Stress and anxiety are incredibly common, and women are affected more often than men. In the UK, 37.1% of women report high levels of anxiety versus 29.9% of men [1].
Women are also twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder [1]. But does stress cause female hair loss? In this article, we’ll explore:
There is a strong relationship between stress and hair loss in women (and men), as demonstrated by a 2016 study [2]. This study investigated the effects of stress levels on hair loss in women versus men.
424 people took part in the study in total, including 236 men and 188 women. Of this group, 15.8% had low stress, 65.8% had moderate stress, and 18.3% had high stress.
Results of the study showed women were less likely than men to experience hair loss, and that stress had a significant link to hair loss. This is shown in the table below:
However, it’s worth noting that this study was conducted in Pakistan, so different results may be found in the UK.
Hair loss itself can also cause psychological stress in women. One study showed female pattern hair loss, the most common type of hair loss in women, impacted mental wellbeing. For some women, this led to [3]:
This can create a vicious cycle, where stress-related hair loss causes more stress and, potentially, further hair loss.
Several types of female hair loss are linked to stress. These include telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and trichotillomania.
Interestingly, adult women are more likely to develop all three of these conditions than men [4-6], even though men are more prone to hair loss in general. Here, we will explore each of these in more detail and how they relate to stress.
Telogen effluvium is a temporary hair loss condition that causes diffuse thinning across your scalp. It can be triggered by severe emotional and physiological stress, such as drug use, surgery, or trauma [4].
In this condition, stress can push more follicles into the telogen (resting) phase of the hair growth cycle. This leads to excessive hair shedding across your scalp and can also cause symptoms like trichodynia [4] (scalp pain).
Telogen hairs can shed in large amounts — up to 300 hairs per day [7]. It can be hard to know what triggers telogen effluvium because this condition often has a three-month delay after the trigger onset [7].
Hair shedding often lasts around three months and then stops on its own without any treatment [7]. However, some people develop chronic telogen effluvium, which is long-lasting. Chronic telogen effluvium only tends to affect women and is rare in men [8].
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition in which white blood cells attack hair follicles, causing damage and hair loss. Women are more likely to develop this condition than men [9].
Alopecia areata is caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors [10], including emotional stress [11].
A small 2014 study involving 90 participants investigated the effects of psychological stress on alopecia areata. 45 patients diagnosed with the condition were compared to 45 healthy controls.
Researchers found that [11]:
The authors concluded that stress and anxiety may contribute to the worsening of alopecia areata, especially in people with repeated episodes. However, they highlighted that stress alone does not directly cause the condition, but major life events may trigger episodes.
As only 90 participants were included in the study, larger-scale research is needed to confirm these findings.
Trichotillomania is a psychiatric condition that causes people to pull out their hair. This behaviour is unconscious and repetitive, and leads to hair loss.
Trichotillomania is four times as common in adult women than in men [6]. The risk of trichotillomania in children is similar for boys and girls [6].
Researchers suggest that trichotillomania serves as a coping mechanism to regulate emotions in periods of high stress [6]. To be diagnosed with trichotillomania, you must [6]:
If you are experiencing significant stress, which you feel may be causing hair loss, it’s always best to speak to a mental health professional. A mental health specialist can help you identify the causes of your stress and share advice on how to reduce your stress levels.
They may recommend stress-relieving strategies to reduce hair loss, such as:
It may take several months after your stress levels reduce for your hair to begin growing again. To speed up your hair growth, it’s worth speaking to a trichologist.
These hair loss experts can identify whether your hair loss is caused by stress, something else, or a combination of factors. They can also recommend treatments to get your hair growing again.
Once you’ve addressed the underlying cause of your stress, treatments to help you regain hair loss from stress may include:
Female hair loss is often highly complex, with many different contributing factors. So while a high stress lifestyle or stressful event can trigger sudden hair loss, there could also be other underlying factors.
The Wimpole Clinic’s specialist hair doctors can help establish the causes of your hair loss, no matter how complex. Having treated thousands of women with different types of alopecia, our trichologists are uniquely placed to identify why your hair is falling out.
They’ll start with a detailed assessment, asking questions about your symptoms, lifestyle, and anything that may be causing particular stress. They may also use diagnostic trichology tests, such as blood tests for hair loss.
If stress appears to be the main cause of your hair loss, a trichologist can refer you to an appropriate mental health professional. They’ll also recommend the best hair loss treatments for women to help speed up your hair growth.
Ready to get your hair back on track? Book an appointment at your nearest clinic location today.
There are several reasons that you may have a receding hairline as a woman. These include traction alopecia, trichotillomania, and frontal fibrosing alopecia. Conditions like telogen effluvium, female pattern hair loss and alopecia areata may also cause frontal balding, but often affect other areas of your scalp too.
It depends on the type of anxiety-related hair loss you have. Female stress hair loss patterns vary: telogen effluvium causes diffuse thinning across your scalp, alopecia areata causes patchy hair loss, and trichotillomania causes localised hair loss in areas affected by hair pulling.
If you have stress-related hair loss as a woman, it usually improves within a few months once the underlying cause is addressed. There’s generally no need to shave your head, but if it makes you feel more confident, it may be the best option for you. Check out these bold bald female celebrities for inspiration.
Hair loss itself can cause significant stress [18]. If you’re extremely worried about your hair, it’s possible this could make any hair loss worse. It’s best to seek help from a healthcare professional as soon as possible if you’re very concerned about hair loss.
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