is related to a financial issue, get help. Financial difficulties are some of the most common sources of stress, affecting as much as 76 percent of all American adults. Consider contacting a financial planner or credit counseling service for help with improving your finances.

• Get mental health help. Whether you’re dealing with constant stress or recovering from trauma, a therapist can be an excellent source of support. This is especially important if you have trichotillomania. Medications like antidepressants may also help. 

If your hair loss is caused by chronic stress, understanding and coping with the stress in healthier ways may help you to regrow some or all of the hair that you’ve lost. 

Healthy Hair Care Habits

Taking good care of your scalp and hair means that you have the best possible shot at growing a thick, healthy head of hair. 

Good hair care habits include:

• Eating a balanced diet and using hair growth supplements to address vitamin deficiencies

• Using gentle shampoos and conditioners to keep your hair and scalp clean

• Not brushing or combing your hair too roughly or too often

• Avoiding extremely tight hairstyles, which can cause hair breakage and a form of hair loss called traction alopecia

No matter the cause, stress-related hair loss is something worth discussing with your healthcare provider. To learn more, you can check out our article on how to regain hair loss from stress.

It’s normal to experience some level of stress in life. An occasional stressful day or a bad week might make you feel unhappy, but it generally won’t have any effect on your hairline.

That said, chronic stress or severe stress caused by physiological or psychological trauma may cause you to temporarily lose some or all of your hair. 

• Stress causes a number of types of hair loss. Stress can lead to telogen effluvium. It can also worsen trichotillomania and alopecia areata. 

• Stress  hair loss is usually temporary. Telogen effluvium, at least, is a temporary form of hair shedding. 

• It can be treated. Good stress management techniques are the first step. Medications like minoxidil can help you regrow hair after stress-related hair loss.

If this happens to you, the best approach is to talk to your healthcare provider and treat the underlying cause of the stress. 

We can help you book an online consultation with a licensed healthcare professional. Together, you can figure out the cause of your hair loss and explore your treatment options.