Did you know you could be losing your hair to stress related hair loss?

 

Hair Loss from Stress

In these modern times, we have to deal with competition, modern technology, new business trends/settings and a revolutionary generation of youth especially for women. We can’t help but to have a lot of worries and concerns especially when it affects our family, work and personal life.  

 

We become more anxious, more frustrated, more disappointed, more pressured and more exhausted than before. This mental, emotional and physical weariness might be a detriment to our whole well-being and thus, should not be disregarded. For all we know, it can be stress and it could lead to serious illnesses, including the lost of our most precious hair.

 

Stress is a condition that causes strains in our body and can lead to many physical diseases and disorders if untreated. Though our body has natural immunity or defense against stress, it could only protect our body up to the normal levels.

 

When we are stressed, our endocrine glands secrete hormones that induce palpitations, increase our respirations/perspirations, elevate our blood sugar level, dilate our pupils and slows down digestion. These are our body’s way to cope up with stress, by releasing it through other means. Constant exposure to stress can weaken our body’s immune system and thus make us prone to illnesses including stress related hair loss.  

 

Hair's Response to Stress

How then does hair loss due to stress occur? It is because stress makes us susceptible to infections and disease-causing elements. Skin is the largest part of our body and it’s the favorite habitat of fungus, viruses and bacteria. Stress can tolerate conditions like scalp psoriasis, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium that will cause our hair to fall out.  

 

 

Scalp Psoriasis

• Scalp psoriasis appears as a reddish, elevated or swollen
• Oftentimes scaly patch on the scalp
• Can extend to the forehead, the back of the neck, elbows and knees 

 

Alopecia Areata

• Alopecia areata, also called spot baldness (baldness in patches)
• Can occur in people even those who are healthy and have no skin disorder
• A hereditary background and emotional stress can trigger the development

 

Teleogen Effluvium

• A chronic form of alopecia (hair loss)
• Produced as a reaction from medication
• Due to emotional or physical stress
• Can be made worse when women wear tight ponytails and other hairstyles

 

Other Major Diseases/Disorders caused by Stress:

Headaches, facial pain, migraine, insomnia, asthma, stomach ulcers, gastro-intestinal problems, high blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease, backache, increase susceptibility to colds and cancers.  It can also aggravate/worsen a skin disorder or a pre-existing physical disorder/disease

 

These may sound so alarming but if we do something to cope up with our stresses, our body system will return to its normal or previous state.

 

Information on Fighting Hair Loss and Stress:

1.  Have some time to relax.  Mild symptoms of stress can be cured by relaxation like:

• Singing your lungs out.  Singing while bathing or enjoying KTV with friends can do wonders.

2.  Do some exercise, sweat it out.

• It can be as simple as brisk walking in a nice park, running barefoot on a beach sand, swimming, yoga, weight lifting, belly or pole dancing etc.

3.  Feed your mind.

• Read books and magazines where you can pick up positive thoughts or find articles that you can relate to in order to alleviate stress related hair loss.  Surf the web, research on things you want to know about. Download free games, music and software from legitimate websites.

 4.  Revive your dying social life.

• Find a long-lost friend through social network sites like Friendster, Facebook, Multiply, Tweeter etc.    Go out and rebind with your old friends that you have missed for a long time.

Our hair can be a reflection on how we take care or handle ourselves from life’s difficult situations.  The good news is that stress related hair loss is only temporary.  If we have a positive attitude coupled with a good perspective or disposition in life, we would always have a healthy, bouncing and shiny hair.