Tearing your hair out
- By Susan Whitford
- Published 15th May, 2008
- Hair News
- Unrated
Susan Whitford
Susan Whitford has twelve years experience as a health and beauty journalist in the United Kingdom. Susan has worked as a staff writer and features editor on a number of consumer magazines.
Everyone's heard of the idea of 'tearing your hair out' in stress or
worry, but is there actually any truth to the idea that stress can
contribute to hair loss?
A growing body of evidence, that doctors are investigating further, suggests that there is. An article published on hairlossexpert.co.uk explains that high-stress life events, such as divorce, death and childbirth, can result in symptomatic hair loss.
This is because when the body is under stress, it releases a cocktail of highly concentrated stress hormones. These chemicals have various effects on physiology, one of which is to suspend growth. Children who undergo a traumatic event, for instance, will often stop growing through that period.
In adults, stress hormones work to transmit signals to the hair follicles, which cause them to enter a resting phase. During this phase there is no new hair growth. In the subsequent months, hair will be shed normally, but new growth will not follow. Therefore, hair loss has occurred.
The good news is that stress-related hair loss is usually temporary - once the stressful period has elapsed, normal hair growth should be restored in 3-6 months. So taking steps to ensure as stress-free a life as possible, and dealing with any stressful events effectively, should help avoid any unnecessary hair loss.
A growing body of evidence, that doctors are investigating further, suggests that there is. An article published on hairlossexpert.co.uk explains that high-stress life events, such as divorce, death and childbirth, can result in symptomatic hair loss.
This is because when the body is under stress, it releases a cocktail of highly concentrated stress hormones. These chemicals have various effects on physiology, one of which is to suspend growth. Children who undergo a traumatic event, for instance, will often stop growing through that period.
In adults, stress hormones work to transmit signals to the hair follicles, which cause them to enter a resting phase. During this phase there is no new hair growth. In the subsequent months, hair will be shed normally, but new growth will not follow. Therefore, hair loss has occurred.
The good news is that stress-related hair loss is usually temporary - once the stressful period has elapsed, normal hair growth should be restored in 3-6 months. So taking steps to ensure as stress-free a life as possible, and dealing with any stressful events effectively, should help avoid any unnecessary hair loss.