Can Stress Cause Hair Loss?

There are plenty of different causes of balding and baldness. We know, for instance, that genetics plays a factor in baldness (though it’s not as simple as looking at the head of your maternal grandfather). Certain systemic diseases and autoimmune disorders can trigger hair loss, as can hormone imbalances or changes. And of course, if you’re under going chemotherapy or radiation therapy, hair loss is a common side effect of treatment. Certain hair styles that put tension on the scalp can cause hair loss as well.

However, many wonder if there are links between a person’s stress levels and hair loss. The team here at our Manhattan hair transplant surgery center would like to take a look at that issue right now. If you’re interested in hair loss surgery for any reason, we encourage you to come to True & Dorin, which has offices in New York City, New Jersey, and Boston.

The basic answer is that yes, stress can result in certain degrees of hair loss. Stress can trigger or is related to three different sorts of hair loss.

The first we’ll look at is alopecia areata (AA), which is sometimes referred to as spot baldness. This is an autoimmune disease in which the hair follicles are attacked by your own white blood cells, causing your hair to fall out in patches.

The next stress-related hair loss condition is telogen effluvium. In this particular health condition, your anxiety levels may cause hairs to fall out when combing, styling, or cleaning your hair as normal.

The final stress-related cause of hair loss we’ll discuss is trichotillomania. Rather than stress causing internal changes that lead to hair loss, trichotillomania describes a condition in which a person pulls out his or her own hair.

In order to deal with these various types of hair loss, medications or hair restoration surgery in Manhattan may be used. It’s important that you visit our team to find out which option is best suited to meet your needs.

To learn more about hair loss and treatments for hair loss, be sure to contact our New York City hair restoration clinic today.