Since April is National Stress Awareness Month – with a focus on anxiety this year – it is a good time to examine the possible relationship between stress and hair loss. There is certainly a perceived relationship between the two (as phrases like “tearing my hair out” demonstrate) but is there a real causal link between them? In short, is the link mere legend or is it a useful bit of folk wisdom?
Can Stress and Anxiety Cause Hair Loss?
There can be no doubt about it. Stress has been repeatedly proven to be a cause of hair loss for many years. The Mayo Clinic is quite straightforward in their language, noting several stress-related types of hair loss, with the most common of which being stress-based alopecia areata – an autoimmune condition.
While it is an established fact that stress is one cause of hair loss, there is good news as well. In many cases, relieving the stress (often combined with other treatments depending on the case) can mean a return to natural hair growth.
What Does Stress Hair Loss Look Like?
Do you see more than 100 strands of hair on your brush or in the drain in one day? That’s the common wisdom and – in this case – it is quite accurate. While it’s normal to shed some hair strands every day, seeing excessive hair in these settings (particularly if that amount has suddenly increased) is a definite warning sign.
Additional symptoms to be aware of include clumps of hair coming out easily when you comb or brush. In some more extreme cases clumps of hair may start coming out on their own, which can often be an alarming experience.
How Can I Stop My Hair Falling Out Due to Stress?
The actions you can take on your own are the ones that go after the root cause. If stress is the cause of your hair loss, then your approach should be to relieve that stress. If sleep deprivation is part of the issue, it should be addressed.
Exercise, therapy, meditation, yoga, and other means of ameliorating stress are all valid and useful tactics. It is when these avenues fall short that BayMed Hair comes to the rescue.
BayMed Hair Is Your Hair Restoration Experts in Florida
Diagnosing the causes of your hair loss is essential. It allows you to realistically assess the options for stopping or reversing it. Luckily there are more options today than ever before.
At BayMed Hair, we partner with you as we determine the cause of your hair loss and develop a customized treatment plan tailored to your specific case. If hair restoration is called for, we offer the state of the art ARTAS® iX Hair Restoration System. Contact us today and let’s get started on your individual recovery plan!
