Life isn’t always easy. Sometimes we are struck by an emotional blow, such as the loss of a beloved family member, or a pandemic that just doesn’t seem to want to end. Life problems like these can be extremely stressful, and it’s no surprise that hair loss may occur as a response to these stressors.
Other times, however, stress is more subtle. It’s going to bed after a 2-hour commute knowing you will have to face it all over again the next day. It’s finding out your child needs a full Roman gladiator costume for their play, and they forgot to tell you until opening night.
Stress can also snowball over time, with small, seemingly harmless things building up over time to become overwhelming. You might think that your hair loss is unrelated because your stress is only ‘minor’, without realizing just how much stress you are under.
How Much Stress Are You Under?
Many people visit the doctor for their hair loss, only to find out the likely cause is stress. If you haven’t had a recent life-shattering event, the news that stress is causing your hair loss may be surprising to you. It might even be tempting to dismiss this suggestion and find a new doctor.
Yet stress is a very common cause of hair loss. If your doctor thinks this is the cause of your stress, it’s worth looking more deeply into the problem. What do you find stressful in your life? What can you change to reduce the stressors during your day?
If the cause of your stress isn’t something that can easily be helped, learning to manage your stress could help you regrow your hair. Many doctors are sending their stressed-out patients to mindfulness classes to help them learn to deal with the stress in their lives.
Everyone Suffers from Stress
Many of the people who experience hair loss are top executives and CEOs, but anyone can experience stress. Stress is everywhere, from housewives juggling a busy schedule to top executives making huge decisions for their corporation. If you have never learned appropriate ways to deal with stress, even seemingly small things will build until they become overwhelming.
If you’re not sure if you’re stressed, here are a few common symptoms:
- Changes in sleep patterns (insomnia or sleeping too much)
- Irritability or emotional extremes
- Changes in eating habits or weight
- Feeling tired or anxious all the time
- Difficulty making decisions
If any of these sound familiar, it’s possible that stress is indeed the cause of your problems—and may well be the cause of your hair loss. The good news is that if you can learn to manage your stress, or take steps to reduce the stressful situations, your hair has a good chance of recovering as well. Stress-reducing activities such as yoga, practicing mindfulness, and spending time in nature could all help you on the journey to a less stressful life.
Preventative methods can also go a long way in helping to ensure you can retain the locks you’ve worked so hard to maintain.
For more information or to discuss ways we can help you to enjoy full, luscious, beautiful hair, reach out to New Look Institute today. We are San Jose’s most trusted hair restoration specialists.
