Stress and hair loss

Hair renewal takes place in three phases which are known as the hair growth cycle.

Normally most of them are in the Growth or Regeneration stage in which the hair grows and grows longer.

In the second stage, which lasts about 2 weeks, the hair follicles shrink, preparing the hair for apoptosis, which takes place during the third stage of Telogenesis, which lasts three to four months.

In the case in which we experience a particularly stressful situation, a significant part of our hair (about 70% in percentage), it is possible to pass to the third stage of the hair cycle.

This results in hair loss 3 to 4 months after the period of intense stress.

The fact that between the period of time in which the stressful situation is experienced and the one in which hair apoptosis takes place there is an interval equivalent to the duration of the telogen phase, in many cases it creates confusion regarding the real cause of the problem.

So in many cases, in order to ascertain this, one should look back several months before the time when hair loss is noticed.

In most cases this type of hair loss is reversible as the damage can be repaired by stopping the cause of it within about 6 months.

In rare cases, however, it can be linked to long-term hair loss.

• Trichotillomania results in the noticeable loss of hair due to its repeated pulling, characterized by the increasing tension that the patient experiences before each episode, which turns into a feeling of relief or even satisfaction in some cases after it ends.

  Trichotillomania is associated with various conditions, including anxiety.

The causes related to the appearance of alopecia areata are complex and even today not completely clear, although its connection with genetic, psychological and immunological factors is apparent.

Research on the correlation of alopecia areata with stress has started since the 60s, however, until today, opinions and research results seem to differ in relation to the effect it has on the appearance of the disease.

Moreover, the correlation does not always appear to be so immediate in time as intense stressful experiences and stressful situations in the past can be linked to alopecia areata, while the way in which the person manages these situations can also be important.

It is often mistakenly assumed by the general public that stress is a cause of androgenetic alopecia.

Although intense stress can in some cases accelerate the rate of hair loss, it is in no way linked to it in a cause-and-effect relationship.

Androgenetic alopecia has hereditary roots and is caused by the chronic effect of androgens on hair follicles in people who are sensitive to this effect.