By Stress hair loss is a reality in many people’s lives. But of course its occurrence depends a lot on the intensity and duration of stress , our immunity and other supporting factors.
However, we know that problems, such as hair loss , can make life even more difficult, which contributes to a worsening of our emotional state and ends up worsening our hair health – almost a vicious cycle, right?
Thinking about the importance of this subject, we decided to gather everything about hair loss due to stress in today’s post to help you fight it. Learn about the relationship between these two factors and how to treat this hair problem!
How can stress influence hair loss?
Hair loss is only considered abnormal when it exceeds 50 to 100 hairs per day. After all, we naturally lose that amount of hair because of its life cycle .
However, in periods of intense or moderate but prolonged stress, hair loss can occur at greater than normal levels. That’s because, when we are stressed, the blood levels of some hormones change. Thus, the concentrations of these hormones increase and our blood, little by little, stops going to less vital structures, as it needs to better feed the brain, heart and lungs.
And that’s where the problem lies… Hair, unfortunately, is less vital for our organism and, therefore, begins to receive less nutrients. The cells that produce the wires, which work constantly, have a high metabolic rate and must always be “fed”. In this way, when they start to receive less blood, these cells stop working and the hair ends up falling out.
Is stress hair loss reversible?
Stress hair loss is called Telogen Effluvium. And the good part is that it is a temporary fall, because when this feeling passes, the hair grows back.
The onset of hair loss is usually three months after the onset of stress. Therefore, it is very common for patients not to relate hair loss to stress, as this may be related to episodes that happened 3 or 4 months ago.
However, despite the recovery of the wires, it is important to emphasize that it is a slow process. After all, hair grows only 1 cm per month. So don’t be frustrated if your hair doesn’t return to its original length and volume right away, okay?
Prevention and treatments
Normally, stress hair loss can be avoided with a healthy routine focused on well-being. That is, adopting measures that reduce our stress levels, such as exercising, meditating , sleeping well, having a healthy diet, sunbathing, among many other ways.
However, if you already suffer from this hair problem, it is important to consult a specialist doctor to verify that there are no other baldness problems and then find the specific treatment for your case.
Most of the time, treatment involves reducing stress, using anti-hair loss shampoos and, of course, taking multivitamins to provide the nutrients needed for hair growth .
Remembering that only the doctor can prescribe the best treatment for you, huh!
How to fight hair loss from stress
As we have already said, stress hair loss can be avoided with healthier habits. With that in mind, we’ve separated some tips on how to fight it with simple attitudes in your daily life. Look that:
Take medicine or food supplements
Many remedies and dietary supplements are used to combat stress hair loss, as they help reduce scalp inflammation and provide the nutrients needed for hair growth.
Attention: any medicine, or food supplement, should only be used with the recommendation of a dermatologist!
Eat a nutritious diet
A nutritious diet for hair loss due to stress must include foods rich in proteins, vitamins B, C and E, zinc and omega 3. This is because these components have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action, which in addition to providing the essential nutrients for capillary preservation, still help in the construction of new threads, preventing its fall.
In addition, a very nice option to increase the consumption of these foods is through juices. How about preparing a juice with carrots, oranges and flaxseeds? It is rich in nutrients that fight scalp inflammation and hair loss. Amazing, don’t you think?
Practice physical activities
Physical activities help reduce levels of cortisol in the blood – a stress hormone – and release endorphins, responsible for the body’s feeling of well-being.
To combat stress hair loss with physical activities, you don’t need to run marathons or anything like that, just do at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, such as walking, yoga , dancing, cycling…
Do therapy
Therapy is amazing! It helps to calm the mind and find our emotional balance!
In the fight against hair loss due to stress, finding a good psychologist or psychotherapist is essential, because this way you will be able to understand what is causing this feeling and, with that, you can treat it and reduce your hair loss.
Sleep 8 hours a night
Getting 8 hours of sleep a night can also help fight stress hair loss. After all, when we don’t sleep well, our cortisol levels increase, causing excessive fatigue and stress, which contributes to hair loss.
Therefore, it is essential that you sleep at least 8 hours a night to regulate cortisol levels in your body and, consequently, avoid stress and hair loss caused by it.
When is it important to seek help?
Stress hair loss doesn’t happen overnight. However, as soon as you notice that your wires are falling out more than usual, look for a specialist. After all, any hair loss that deviates from the amount considered normal should be investigated by a specialist dermatologist so that the best treatment is prescribed.
Also, it is important to remember that both hair loss and stress must be treated in parallel. That’s because, the problems influenced by this feeling will only be, in fact, eliminated when their main cause is controlled.
