In a fast-paced world, it’s no longer a surprise for anyone to experience stressful events every day. Good thing our body has its natural ways of fighting and coping with stress. The hormones that control different mechanisms in our body help us survive the daily grind.

CORTISOL: THE STRESS HORMONE

Cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone”, is produced by the adrenal glands, specifically the adrenal cortex. Its primary responsibilities are to regulate glucose metabolism, regulate blood pressure, stimulate insulin production and releasing, strengthen our immune system, and facilitate inflammatory responses in our body. It is a very significant hormone in the body that is easily affected when we are under stressful circumstances.

Cortisol is mostly present during the day than at night. Of course, cortisol isn’t secreted solely because of stress; although its main function in the fight or flight response of the body is essential. It is considered the stress hormone because it is responsible for several physical changes in our body during stressful situations. It helps our body adjust to the situation in such a way that it can trigger several mechanisms to allow our body to get away or face dangerous or stressful situations.

While it is very important for our stress hormone to be activated in response to stress, it is further more important to let our body activate its relaxation response so as to normalize the body’s functioning. It will help the body return to its normal, relaxed state. However, due to today’s highly-stressful conditions, our body’s stress response is activated more often than its relaxation response, thus resulting to a state of chronic stress. This is where several physiological and psychological problems begin.

If you have higher levels of cortisol and prolonged stress response of the body, it is more likely that you will experience several negative effects, including but not limited to the following:

• Lowered immune function and increased susceptibility to infections
• Lowered inflammatory response, slower wound healing process
• Brain fog, slowed thinking and response
• Blood sugar imbalance, increased risk for diabetes
• Increased blood pressure, increased risk for heart-related diseases
• Weakened muscle tissue
• Decreased bone density
• Increased body fat

CAN STRESS REALLY CAUSE HAIR LOSS?

The answer to that question is a pounding yes. As a matter of fact, three of the most common types of hair loss can be stress-related. If you are constantly exposed to stress, you’re not only susceptible to chronic stress but also hair loss problems, such as:

a) Alopecia Areata – it is a condition where the white blood cells attack our hair follicles, thus stopping hair growth and making our hair fall out easily.

b) Telogen effluvium – it is a condition which causes a large number of our growing hair be pushed towards the resting phase immediately but at a much longer period of time.

c) Trichotillomania – it is a psychological disorder which causes a person suffering from it to pull out hairs from the scalp, eyebrow, and in other areas of the body. It cannot be controlled even after forming bald patches due to loss of hair strands.

Hair loss due to stress doesn’t have to be a permanent damage. If you find time to relax and release your stress through several methods like massage or even a vacation, you’ll notice that the hairs that were lost will be coming back soon.

Also, when you’re experiencing sudden, severe hair loss, you need to consider asking an advice from a medical professional. It might be that your hair loss is not the effect of an illness but a symptom of an underlying disorder. You’re physician can suggest several treatment options made available today.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP CONTROL HAIR LOSS DUE TO STRESS?

There are three things you can do to help control your hair loss, if it is solely due to stress.

1. Diet Modification: High Protein Diet

Lean meat, fresh water fish, poultry and eggs are a must in your diet. Since your hair is made up of protein, you need to increase your protein intake to help strengthen your roots and produce healthy hair.

2. Check Your Iron Levels

Iron stimulates hair growth and this is why you also need to increase iron-rich food intake, especially if it is below the normal range. You can eat more green leafy veggies or simply take iron supplements to replace your iron loss.

3. Have Yourself Correctly Assessed and Treated of Stress

This is a vital step especially if you know you are under severe stress. You can visit an experienced medical practitioner who knows how to treat stress. Before going to your doctor, you also need to assess yourself first – do you take any medications that might have facilitated your hair loss problems or have affected how your hair grows? Do you have any underlying medical conditions? Do you have a family history of alopecia?

Hair loss, especially when caused by mere stress, can easily be treated just by dealing with your stressors. Just keep in mind that you still need a medical professional to look after and monitor your condition just to make sure there are no other causes to your hair loss.

Anyone experiencing sudden, severe hair loss or hair thinning would probably do everything in their power to grow their hair back fast, whether naturally or surgically. We can’t blame them because our hair is considered our crowning glory and it ultimately defines our facial features even more. However, we are not aware that almost 90% of all hair loss and/or thinning cases are considered highly preventable by dermatologists.

This means that we can protect our hair and do something about hair loss even before it starts. Regardless if you have different causes for hair loss, and whether or not it has started, we can still do something about it. We can start by knowing, understanding and acknowledging the three common factors that cause hair loss in both men and women. Discussed below are the factors that affect hair growth in men and women at any given age.

A. HORMONAL FACTORS

We all know that our hormones widely affect almost all our body systems and if we experience any form of imbalance, the effect would be manifested physically, and sometimes, psychologically. When it comes to hormones that affect hair growth, there are three common causes of hormonal imbalance in our body:

• Dihydrotestosterone or DHT
It is an androgen or male sex hormone that is being synthesized in the adrenal glands, testes, prostate gland and hair follicles. If there is a disruption or imbalance in the metabolism of androgens inside the body, it could cause hair loss in both men and women. Since men have more androgens than women, they are more prone to experiencing hair loss due to DHT metabolism.

• Pregnancy
Hair loss due to pregnancy usually starts after delivery and hair also starts to grow back after three to four months of hair loss onset. This is primarily because your hair is at the resting phase while you are pregnant and vitamin and mineral deficiency might also add to the factors which lead from simply hair falling to severe hair loss.

• Birth control pills
Normally, any kind of drug medication can cause hair loss but it is more extreme when it comes to birth control pills. The medication basically stimulates and pushes the hair to go from the anagen phase (growing phase) to the telogen phase (resting phase), which cause the hair to shed a lot faster and longer in duration than normal.

B. MECHANICAL FACTORS

When we often style our hair or put some braids constantly we are putting ourselves at risk for having hair fall. Furthermore, it is not only the hormones and chemicals inside the body that affects our hair growth, more often than not, it is the way we treat our hair and how we take care of it.

• Trichotillomania
It is a psychological impulsive disorder that urges a person suffering from it to continuously pull or twist the hair until it breaks or sheds. Its cause is still unknown and it cannot be stopped even if the hair grows thin or the person develops hair patches. Some even tend to swallow their hair after pulling which is very dangerous for anyone affected by this disorder.

• Traction alopecia
It is gradually developing alopecia which is primarily caused by constant pulling force applied to hair through braiding or locks. Even a very tight ponytail can cause this type of alopecia.

• Hair styling treatments
When you’re fond of using hair styling gels or hair sprays, or often go the salon for hair treatment and coloring, you’ll find yourself losing more hair than any other who isn’t styling their hair much. This is simply because your exposure to chemicals and create a film in your scalp that clogs your pores, thus making it harder to grow hair faster and naturally.

C. DISEASE OR ILLNESS

Other than the typical hormonal and mechanical factors, you might also be at risk for experiencing hair loss if you have certain diseases or illnesses such as:

• Thyroid disorders
Whether it is hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism that you’re suffering from, because of the hormonal imbalance that it causes and the medications that you’re taking, you could easily put yourself at risk of hair loss because of these disorders.

• Cancer
As we all know cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy can cause severe temporary hair loss for as long as you’re under the treatment. However, it can also lead to permanent hair loss if you’re in a long-term treatment or if the treatment has triggered your hereditary hair loss.

• Stress
This is the most significant and most neglected cause of hair loss simply because we cannot measure anyone’s stress levels. Although we might be aware when we are under stress, we still do not just simply go to a therapist for cure. More often than not, we just let the stress go by until we start a new day and go on with our lives without actually handling and fixing the problem. This is where you start to increase your stress level and decrease your tolerance to stress-inducing situations. The most important thing to do when under stress is to just stop and relax for a little while. You’ll never know when little breaks can actually make a difference in your life.

We all go through hair loss at some point in our lives. Some may have little to now hair loss while others suffer patchy to complete baldness. With many chemicals surrounding us, it is no wonder our scalp finds it difficult to produce healthy and nourished hair. If you’re in a beginning stage of hair loss or know that you have hereditary hair loss, you can prevent it by using these 5 natural tips.

• Natural and/or Essential oil treatment – just simply warm up any kind of natural or essential oil and massage your scalp with it, then cover your hair with shower cap, leave for about an hour and then rinse.
• Head massage – massage your scalp for a few minutes every day to stimulate a good circulation in your head.
• Natural juices – just like the oils, you can massage your hair with garlic, onion or ginger juice, then leave it overnight, and wash it in the morning.
• Antioxidants – apply warm green tea on your scalp, then leave it for an hour, and rinse thereafter.
• Meditation – to reduce stress and tension in your head, you should practice meditation.

If anyone would be asked of what a person must do to prevent hair loss, he or she would probably be stuck in thinking so many natural and artificial chemicals or treatment, as seen on the internet, and many other books about hair loss. The truth is, the answer would be simple if we know this one thing: What is the cause of your hair loss?

To guide you about what you can do to prevent or even alleviate hair loss, we should be able to understand everything about the problem. How does it start? What causes it? What aggravates it? After answering these questions, we go with the steps of how you can prevent it, or how you can alleviate it if it has already started. Little by little we would be able to establish an effective procedure you can follow no matter what stage of hair loss you might be in.

        I.            HOW DOES HAIR GROW?

You may have read a lot about this question and probably by this time, you have mastered the mechanism behind hair growth, especially if you’re suffering from hair loss. However, it’s always a good thing to be reminded even if we already know everything about it. Do not worry though; this won’t take longer than the minimum time when 90 percent of your hair is in growth phase – which is, by the way, at least two years.

We all know that only about 10 percent of our hair is at resting phase for an approximate time of two to three months. If anything, your hair then can shed about 50 to 150 strands of hair a day. Furthermore, your hair only grows about one centimeter per month. So, if you experience sudden, unusually dense hair fall, you should seek advice from experts alone, to prevent any further damage and be diagnosed properly.

      II.            THE PROBLEM AND ITS CAUSES

Improper diet, nutrient-deficiency, different kinds and combinations of medications, stress, heredity and even your environment’s pollution can all cause hair loss. This is why before you go and buy some hair growing products, you first need to know and understand how hair loss occurred. You need to get to the root cause of the problem and determine what kind of treatment may be efficient for you.

Hair loss, balding, alopecia or however you may call it basically means that your hair has more loss than growth or has undergone its resting stage more often than usual. The tendency of the hair to fall off or not grow as often as usual is said to be a common problem of men, but undeniably so, it is also a problem of women. Other than being prevalent in men and some time in women, it can also occur at any age. As to what hair loss is, how it happens, and how you could be contributing to it, you’ll know all of the answers as we go along with this article.

There are different types of alopecia. Some could be caused by genetics, autoimmune response of the body, psychological disorder, or simply damage in the scalp or hair follicles. More often than not, we think that hair fall only happens on the head but the likeliness that it will also happen in other parts of the body like the underarms, eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic area, arms and legs, among others, is also high for most types of alopecia. All of these are listed and will be briefly discussed below.

a.       Androgenetic Alopecia

It is more commonly known as male or female pattern baldness. Androgenetic alopecia is said to be caused by hormonal changes and more often so, genes. Some studies suggest that it can also skip generations. The most important characteristic of this disorder is that when it affects men, it forms an “M” shaped baldness on the crown; and in women it starts as simple thinning at the front then moves at the crown and sides of the head.

Men are said to be affected by this through age 30 to 70. Women, on the other hand can usually be affected after the menopausal stage. Although this disorder is hereditary in nature and may seem to be impossible to heal, your hair follicles still remain alive, which means that there is a possibility of hair regrowth with proper medication and treatment.

b.      Toxic Alopecia

Although this type of alopecia is known to be temporary, it is still something not to be taken for granted. Toxic alopecia is said to be caused by some experiences that trigger changes in our lives such as pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, and sudden weight loss. It may also be triggered by a high fever or certain serious illness such as cancer and its treatment (chemotherapy and radiation). Medications, such as thallium, Vitamin A and retinoids are also common causes of toxic alopecia.

Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and thyroid problems, as well as diabetes, can also cause this type of alopecia. Hair loss due to these diseases or stressors can often occur about two to three months after the event that triggered the stress in your body. It is best to have yourself be checked and diagnosed by the right specialist, can be a medical doctor for your disease or disorder, and/or a dermatologist for the type of alopecia you may have.

c.       Alopecia Areata

It is also known as alopecia totalis (complete baldness of scalp) or alopecia universalis (complete loss of body hair). Its cause is said to be unknown but some factors that specialist often look into are autoimmune disorders, sudden changes or stressors such as pregnancy, childbirth, trauma, and other illnesses. Some people who suffer from alopecia areata may not see any sign other than patchy hair loss, but some may also experience burning or itchy sensation on the scalp or the body part affected.  

Although the hair follicles remain intact, the stress that hair loss causes aggravates the present condition and makes it harder to grow the hair back. This is why psychological treatment or simple removal of stressors is also helpful, most especially for young people who experience alopecia areata due to their studies or personal problems.

d.      Trichotillomania

A psychological disorder wherein the person suffering from it has a constant impulse of wanting to pull out, twist or even eat the hair on his/her scalp, eyebrow, eyelashes or hairs from other parts of the body. The cause of this disorder is not yet completely studied and understood. More often than not, children who suffer from it deny their hair pulling behavior, which makes it even more difficult to diagnose and treat during the first stages when hair loss is not yet blatant.

e.      Cicatricial Alopecia

It is more often called as scarring alopecia. Cicatricial alopecia is commonly a result of bacterial, fungal or viral infections. Due to these infections, lesions or scars are formed in the scalp which is aggravated by scratching. This type of alopecia may also be caused by burns or skin cancer. The lesions formed because of such diseases can damage the hair follicles which are needed for hair to grow again.

    III.            TAKING CARE OF YOUR CROWNING GLORY

There really are no guarantees that hair loss can be completely and undoubtedly prevented, especially if we are talking about hereditary hair loss or those that are caused by autoimmune disorders. Nonetheless, you can still do something to lessen the stressor or whatever factor that leads to triggering hair loss. Here are some invaluable tips you can do or use to help reduce your risk of hair loss:

1)      Remove the physical stressors – Styling, Heat-drying, Chemicals, Dyeing and more

Hair drying, ironing, dyeing, styling, and cutting may cause a lot of stress to your hair and hair follicles. If you so need to use hair irons, curlers or hair dryers, make sure to minimize it as you can. Be mindful that heat can weaken your hair proteins which in turn weaken hair growth. Letting your hair dry out naturally is still what’s best to do.

When it comes to chemicals such as those used in hair sprays and styling gels, if your hair can stand without them, then better yet stop using these chemicals. However, if you can’t stand how your hair looks without these styling agents, try to use alternatives, those with natural ingredients or those that have fewer chemicals in it.

As to dyeing your hair, you need to wait for up to eight weeks before trying out another shade for your hair or retouching especially for those who are “age-conscious”. If you think beauty is more important than health, think again. Constant dyeing of your hair just to conceal your graying hair contributes well enough to hair loss, which makes you look even older.   

Hair styles that are tightly done such as ponytails, braids, corn-rows and plaits are the common causes of a type of alopecia that is completely preventable. This alopecia is called traction alopecia. From the word itself, when the hair is being pulled way too much and tightly, it can cause your hair to fall out easily. If hair styling is part of who you are or how you look, you first need to consider if such styling can reduce hair growth. No styling can be more important if you end up having no hair to style because of it.  

2)      Remove the psychological stressors

Although stress cannot be literally measured and controlled, you can still do something to release whatever that causes your stress. If you feel pressured from deadlines, projects and assignments from work or school, you can start reducing stress by organizing your thoughts and the things you need to finish. Create a to-do list and provide a specific time frame for each task. Post it where you can always see it.  

If you are stressed because of other problems, you can start releasing that stress by allowing yourself to relax during the start of the day. You can either do yoga every day or go to a massage parlor and spa and pamper yourself for a day. In that way, you can let yourself and your mind relax and start thinking about priorities and solutions to your problems.

Never underestimate the power of exercise and sleep. These are the most commonly disregarded methods of restoring good health and circulation. Do not deprive yourself of sleep, as this is the primary restorer of health for men and women of any age.  

3)      Improve your eating habits and diet

It is commonly mentioned in many articles and books that good nutrition plays an important role in hair growth. However, people do not seem to know what needs to be ingested and what foods need to be avoided. So in order to keep you and your scalp healthy, you should find it easy to check on your diet and take note of the foods you needs to take and avoid.

Some of the common nutrients one must take in order to improve hair growth are iron (from organ meats, beef, pork, fish, green leafy vegetables, and pumpkin seeds), protein (from seafoods, white-meat poultry, milk products, soy, tofu, whole wheat bread, brown rice, nuts, potatoes, among others), vitamin C (from citrus fruits, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables), Omega-3 fatty acids (from salmon, mackerel, walnuts), Biotin (from lentils, sunflower seeds, soybeans, walnuts), and Zinc (from oysters, peanut butter, turkey meat and pumpkin seeds).

When it comes to the foods that you must avoid eating, you only need to remember two things: low-calorie liquids and raw egg whites. These are the main factors that can cause hair loss, either temporarily or permanently.

Other than knowing what to ingest and avoid, you may also want to consider taking in supplements. Although they may not blatantly stop hair fall, they can still be helpful to you as they help absorb the nutrients needed for hair growth and prevent hair loss. Inositol, Vitamin C, Iron and Biotin are just some of the supplements you may want to ask your physician about.

    IV.            TALK TO THE EXPERTS

If treating your hair loss is your main concern, you might be overlooking the real problem. As mentioned before, your hair loss can be caused by several factors. Factors that if seen and diagnosed correctly and at an early stage, could prevent further damage to your hair and self-image. So, your first line of defense should come from correct diagnosis of the root cause of your hair loss.

Let the experts examine you and be tested, either through biopsy or any other that can determine your illness. Sometimes, a check up with your physician is only what it takes for you to remove the anxiety and stress hair loss has given you.

There are several treatments for hair loss available in the market right now. Medications such as Minoxidil (for men and women) and Finasteride (for men only) can be used to stop hair loss. Some studies about these medications show that they work to essentially 60 percent of men. Although Finasteride had been association to sexual dysfunction in men, it is still highly recommended by physicians.

For menopausal women, especially those suffering from hair loss, it is not uncommon for physicians to suggest hormone replacement therapy. However, you need to be evaluated by your physician before taking hormone replacement therapy and re-evaluated six months thereafter.

Hair transplants are also not uncommon these days. Some even try out hair restoration surgery, especially if the baldness is concentrated on the crown alone and the sides of the head have dense hair. In this type of procedure, some of the remaining hairs are pulled out to be planted to the parts where there is baldness or alopecia. This type of procedure is only for those who have severe hair loss and damaged self-image. Physicians still prefer medications and other treatments for their patients.

Laser treatments or therapy is also an option for you, provided that your physician has prescribed it for you. By using laser therapy, there is an increase in blood flow and promotion of good circulation, thus hair follicles get stimulated. When this happens, we know that hair growth will also follow. There are clinics and dermatologists who offer this type of treatment in-house but there is also an option for you to just purchase a laser brush or comb for you to use at home.  

      V.            THE COMMON THING WE CAN DO

Other than all the suggestions given above to improve hair growth and arrest hair loss, the one thing you can totally do is to just be gentle with your hair. You can do so by washing your hair regularly with mild shampoo to keep your scalp clean and prevent any type of infection to set in.

Furthermore, after washing your hair, you should not brush it while it is wet. Remember to let it dry out naturally (and not use any hair drying equipment) to prevent hair loss, and then use a wide-toothed comb for combing. Do not force your hair to be untangled with comb or brush. You can always use your fingers to do untangle your hair.  

Moreover, you should avoid tangling your hair when towel-drying, as it can also lead to hair loss and breakage. Simply let your hair dry out naturally or pat it dry with your towel. While you’re at it, remember to use protein-rich shampoo and conditioner. Although they do not literally increase hair growth or top hair loss, they temporarily ease the gaps on your hair shaft.