Stress and Hair Loss

[Guest dude1]

A question for the doctors:

 

I've read that stress can play a part in some hair loss. Is this both physical and emotional stress? Since we are all under some stress in this day and age, how does stress affect hair loss in some people and not in others? Does it have something to do with how we let stress rule our lives, ie we lose sleep, eat an unhealthy diet, perhaps pull on our hair, who knows?

 

Anyone who knows the answer to studies that have been done on this, please respond. Thanks.

 

[This message was edited by dude1 on April 03, 2003 at 12:02 PM.]

[Guest dude1]

A question for the doctors:

 

I've read that stress can play a part in some hair loss. Is this both physical and emotional stress? Since we are all under some stress in this day and age, how does stress affect hair loss in some people and not in others? Does it have something to do with how we let stress rule our lives, ie we lose sleep, eat an unhealthy diet, perhaps pull on our hair, who knows?

 

Anyone who knows the answer to studies that have been done on this, please respond. Thanks.

 

[This message was edited by dude1 on April 03, 2003 at 12:02 PM.]

[Guest]

Won't take up a lot of space as I have no answers for you -- other than that I've read about cortisol, a hormone that you produce when under stress ("flight or fight" hormone, like adrenylin only much longer-lasting), has some effect.

 

But I'd like to see this question answered by a doctor as well. Thanks for the post.

[Guest dude1]

PIC,

 

Thanks for your interest also in this topic. There are very few ways to escape stress today and I had been wondering how it affected hair loss. I too would very much like to receive an answer from a doctor. Your mention of the fight or flight hormone cortisol is interesting and I'd like to learn more about it. I still suspect that when we're under stress and let our diet, sleep pattern, and exercise suffer, this contributes in some way. But if the hormone plays a role also, how do we counteract this? Obviously we can't avoid stress entirely. Doctors, are there supplements we can use to counteract this hormone as well? I'm thinking also of a B complex vitamin, ie Stress Tabs, which I was advised to take at one point in my life. Do we also have to be stressed to the degree where we're finding it hard to function for this to have a negative impact?

 

Doctors, thanks in advance for your input and advice on this topic.

 

[This message was edited by dude1 on April 07, 2003 at 06:01 AM.]

[EastCoast]

My Doctor said hair loss is mostly genetic. You see mental patients all doped up with full heads of hair. In my case I believe stress and malnutrition played during childhood played a part in my hair loss. I also read hair loss from stress can be temporary too. I would like a Doctor's opinion.