What is stress alopecia?

Hairloss at an early age may happen because of stress and anxiety. It is very common for people with an agitated life, a lot of responsibilities, children and a hard job, to lose more hair than normal. This is due to alopecia nervosa.

It is not a permanent condition and knowing how to control stress, along with some treatments, can stop the hair loss. In this article we will tell you what stress alopecia is and how to control it. Keep reading.

What is stress alopecia?

Stress baldness is the loss of hair due to high levels of depression, stress or anxiety. The hair starts falling in greater amounts and it usually lasts within a few months. Once the reason of the stress is overcome, the fall stops and hair is recovered.

One of the causes that can produce this fall is the fact that when nervous or depressed, people stop eating. If the body does not get the necessary nutrients, it weakens, as well as the scalp, and the hair loss begins.

Also, in these stressful moments, the menstrual cycle may get more abundant, resulting in the lack of iron in women. This leads to female hair loss.

But nervous baldness does not only affect women, men can also suffer from masculine hair loss due to anxiety or stress. This type of baldness is not permanent but it can get worrying.

Symptoms of alopecia nervosa

The main sympton is a situation of stress or depression. However, there are other that can show that you are dealing with nervous baldness and not a worse type that does not allow your hair to regenerate. Let’s get to know them.

• Loss of volume. When the hair loss is due to stress, you will notice that your hair is losing volume. Looking much thinner than before.
• Widespread falling. Being a fall that occurs because of stress and not other hair problem, the hair falls in a widespread way. There are not specific areas, and you will not see patches on your scalp.
• Regeneration of lost hair. Once the stressful situation stops, the fall also stops and hair begins to grow back.

What causes stress alopecia

Alopecia nervosa is produced by a situation of continuous stress, depressions, and being anxious for a long time. But what happens to hair when there is stress?

When stress is continous, the hair strands that are in a growing phase, which is the anagen phase. It abruptly goes to the falling phase, called the telogen phase. When this happens, it skips the intermediate phase, which is the resting one that should last about 3 weeks.

This situation stops the hair from growing back, as long as the problem that causes stress keeps existing. The one at fault for this is cortisol, a hormone released by the body in stressful situations.

Cortisol slows down the blood flow. It also stops the hair from correctly absorbing nutrients and water. The consequence is this jump between the developing phases and hair loss.

Differences between stress alopecia and alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is related to the autoimmune system. The lost hair is recovered once the affected area is healed. This type of fall occurs in areas. It leaves patches the scalp and the hair does not fall in a widespread way.

Stress alopecia is fue to nervousness problems, depressions, anxiety. The hair recovers once the reason of the stress stops. It is a widespread fall. The hair is lost in all of the scalp and does not appear in patches.

Both types can be mixed up, but knowing these differences you will be able to distinguish between the two.

How to treat alopecia nervosa

Even if it is a type of alopecia that dissapears once the stressful situation is over, it is convenient to stop it before a great amount of hair is lost. For this, follow this recommendations and put a stop ti your stress baldness.

• Eliminate the problem. It is the first step you should take. If the problem is caused by stress, anxiety or depression you should stop with the situation that produces it. In the case that you cannot do it by yourself, it is advisable that you consult with a psychologist that helps you overcome it.
• Exercise daily. Besides helping you release endorphins that improve your mood, exercise reduces stress and anxiety. It also improves your physical form and makes your self-esteem higher.
• Good nutrition. Do not allow that feeling sad or being down make you stop feeding yourself. Good nutrition is necessary to contribute the nutrients needed for strengthening the scalp and avoiding hair loss.
• Go to the doctor. If the hair keeps falling either way, you have to go to the doctor. They will look and make sure that it is not another type of baldness. According to their diagnosis, they will indicate if you must go to a psychologist or by any other reason you must take prescription drugs. The recommended drugs in this case will be Minoxidil and Finasteride.

Is hair completely recovered after alopecia nervosa

The answer is yes. Once you overcome the problem, hair will grow back. It is a temporary alopecia. Stopping anxiety or stress, your hair will recover the developing phases. It will stop skipping phases and the follicles that had stopped working will grow new hair.

It is advisable that during the developing phases of your new hair, you put the necessary cares so it will grow healthy and strong. Feed yourself correctly, use products that go well with your type of scalp and do not overuse hair dryers, straighteners and quemical products.

Following all these tips, and knowing hair loss due to stress should not make you even more anxious. It is time to start working in being calm and that this way you van recover from the damage stress caused to your hair.

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