Stress and Hair Loss

Woman who is suffering from hair loss
Photo: Franz Pfluegl/Shutterstock
Q: Does stress affect hair loss? My friend has patches of hair loss, and she is going through a very stressful time. How can she stop the hair loss? Regular shampoos aren't doing anything to help!
 
A: Stress can definitely be a factor in hair loss; as can diet, overall health, genetics, and hormonal balance. However, severe stress typically causes a temporary, diffuse thinning across the entire head (known as telogen effluvium), whereas sudden, circular patchy hair loss is often a sign of an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata. If your friend’s hair loss is significant enough that you are concerned, it’s time she visited a doctor to determine the exact cause.
 
The medical term for any type of hair loss is "alopecia," but there are many different types with entirely different causes. Only a doctor can properly diagnose her condition and recommend a treatment plan. The patchy symptoms you describe sound like they could be alopecia areata, but only a doctor can verify that through an examination or biopsy.
 
If her hair loss has an underlying medical cause, it’s no wonder over-the-counter shampoos haven’t helped. Standard shampoos only clean the scalp surface. They cannot address autoimmune responses, internal inflammation, or hormonal shifts. While specialized medicated shampoos can treat surface-level scalp issues like dandruff, they cannot reverse hair loss caused by internal medical conditions.
 
If she is hesitant to go to the doctor, try to encourage her to book an appointment as soon as possible. Conditions like alopecia areata are unpredictable. Sometimes the hair grows back on its own, sometimes the spots stay the same, and other times the patches grow larger. Getting an early diagnosis offers the best chance of managing the problem through treatments like topical or injected steroids, or newer specialized therapies. If it turns out to be a hormonal or nutritional issue, early intervention can also help stabilize shedding.
 
Regardless of what is causing the shedding or how it will ultimately be treated, she cannot start fixing the problem until a doctor identifies the exact trigger. And don’t let her rely on a hair salon for a medical opinion. A responsible stylist will recognize potential scalp issues and immediately refer her to a doctor. An inexperienced stylist might suggest remedies or scalp treatments that are ineffective, and delaying proper medical care can make the issue harder to treat later on.
 
Stylists are trained to work with healthy hair and spot potential abnormalities, but they are not trained in medical diagnosis nor licensed to give medical advice. Her best path to real answers and a real treatment plan starts with a doctor.
 
This answer is intended for informational purposes only. For medical advice or a diagnosis, contact a doctor.
 
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See also:
 
Hair loss
 
The different forms of alopecia