A Guide to Preventing Stress-Related Hair Loss
The average adult scalp contains around 100,000 hair follicles, 100 of which are lost every day and will grow back in 5 to 6 weeks. Though there are various causes of hair loss, such as age, genetics, and a poor diet, stress seems to be one of the most common ones. Minor stressful instances like losing your car keys or showing up late for work do not cause hair loss. Instead, major stressful events, like going through a divorce or having recently lost someone you loved dearly can lead to hormonal imbalances, thereby triggering fast hair shedding.
Our hair has a life cycle, which includes a growing phase, resting phase, and a shedding phase. When you go through a physically or emotionally traumatic event, it can basically disturb your hair cycle, thereby pushing it from the initial stages towards the shedding stage.
Whilestress is not the only contributing factor to hair loss, it can result in a range of conditions that result in hair loss, including:
- Alopecia Areata - Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that takes place when your immune system falsely attacks hair follicles, which is where the initial hair growth begins. The exact reason behind this unusual behavior of the immune system is still unknown, but experts are still trying to figure it out. However, several factors are believed to be contributors to Alopecia, one of which is stress. Stress can cause imbalances in the immune system, which may be associated with its unusual behavior towards the hair follicles. This condition usually affects the scalp and begins when clumps of hair start shedding, leading to a completely round, smooth hairless areas on the scalp or other areas on the body.
- Trichotillomania - Also referred to as the hair-pulling disorder, Trichotillomania is a mental disorder that involves irresistible, recurrent urges to pull out hair from your eyebrows, scalp, or other hairy body parts, despite trying to stop. Some individuals experiencing this condition may also have anxiety or depression.
- Telogen Effluvium - Stress, whether in physical or mental form, can promote a kind of hair loss known as telogen effluvium. Tolegen is the name for the resting phase of the hair cycle, and Telogen Effluvium is probably the second most widespread form of hair loss. TE occurs when there is a change in the number of hair follicles sprouting your hair. If the quantity of hair follicles drops dramatically for whatever reason during the resting stage, there will be a considerable increase in dormant, telogen phase hair follicles. The result is basically shedding, or hair loss.
Effective Ways to Prevent Stress-Related Hair Loss
If you have recently been losing hair left and right and pulling out thick wads of it from your hairbrush, you may be freaking out a little. And if you are already stressed about other things in your life, then your current stress level will definitely skyrocket.
Though the exact science behind why stress plays a role in hair loss is rather unclear, health experts and scientists still believe that staying stress-free can help tackle the problem to a good extent. Fortunately, there are numerous things you can do that will support your general health and at the same time reduce stress-induced hair loss.
1. Meditation
Meditation is a proven means of relieving mental stress, as per the Mayo Clinic. You can opt for Tai Chi, yoga, visualization, mantra meditation or mindfulness meditation. If you are all caught-up in day's work, take a break and relax purposefully: sometimes the process of releasing bad energy and stress intentionally can help lower your actual stress levels in the body. A 2011 German study concluded that purposefully working to release stress from the body also helped relieve stress from the mind.
2. Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a one effective natural remedy for fighting stress. In a double-blind study at the Scottish Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, essential oils were found to improve alopecia in 44% of the participants. Here are top 3 hair loss blends that will help combat the problem.
- Take 4 drops of rosemary, thyme, lavender and cedarwood essential oils and add them in 20 drops of coconut or olive oil. Massage the solution gently and slowly into your scalp before going to bed at night.
- Take 3 drops of rosemary oil, 5 drops of lavender oil, 4 drops of cypress oil, 2 drops of juniper oil and 2 drops of clary sage. Add these oils to 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and massage into your scalp, especially on the balding spots.
- Take 10 drops of cedarwood oil, 10 drops of sandalwood oil, and 10 drops of lavender oil and 8 drops of rosemary oil. Combine these oils into a single teaspoon of coconut oil and proceed with gently massaging your scalp.
3. Supplements
If you are suffering from alopecia, then you will certainly benefit from stress reduction combined with good nutrition. Consuming foods packed with omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna, can help. Some nutritionists suggest taking a multi-vitamin, or a B vitamin complex supplement; our body needs B vitamins to deal with stress.
Other key nutrients that promote hair health and help combat with hair loss include zinc, iron, and copper. If you are in search of a supplements product that contains all these crucial nutrients, then you should definitely try Kerotin Hair Growth Vitamin supplements by Kerotin Hair Care, a company dedicated to offering high-quality, natural and effective hair products to its customers at a very affordable price. All the products manufactured in the United States under FDA-approved safety standards. Besides, all the ingredients used are 100% natural and non-GMO.
Besides offering quick product shipping, Kerotin Hair Care also ensures a Secure Ordering for its customers, so you won’t be exposing your financial details. Moreover, if you don’t feel satisfied with their products, then you have the facility to return the item and receive full-refund in exchange, provided that you do it within 30 a month!