Hair and the dear stress

The dear stress

Whether at work, in the family or in a relationship - stress is an omnipresent and annoying companion in today's world. Coping with and alleviating stress is therefore more important than ever. And this is exactly why Stress Awareness Month was created. The most important thing this month is for people to focus more on their physical, mental and emotional health. Above all, this means recognizing potential stressors and then tackling them in a targeted manner. In short: putting the health of your own body and mind first again.

However, stress can not only be toxic for the psyche and health, but can also lead to hair loss. However, unlike genetic hair loss, this form of hair loss is reversible in most cases. This is because once the stress subsides, the hair often grows back. All the more reason to declare war on stress.

However, a few hairs in the comb are no cause for concern, as everyone loses up to 150 hairs a day. However, if significantly more hair than usual falls out over a longer period of time, it is important to react. Around two thirds of men and almost half of all women are affected by hair loss in the course of their lives. However, there are different forms of hair loss. The most common is hereditary hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), which is caused by a genetic hypersensitivity of the hair root to the breakdown product of testosterone.

Another very common form is diffuse hair loss. Here the hair falls out evenly all over the head. There are various possible causes for this type of hair loss: Diffuse hair loss can be caused by infections, thyroid dysfunction, surgery with general anesthesia, viral infections such as corona or deficiency symptoms due to malnutrition. However, hormonal changes can also be a possible cause, such as those that can occur after giving birth, when discontinuing oral contraceptives or during the menopause.

Another culprit that can lead to this form of hair loss is, you guessed it, acute stress. This is because stress can affect the hair cycle and thus lead to diffuse hair loss. In order to stimulate hair growth again, the cause of the stress-related hair loss should be eliminated first and foremost. There are many different ways to reduce stress or make it disappear completely. When peace and harmony return to your life, your hair can grow back healthily.

The exact mechanism has not been clarified. Stress presumably increases the concentration of messenger substances such as noradrenaline in the hair follicle, which triggers inflammation via a series of processes. This ends the growth phase of the hair prematurely and the hair follicles go into the resting phase prematurely as a result. Hair loss usually begins 2-3 months after the acute stress phase.

What can you do about it?

The good news is that, unlike some other causes of hair loss, something can be done about stress. And those affected should do so: After all, constant stress can not only trigger hair loss, but also endanger your health in the long term.

So the most important step is to recognize the stress and its causes: Is it pressure at work? Is it excessive demands due to family commitments? Are worries and brooding preventing us from relaxing? Once the cause of the stress has been identified, we can take action against the stress and its triggers.

A balanced diet is now particularly important to support hair growth. An accompanying cure with a holistic treatment approach, such as the Haarklinik's multi-stage model, helps to stop hair loss as quickly as possible and allows hair to grow back quickly.

Either way, a hair specialist should always be consulted first. Even those who cannot get to grips with stress on their own can benefit from professional support to make it easier to recognize and eliminate the patterns that cause stress.

Five anti-stress tips for beautiful hair

• A good schedule: Clear structures are stress killers because they ensure calm and stability. A clear overview of upcoming tasks helps to identify bottlenecks in good time - so you can take countermeasures.
• Do sport: Exercise, e.g. endurance sports in the fresh air, helps the body to reduce stress hormones. Sport also boosts circulation and metabolism - which is also good for the scalp.
• Relaxation exercises: Techniques such as yoga, meditation or mindfulness exercises are ideal for relaxing and finding inner balance in stressful times.
• Take your mind off things - Life is not a hamster wheel: meeting up with friends, a good book, a walk with your partner signal to your body that it can forget the to-do list for the moment and relax.
• A balanced diet: If your hair is falling out, a poor diet can also be partly to blame

Stress can therefore definitely lead to hair loss or at least encourage it.

The key to combating stress-related hair loss is therefore first and foremost to act in good time. Only as long as the damage to the hair root is not too far advanced can the hair fully recover.

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