There are many reasons that a person can lose their hair. Many times, these reasons come from hereditary factors or perhaps even a very bad diet. Medications can also trigger hair loss in many men and women. In all cases, it means frustrations and overwhelming anxiety over the way you look. What many people do not realize, though, is that hair loss can also be brought on by stress. Stress, like that which comes from emotional trauma can impact many systems within the body including your hair. If you are struggling emotionally within your life, especially without an outlet, you may find your hair is thinning as a result.
Not All Stress Is the Same
It's important to know that not all types of stress have the same results. Physical stress does impact hair loss. For example, if you begin chemotherapy or you have a very low calorie diet, you are changing the physical makeup of your body and that can trigger hair loss. In these instances, there is a chemical or physiological factor that is contributing to your hair loss. However, emotional stress is a bit different, though it can also lead to hair loss in many people.
Consider what happens in your body when you are emotionally stressed.
- You spend a lot of time worrying.
- Your body is continuously producing its flight or fight hormones, leading to an increase in adrenaline and other hormones in the blood stream that should not be there on a consistent basis.
- Your heart is racing. Your breathing is heavy.
- Your body is moving its energy away from these normal functions, including hair growth, so that it can put more energy towards your ability to run or deal with the emotional trigger.
When this happens, it taxes the body significantly. Emotional trauma can be just a violent to you as physical trauma.
What Can You Do About It?
There is some good news, though, about emotional trauma. In most cases, this type of stress hair loss will go away. If you can find a way to reduce your stress levels or give yourself time to overcome the stressful situation, then your hair is likely to grow back. For most people, this type of hair loss is not brought on by a physical change in the body and as a result, once you correct the hormone surge and overwhelming fear, your body can get back to normally producing hair as it was. However, it is also important to understand that the longer you maintain a high stress level - even emotional stress - the more likely it is that you will fast lasting results. This could include thinning hair or even changes in the texture of your hair. Some people will have hair that's much straighter than it was prior to the event that triggered the emotional strain.
It's always a good idea to get rid of emotional trauma as soon as possible, though it is not always easy to do that.
- First, address the problem. Not addressing it and shoving it out of the way does not allow you to heal. The stressor is still there and still growing inside of you. It will maintain an impact to your life and hair until you deal with it.
- If you cannot get rid of the problem, find an outlet to allow yourself to be happy or content. Combating emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one, with something good for you, such as spending time with close friends, can soften the impact.
- Get physical exercise. Sometimes, the best way to get rid of the emotional stress you feel is actually to focus on physical outlets. This can make a substantial difference in the way you feel each day.
The worst thing you can do is to try and avoid the emotional trauma in your life. If you do, it will come back to create problems for you. In fact, this lack of dealing with these factors is one of the main reasons so many men and women lose their hair in the first place. Take a closer look at what you are experiencing and find a way to improve it.
Contact the hair specialists at Unique Hair Concepts to learn more.
