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We have all been stressed out at one point in our lives. Some of us might even suffer from chronic stress that has a major effect on our bodies. You might forget that your hair is part of your body and can respond negatively to the stress that is put on your body daily. Stress-related hair loss can be temporary if you learn to manage your stress.
We looked around and found 10 tips for managing stress and how it can prevent hair loss to help you get started. Living a stress-free life may not seem possible and maybe it isn’t but you can manage your stress in healthy ways to keep your hair from thinning out due to stress.
We realize that some of you may not even be aware that stress can cause hair loss so we are going to talk about that some to start out. Knowing how your body is affected by stress will go a long way in helping you manage it.
Can Stress Cause Hair Loss?
Stress may seem like something that is common in our lives so it can’t really be that harmful right? That isn’t entirely accurate, to be honest. Stress is very damaging and can wreak havoc on every area of our lives and bodies. So yes, stress can cause hair loss.
Stress itself is a problem but did you know that the problem of stress can cause other problems? It can actually cause medical conditions that will cause your hair to fall out. These conditions are typically temporary and can be reversed by proper stress management. However, if you can’t manage your stress well enough to reverse the hair loss then you may need to see a doctor for help.
Hair Loss Conditions Cause By Stress
There are three medical conditions that cause hair loss and are triggered by stress. These conditions are generally considered to be mild and reversible but you have to do your part. Managing your stress in a healthy way is the main way you can help your body heal and your hair regrow.
Some people do have a hard time dealing with stress or tend to stress out easily even over the simplest things. If this is true for your then you may need professional help to manage your stress or even your hair loss.
This condition is triggered by stress but can also be caused by poor nutrition. The stress that is running wild in your life can actually cause your hair follicles to go into a chronic resting phase. What does that mean?
When your follicles are in a resting phase they are not producing new strands. But the rest of your hair growth cycle is still going. You are shedding appropriately and the strands you have are still growing but there is not any new strand production. As time goes on and you are still shedding, your hair is thinning out day by day.
Trichotillomania
This condition is less of a physical health condition and more of a mental health condition. We use the turn of phrase “you are making me pull my hair out” pretty commonly without knowing that it is an actual condition.
Some people deal with stress by literally pulling their hair out. It may not be from their heads all of the time. Sometimes people will pull hair from their faces, arms, or legs. Their hair cycle is still going but depending on the severity of the condition they could lose quite a bit of hair in a short period of time.
This is most commonly seen in teenaged girls but it is not limited to that demographic.
Alopecia Areata
This is not caused by stress but it is a stress-causing condition. It is believed to be an autoimmune condition in which your hair follicles are attacked by your own immune system. There is really no cause that has been found but it is thought be possibly be genetic in nature.
Ways To Manage Stress
Now on to the ways to manage stress so you can get back to having a full head of lush locks. These relaxation techniques and stress management methods will benefit you and your overall health. If there is an underlying cause for your hair loss that is not stress-related then these methods may not work to reverse your hair loss.
If you find that your hair loss has not slowed or reversed after a time of doing any of these things on this list then you may need to consult a doctor to find out if there is a medical reason for your loss.
Practice Relaxation
Relaxing is so important for a healthy life. You can’t go through life constantly stressed with no way to let your guard down and just breathe. The way you practice relaxation may look different from the way that someone else relaxes and that is okay. It doesn’t have to look the same. You may love reading a good book while just the thought of reading adds stress to someone else.
So how do we practice relaxation? There are so many great options and even if you don’t like any of these things you can choose what makes you feel relaxed.
- Take a long bath with your favorite oils or candles
- Take a walk in your favorite location
- Read a great book
- Bake something yummy
- Paint
- Garden
- Journal
These are just a few suggestions and are by no means a comprehensive list of all of the relaxing things in this world. This is just to get you started thinking about ways for you to practice relaxation for yourself.
Exercise
Exercising is a great way to release endorphins and relieve stress. Some people really hate working out while others are not physically able to work out. That is okay. There is no rule that says you have to work out to not be stressed.
This may help some people with their stress levels and that is great. We want you to find what works for you to lower your stress levels and start reducing the hair loss that you have been experiencing.
Surround Yourself With Positivity
The people and things that you surround yourself with play into the overall feel of your life. If you are surrounded by negative people, experience, and stuff then you are going to eventually be brought down by the negativity and live a stressful existence.
This also works the other way. Make sure you are living your life next to people that bring life and positivity into your world. This will greatly reduce your stress and help you live a life that you really like.
See A Therapist
There is a really negative connotation that comes with seeing a therapist but it is time to change that. Sometimes the overwhelming circumstances and stress in your life will require some help for you to walk through them. Seeing a therapist doesn’t mean that you are broken it means that you are wise enough to know you can’t do this alone.
Getting help with the stress in your life will go a long way towards regrowing your hair.
Laugh More
Laughter really is the best medicine. There is something about a good, long laugh session that seems to melt the stress and cares of the day away. Laughter is a lot like an exercise in that it burns calories and raises your endorphins. Both of these things help reduce stress and will allow you to keep that hair looking thick and full.
Eat Better
Diet plays such a huge role in the health of our whole bodies and it can make or break our hair. This is really no surprise. Diet can also help reduce stress and enhance your overall mood. Avoiding refined sugars and highly processed foods are great stress reduces and we promise that after you detox off of sugar you will stable moods.
Listen to Great Music
Who doesn’t love to listen to some great music? Having a soundtrack for your day can help you glide through the day will lower stress levels. It doesn’t even matter what kind of music you listen too as long as you love it.
With that being said, you may want to avoid really depressing music if you struggle with stress but that is your call. Music can have a profound effect on our moods and state of mind thus helping our stress levels. And lower stress means more hair.
Meditate
Taking the time to close your eyes and shut off your brain to meditate can be a powerful reset button for your day and your life. Removing yourself from the stress that is causing so many problems for your body can only be a good thing.
There are a couple of ways to meditate and you can even get free guided mediation apps for your smartphone so find you like and get started whenever you are ready.
Be Kind to Your Hair
When you are losing your hair due to stress you may add more stress to your life by being very hard on your hair. Overdoing treatments, styles, and colors in an attempt to cover up the loss will actually cause more loss.
It is important to be really kind to your hair while you are managing your stress and regrowing what has been lost.
Vitamins
Taking a multivitamin to help support your body while managing stress can not only help with your stress levels but it can also help strengthen and regrow your hair. There is no way to go wrong by taking a good quality multivitamin.
If you don’t know where to start or think you might want to try a prescribed multivitamin then you should call your doctor and make an appointment to discuss your concerns and questions.
Final Thoughts
Hair loss is not fun for anyone but if you are suffering from stress-induced hair loss there are ways to stop in and start regrowing your hair. You may not want to try all of the stress management methods we talked about but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to choose just one and see if it makes a difference.
If you are concerned that there may be underlying health concerns then consulting your doctor is a good idea.
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