Mental Health and Hair Loss – Are They Related?

The problem of hair fall is a serious issue in today’s youth. But there are various factors that results in hair fall. Amongst them mental health is serious yet the tricky one which promotes hair loss. Now people suffering from severe anxiety and depression are more prone to the victim of hair loss but it is difficult to assess how to treat depression as stress to a higher extent leads to depression. Now let’s hear from the best hair transplant clinic in Kolkata how mental health and hair loss is linked.

Mental Health can cause Hair loss:

Keeping the fact in mind that there are quite a number of factors leading to hair loss like genes, hormones, lifestyle, environment etc.  Even if we say that your genes or your hormones are perfectly okay but your lifestyle might play a huge loss in your hair loss. The diet you follow, the alcohol intake, your smoking habit or your sleep schedule plays and important role in your hair growth and so does your mental health.

But let’s keep the other factors aside and focus on how your mental health affects your hair growth.

Anxiety and hair loss:

Studies show that 19.7% of those ages sixteen and above showed symptoms of anxiety. It’s very evident in today’s world that youth faces various issues in this point of age where they get trapped in the maze of stress and anxiety leading to depression.

Anxiety and stress are two different issues however they cross path. Anxiety is a consequence of stress. In other words anxiety is long term effect of stress that affects the growth of hair.

Trichotillomania – a condition developed from anxiety where the person starts pulling his/her hair without even realising that he is doing it. In the process the person loses a quite amount of hair.

Depression and hair loss:

Depression is one of the most widespread mental problems worldwide. Most people suffering from depression doesn’t know that depression leads to frizzy, dry hair and ultimately prone to breakage.

The psychological states of depression includes low self-esteem, drained energy, low mood, discouragement can be the resistance block to healthy hair growth and lead to hair loss. Anti-depressant tablets like Prozac may have side effects which include hair fall.

Stress and Hair Loss:

Hair loss can happen due to stress but the good news is hair lost due to stress is not permanent. It grows back again after a period of time.

What happens is that the body produces hormones such as cortisol and noradrenaline in response to periods of stress which affect the hair growth/loss cycle. These hormones cause the hair follicles to enter the resting stage of the cycle which prevents new hair growth. Your hair will be lost as per normal during the shedding stage but is not replaced by new hair. This abnormal cycle causes the hair to become thinner and eventually fall out.

The hair follicles rest for a period of time and when the stress is treated the hair cycle regains in its normal pattern.

Can it be treated?

The only solution to treat hair fall due to mental stress is by treating the stress. As the stress start to walk off the hair will start to regain its growth. Now if medication leads to hair fall then it can be reconsidered.