Does stress increase hair loss?

[Shyguy]

My stress levels this year have been tremendous.

 

Over the last few months I've lost a tremendous amount of hair. I'm wondering if the hair will grow back once the stress is reduced or is it lost forever.

 

Thanks.

[Stimpson]

I have heard that stress is a possible contributing factor to alopecia areata, which is NOT the same thing as MPB. Generally, alopecia areata is hair falling out, but not in any particular pattern. If your hair is thinning/receding in a typical MPB pattern, it is probably just MPB. I don't know whether hair that falls out due to stress comes back or not.

 

Stimpson

[Bill - Seemiller]

Shyguy,

 

Daily every day stress, even when high doesn't cause or contribute to male pattern baldness however, traumatic stress can cause a temporary thinning of the hair referred to as diffuse alopecia. I am not so sure that stress plays a role in alopecia areata as suggested by stimpson.

 

Alopecia areata is considered an autoimmunity disorder where your body becomes allergic to your own hair and your immune system fights it off. Alopecia areata is usually characterized by complete baldness in a targed area of the scalp or body.

 

The most common type of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia and is genetic and progressive. Non-surgical hair loss treatments, especially when used before significant loss, can help slow down, stop, or even reverse male pattern baldness to an extent. Only hair transplant surgery is proven to grow hair in completely bald areas.

 

I hope this helps.,

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Stimpson]

oops...

 

Sorry. I had my baldness types confused...

 

Stimpson

[Amit Jain]

off cause the regular stress increase the hair loss problem

[Dr. William Lindsey]

Absolutely.

 

I see guys every year who have a sudden loss when confronted by: marriage, their first real job (usually lawyers), divorce, and a variety of other issues.

 

They give a classic history of "being fine" or maybe having mild hairloss, and then BAM, they lose alot of hair in a very short time.

 

When they have a history of that, we don't offer surgery until they have a chance to decrease stress and see how much returns.

 

Usually most comes back, and we don't have a surgery; but we have a patient who will remember we treated them fairly and honestly, and they will come back later or send a friend in.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA