How Stress Affects Hair Loss and Natural Treatments Help

Friday, April 16, 2010 by: Fleur Hupston
Tags: hair loss, stress, health news

(NewsTarget) Is there a correlation between stress and hair loss? For many people, the pace of life is frenetic. Stress is considered a normal part of an extremely busy life. In addition to contributing to hair loss or thinning hair, stress can cause more serious health problems, such as heart attacks and strokes. Reverting to a calmer and more natural lifestyle will improve overall health and give hair a chance to recover.

How Stress Affects Hair

According to The Oxford Dictionary, stress is a demand upon physical or mental energy. Many people struggle to cope with the daily demands of managing finances, work, marriage, running a home, raising children, caring for aging parents and so on. These daily demands are stressful enough on their own but are sometimes exacerbated by an event that can cause severe stress, such as a death in the family.

There are generally two types of stress-induced hair loss: telogen effluvium and alopecia areata.

Telogen effluvium occurs when sudden or severe stress causes an increase in the shedding of hair, which is generally triggered by ongoing stressful events or chronic stress. The condition is generally temporary and hair will typically grow back within 6 to 9 months.

Alopecia areata is more destructive. Intense stress may trigger a type of hair loss called alopecia areata. In this condition, white blood cells attack the hair follicle, which stops hair growth. Hair falls out relatively quickly - typically in clumps or patches within a few weeks of the stressful event. The hair may grow back eventually.

Managing Stress

Learning to manage stress will improve not only the condition of a person's hair, but overall health as well. Try these tips for an improved lifestyle.

Eliminate the causes of stress. Relationship problems? Communicate and sort problems out or move on. Stress from a result of grieving? Join support groups and go through the necessary steps of the grieving process in order to move on. Finances? Stick to a budget, avoid impulse spending and put any extra money into paying off debts. Working too hard? Cut back and re-evaluate - the simple pleasure of time spent with family and friends cannot be bought with money. Unfit and out of shape? Exercise is one of the best ways to de-stress and will certainly benefit overall health.

Massage, meditation, spiritual activities, aromatherapy, a vacation, and time off to read a good book or watch a funny movie can help one to de-stress. Get enough sleep and eat a healthy, balanced diet. These kinds of activities can calm one down and reduce the risk of losing hair due to stress.

Natural Products that Can Help Hair

In addition to learning to manage stress, avoid shampoos and hair products that damage the hair and contribute to hair loss. Commercially manufactured shampoos, conditioners and hair dyes contain chemicals which can damage hair. Always purchase gentle, organic, natural hair care products.

Sources:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/107156...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-and-...

https://www.naturalnews.com/022575.html

About the author

Fleur Hupston is a professional freelance writer. She is passionate about natural, healthy living and is currently studying to be a naturopath. She divides her time between writing for Natural News and various other sites, home schooling her children and studying part time.