One of the major reasons for your hair loss could be because of stress… yes; stress is a major contributor of hair loss for most people. Actually, stress and hair loss are closely related. If the current statistics are anything to go by, there is reason to get worried and start to work on your stress levels. This is because it has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt that intensive and excessive emotional and/ or physical stress can lead to baldness, if no measures are taken of course.

When going through a stressful situation in life, you will start to notice hair thinning which, if not taken good care of early enough, can lead to eventual hair loss. So what causes hair thinning in the first place? When you are under pressure your body will start to release some unfavorable hormones, which will attack the hair follicles and stall their growth as they will be treated as foreign matter, thus leading to hair thinning and eventually hair loss.

There are two major types of stress induced hair loss.

1.      Telogen effluvium is the scientific name of the first type of stress induced hair loss. In this category, hair will not grow and the process of natural hair growth will remain dormant for a period of between 3 and 6 months. Once the stressful event is over, the natural hair growth pattern will take course in a period between 6 and 9 months. Should the stress persist, it can lead to hair thinning and eventually permanent hair loss.

2.      Alopecia areata is the second and more serious stress related type of hair loss. This is where the white blood cells attack your hair follicles to a point of making hair strands fall out in large numbers. Alopecia could happen in patches anywhere in the head and eventually spread out to the whole head. It can lead to permanent hair loss if urgent measures are not taken.

Although hair is never lost permanently, at least for the first few months of loss, with continued neglect of the underlying cause of stress, and without external support such as with hair growth vitamins and natural hair products, you can rest assured that it will only be a matter of time before the situation becomes permanent. Of course the continuous fallout of hair is a clear indication that your health is wanting, and that your body cannot be able to withstand pressure.

Stress can be brought about by a number of issues such as emotional pressure at work or at home because of strained relationships, diseases such as Malaria etc. Regardless of the cause of your stress, it is important to keep in mind that the problem will persist until the day you will treat or get rid of the root cause of the problem. Meditation, exercises, a good and balanced diet, changing your working environment, and yoga can help. Understanding the root cause of your stress will therefore be the first step to healing as you will be able to find a permanent cure for your problem.