Sometimes emotional or physical stress can cause hair loss, which is a serious problem for most people who wish it was reversible. Moreover, due to the length of the hair growth cycle, hair often begins to fall out only weeks or months after the stressful event has occurred and the hair loss can continue for several months. Fortunately, they usually grow back on their own once the source of the stress is removed, but there are several things you can do to help this process. Read on to learn how to relieve stress and care for your hair to reduce the effects of hair loss.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Understanding Stress-Related Hair Loss
Step 1. Find out about the various types
There are three types of stress-related falls:
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Telogen effluvium:
in this case, stress causes a certain number of hair follicles to enter a resting phase, stopping their growth. Several months later, the hair attached to these follicles may begin to fall out suddenly, in greater quantities than normal. This is the most common type of stress-related fall.
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Alopecia areata:
with alopecia areata, the immune system damages the hair follicles and causes hair loss, often in patches. There are several factors that cause this type of fall and stress is supposed to be one of them.
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Trichotillomania:
this disorder is very different from the previous ones as it involves a person compulsively detaching hair and hair by himself, whether it is hair, eyelashes or hair from other areas of the body. A person usually develops this condition to combat stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and boredom.
Step 2. See a doctor to confirm the diagnosis
However, the exact relationship between hair loss and stress is somewhat uncertain.
- While stress sometimes causes hair loss directly, other times it aggravates a pre-existing situation. In some cases, hair loss will cause stress, rather than the other way around.
- While hair loss in most cases does not require any significant medical intervention, it is sometimes not due to stress (as you might believe), but is actually a symptom of a more serious underlying problem. Hence, it is important to see a doctor rather than diagnosing yourself.
- Some of the more serious conditions that can cause hair loss include hypothyroidism and autoimmune diseases such as lupus or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In the case of hypothyroidism or PCOS, there are treatment options that can promote hair regrowth. However, hair loss due to an autoimmune disease is often permanent.
Step 3. Know that hair will usually grow back on its own
In fact, if your hair loss is due to stress, what you need to focus on more is to reduce or eliminate stress.
- So, once the stress is eliminated, the hair should grow back on its own without the need for drugs or other treatments.
- What is important is to have patience. The hair growth cycle takes time and it may take months before any significant improvement is noticed.
- Make an effort to avoid stress, because otherwise you will only make the situation worse. Believe in the ability of hair follicles to renew hair and everything will be fine.
Part 2 of 3: Reduce Emotional and Physical Stress
Step 1. Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep can contribute to both mental and physical stress, especially if insomnia problems persist for a long time. This can affect diet, job performance and mood, which, in turn, can lead to stress or anxiety hair loss.
- Improve sleep quality by following a regular sleep pattern - which is getting up and going to bed at the same time each day. Another goal should be to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.
- Avoid doing anything too exciting before bedtime. Do not watch scary movies or TV shows, stay away from the bright screen of your laptop and mobile phone, do not exercise and do not eat anything. Read a book or take a hot bath.
Step 2. Follow a healthy diet
Eating healthily provides the body with more energy, allowing it to react better to stress. Diet also contributes to hair strength, making it less prone to falling out.
- Eat at least three well-balanced meals a day. Never skip breakfast as it activates your metabolism in the morning and helps prevent cravings for unhealthy foods before lunch.
- Stay away from processed, sugar-rich foods and those that contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids. Eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and foods rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, such as avocado, oily fish, nuts and olives.
- Increase your intake of vitamins and minerals that contribute to healthy hair growth and well-being, such as vitamin B, vitamin A, C and E, zinc, selenium and magnesium. Omega-3 fatty acids are also effective as they help improve the condition of the scalp.
Step 3. Get more movement
Exercise can be extremely helpful in decreasing emotional stress. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins - also known as happiness hormones - which help make you feel calmer and more relaxed.
- You decide which exercise you want to do - to relieve stress, try to do something that you enjoy, whether it's running, rowing, biking, dancing or climbing. Do whatever it takes to get your heart rate up and make you smile.
- Also try incorporating a yoga or meditation class into your weekly habits, as these have been shown to effectively reduce stress levels. Alternatively, you could do meditation at home or in the office - anywhere you can get away from the world for a few moments and just focus on clearing your mind.
Step 4. Consult a therapist
Emotional stress can get much worse over time if you inhibit feelings and avoid talking about the causes of your stress. Therefore, going to a therapist to talk about your anxiety problems can be very effective and work wonders to relieve stress.
- If talking to a therapist doesn't interest you, then open up to a trusted friend or family member. Don't worry about burdening them with your problems - they will be more than happy to pay you due attention.
- While talking about it doesn't change the source of your stress, it can help provide you with new perspectives. Talking to friends and family can also make you realize that you have a strong emotional network around you and that you don't have to struggle with stress alone.
Step 5. Give your body time to recover from a major physiological change such as an operation, car accident, illness or childbirth
Such events can be very traumatic for the body, even if you feel mentally fine. This is why people often notice that their hair falls out three to six months after a major physical change.
- When this starts to happen, it is important to remember that the damage has already happened. There is little that can be done to reverse the effects of the traumatic event after it has happened.
- Therefore, the only solution is to give the body time to recover. Hair loss is not permanent and therefore once the body recovers from the stressful event, the hair will begin to grow back.
Step 6. Review the medicines you are taking
Some medications can cause hair loss, thereby making stress-related loss worse.
- The most common of these drugs include blood thinners and hypertension tablets (beta blockers). Other drugs that may have the same effect include methotrexate (for rheumatic diseases), lithium (for bipolar disorder), and some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- If you are taking any of these medicines and you suspect they may be having an adverse reaction on your hair, talk to your doctor to lower the dosage or switch to another type of medication.
Part 3 of 3: Stimulating Healthy Hair Growth
Step 1. Eat enough protein
Hair is mostly made up of protein, and so getting a lot of protein into your diet is essential for your hair to be healthy. If you're not getting enough protein, your body may cease its supply to your hair and use it for many other essential functions.
- When the hair does not have a lot of protein available, growth arrest occurs. As a result, when existing hair reaches the end of its cycle and naturally falls out (catagen phase), it will appear that you have less hair than normal.
- Don't worry - once you get enough protein into your diet, your hair will start growing again and you will feel stronger in no time.
- The best source of protein is fish (such as tuna, salmon and halibut), white meat (such as turkey and chicken), eggs, dairy products (such as milk, cheese and yogurt), legumes (such as red beans, white beans, Spanish beans and black beans) and beef, pork and tofu.
Step 2. Increase the amount of Vitamin B and decrease the amount of Vitamin A
Vitamin B is necessary for healthy hair growth, so if you don't get enough of it, your hair could be affected. On the other hand, an excess of vitamin A can cause hair loss and therefore it is necessary to reduce it.
- Having low levels of vitamin B in the diet is quite common, but it can pose a problem for many people. To naturally increase the amount of vitamin B, eat more fish and lean meat, starchy legumes and fruits except citrus fruits.
- To decrease your vitamin A intake, try to cut back on any supplements or medications that contain vitamin A. Remember that the recommended daily amount of vitamin A (ages four and up) is 5000 IU.
Step 3. Avoid low calorie diets
These diets often deplete the body of many vitamins, nutrients and fatty acids necessary for good body and hair health.
- Additionally, rapid weight loss (as a result of a low calorie diet) can cause significant physical stress that can lead to hair loss.
- It is important to eat healthily and this means providing the body with the substances it needs. If you are trying to lose weight, you should do so by making healthier, more nutritious food choices and exercising regularly.
- The recommendation is to lose weight slowly and steadily, rather than go hungry all at once. A safe and manageable goal is to lose one pound per week.
- High-fat, high-calorie foods are actually very good, as long as you make the right choices. Foods like nuts, avocados and oily fish are all high in monounsaturated fatty acids, but they are also very healthy and should be eaten in a balanced diet.
Step 4. Take care of your hair
Taking care of your hair will contribute to their health, making them stronger and less prone to falling out.
- Start using a shampoo and conditioner suitable for your hair type. Dry hair needs products that are extremely rich in nutrients and moisturizers, while greasy or very thin hair requires lighter products designed for regular use.
- Try to avoid products that contain a lot of chemicals. Shampoo containing sulfates or parabens should be avoided and a shampoo with more natural and organic ingredients should be used instead.
- Also avoid washing your hair too often, as you can deprive it of its natural oils, making it dry, brittle and prone to breaking. Washing them every two to three days is enough for most hair types.
- Nourish your hair further by purchasing moisturizing and polishing products from the hairdresser or by making natural masks at home. Oils such as coconut, argan and almond oils can greatly improve the condition of the hair, making it soft and silky.
- Keep your hair healthy by trimming it every six to eight weeks. This eliminates split ends and helps the hair look good.
Step 5. Don't over-treat your hair
Overtreatment is one of the biggest problems if you are restoring your hair. Nowadays women are obsessed with blow dryers, straighteners and curlers using very hot tools to style their hair. These damage the hair.
- Try to decrease the use of styling tools. Try air-drying them naturally, styling your hair wavy using some lather, or curling it using methods that don't involve heat, like curlers.
- You should avoid playing with your hair too much, such as twisting, pulling, or pulling out split ends. You should be careful about doing the ponytail - tying your hair too tightly can cause it to fall out (traction alopecia). Leave your hair down as often as possible (especially at night) and try loose hairstyles, low ponytails and braids. Also remember not to brush them too often.
- Be careful when dyeing them, as dyes dry quickly, damage and make hair brittle. Wait as long as you can between dyes and think a lot before deciding to apply a dye that contains hydrogen peroxide. Consider other more natural dyeing methods such as henna, which nourishes and dyes.
Advice
- Analyzing and reducing the social, emotional and professional demands that are pressing on you, and also the ones you place on others, can help you manage stress.
- A massage not only releases muscle tension but also improves blood circulation and helps reduce emotional and mental stress.
- Keeping a journal allows you to express pent-up frustrations through writing.
