Are you stressed lately? Are you experiencing hair loss? Did you know that there is a link between stress and hair loss? Understanding the hair lifecycle, and also how stress affects the body, will give you a clearer picture.
Hair Life Cycle
Your hair has a lifecycle. The first stage is the growth stage. The second is the transition stage, while the last is the resting stage. This resting stage is the stage where your hair falls off your scalp with the slightest application of effort. When you are constantly under stress, your hair reaches the resting stage at a faster rate than normal. When this happens, you are said to have an issue called telogen effluvium or hair loss due to stress. If you noticed that this has been happening to you lately, don’t worry. With proper relaxation and nutrition, your hair can go back to normal in a short time. In fact, for many people as soon as the stressor is removed, the problem usually goes on its own after a couple of months. Examples of stressors can include pregnancy, divorce, emotional shock, and even malnutrition.
Protein as a Factor
Hair is made from protein, so when the body does not get enough protein, it rations it by shutting down the production of non-essential protein, including hair growth.
In my article How to deal with anxiety by reducing worry and stress, I explain ways in which stress affects the body, especially when it is at a heightened state of anxiety. No doubt, stress affects your health, and that includes your hair.
To reduce the level of stress hampering your hair growth, here are a few suggestions:
1. Lifestyle changes
One of the things you can do to avoid hair loss is to start leading a more active lifestyle. Stress causes increased release of cortisol, which can cause increased shredding of scalp hair. But when you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which brings down your pain level and increases your overall health.
2. Nutritional changes
Since hair is made from protein, it makes sense that increased protein consumption will translate to better hair production and reduction in hair loss. You can use a pyramid calculator to calculate how much protein you will be needing per day. You can go to MyPyramid for help on this. You can improve your protein level by consuming foods such as dairy, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, grains, vegetables, and fruits.
3. Good hair care
Proper hair care is important to maintain healthy hair during stressful times. Read your labels very well. Moisturizers such as silk proteins, panthenol, glycerol and Aloe Vera are life savers for stressed hair. Plant oils and proteins also work wonders as they repair the cuticle layer. If you are concerned that these oils can make your sleeping area messy, you can apply these oils in your hair before you exercise. When you are done, you can then take a beautiful shower to cool your body and remove the oil. Part of good health care includes taking care of split ends. These split ends are the most obvious problem of stressed hair. You can correct this problem by having your stylist trim the edges.
4. Time
I encourage you to have patience as your hair is slowly recovering. As explained on Livestrong.com, aside from good nutrition, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly, you also have to allow some time for your hair to heal. Don’t worry yourself constantly over your hair loss. If this loss is really bothering you, you can wear wigs or hats or better still, find creative ways to style your hair so that the loss will be less visible. It could take up to four months for your hair to reach full recovery.
The following are recommended sources, to find out more about how stress can lead to hair loss:
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/hair-loss
http://www.livestrong.com/article/101971-home-remedies-hair-loss-due/
Cheers to your good health
