Can Stress Really Cause Hair Loss?

Photo by PR Photos

It has no doubt been a turbulent few weeks for Kelly Ripa. With all the drama surrounding her morning show, the star is no doubt under a lot of stress. What could all this stress mean for her luscious locks?

The old saying has always been that stress will make you go gray, but can stress really make your hair fall out? The short answer is yes, but thankfully, there is more to it than that, or else no one would have any hair. 

 

Stress alone doesn’t cause permanent hair loss, but it can lead to temporary hair loss in both men and women. But when we are talking about stress and hair loss, it is important to understand that we’re not talking about everyday stress. Stress-related hair loss is brought on by extreme stress and is most commonly associated with life-altering events, such as death, serious illness, and according to some studies, even divorce. However it can be extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of our hair loss, because the stressors can come from a variety of sources.

When stress sends your body into a state of shock, your hair can be forced into a resting state prematurely, which is what causes the sudden hair loss. As we all know, some shedding (100-200 strands/day) is normal because hair follicles cycle on and off naturally over time. New hair production pushes out the old resting hairs as follicles switch from 'resting' to 'growing' phase. 

Odds are, Kelly's hair will be fine, she seems to be handling the stress like a pro. But, for those who experience any sudden, unusual, or excessive shedding, don’t ignore it, or simply assume it is the result of stress. Hair loss caused by stress, whether emotional or physical, is particularly difficult to self-diagnose, because it doesn’t happen immediately following the stressful period or triggering event, it often happens weeks, or even months afterwards. To properly diagnose the cause of your hair loss, it is important to be evaluated by a board-certified hair restoration physician, who can help determine if your hair loss is in fact due to stress, or if it is a symptom of a more serious underlying health condition.

Divorce Stress Causing Khloe Kardashian to Lose Her Hair?

Photo by PR Photos

As if Khloe Kardashian's public divorce drama wasn't already hard enough, new photos suggest the reality star may be seeing signs of hair loss, which some are attributing to divorce stress.

While it may seem strange that divorce can lead to hair loss, studies have found that it can in fact trigger hair loss in women. One study in particular found that, genetics aside, marital status is the next strongest predictor of hair loss in women. Stress alone doesn't cause permanent hair loss, but it commonly contributes to temporary hair loss, called telogen effluvium, in both men and women. The good news is, this type of hair loss can usually be reversed by reducing your stress. 

Khloe's locks may very well be feeling the effects of her divorce, but I have a feeling her frequent use of extensions is also a factor in her hair troubles. As I've mentioned countless times, hair extensions are actually extremely harmful to the hair follicles. Because of the excess weight and pulling, hair extensions, when worn too much, can lead to a type of hair loss called "traction alopecia."

Whatever is behind her hair loss, if she wants to speed up the hair recovery process, she may also want to consider a regimen of low level laser therapy and a vitamin supplement like Viviscal to help stimulate healthy hair growth. 

Heartbreak Hair Loss for Kristen Stewart?

Photo by PR Photos

Is Kristen Stewart suffering from heartbreak hair loss?

New photos of Stewart show the young actress, 23, with noticeably thinning hair, with many attributing the hair loss as a result of months of stress following her public breakup.

So can stress really cause you to lose your hair? While we all know stress is bad for your health, many people don't realize the impact it can have on our hair. From the photos, it appears Stewart is in fact seeing some thinning, and is most likely suffering from temporary hair loss known as telogen effluvium.

Stress alone doesn't cause permanent hair loss, but it commonly contributes to temporary hair loss in both men and women. When the body goes into a state of shock, from for example extreme stress, the hair goes into a resting state of the hair growth cycle prematurely, resulting in sudden hair loss. This type of hair loss is often triggered by extreme stress associated with pregnancy, death of a loved one, surgery, serious illness or, according to one study, divorce.

The good news is, this type of hair loss can usually be reversed by reducing your stress. However if you want to speed up the hair recovery process, you may also want to consider a regimen of low level laser therapy and a vitamin supplement like Viviscal to help stimulate healthy hair growth. 

Kim Kardashian Pregnancy - Don't Be Surprised by Telogen Effluvium

"Photo by PR Photos"

The celebrity press is buzzing with the news that Kim Kardashian, 32, and Kanye West, 35, are expecting their first baby. It's being said that Kim is three months pregnant, which would put the due date in the June/July timeframe. 

Since this is Kim's first baby, she may be surprised by one common symptom in the immediate post-partum period: hair loss. This type of temporary, rapid shedding event is known as 'telogen effluvium' and it frequently occurs in women after child birth. What causes it? During pregnancy, an increase in the hormone estrogen pumps up the normal hair growth cycle, resulting in more total strands and increased 'thickness' in the hair as well. However, what goes up must come down, so once the baby is born, the body brings those hormone levels down again, to a more normal state, and, as a result, the woman's scalp suddenly sheds a lot of hair at once.

This may or may not happen to Kim. (And, remember, it's a common temporary symptom.) If it does, however, I'm sure we'll all be reading about it on Twitter!

Did Stress Cause Tyra Banks to Lose Her Hair?

Tyra Banks, who recently released a new book, told the Wall Street Journal that the experience was so stressful it caused some of her hair to fall out.

While Tyra was quoted saying she "got a little alopecia" from the writing, what she was referring to was temporary hair loss known as telogen effluvium. Alopecia is a generic term that usually describes androgenetic alopecia, or more commonly, male/female pattern hair loss, a more serious condition that requires medical treatment. Alopecia can also refer to alopecia areata/universalis/totalis, which are also immune disorders to which there is no treatment yet.

Stress alone doesn't cause permanent hair loss, but it commonly contributes to temporary hair loss in both men and women. When the body goes into a state of shock, from for example extreme stress, the hair goes into a resting state of the hair growth cycle prematurely, resulting in sudden hair loss. This type of hair loss is often triggered by extreme stress associated with pregnancy, death of a loved one, surgery, serious illness or, according to a recent study, divorce.

The good news is, this type of hair loss can usually be reversed by reducing your stress. However if you want to speed up the hair recovery process, you may also want to consider a regimen of Low Level Laser Therapy and a vitamin supplement like Viviscal to help stimulate healthy hair growth. 

Amanda Knox - Free, But Thinning

Amanda Knox may be free from her Italian prison, but the stress and anxiety of her four-year ordeal in the Italian court system (and tabloid media) has certainly taken its toll on her physically.


Several media organizations like ABC News and The Daily Mail have recently noted Amanda's hair shows signs of thinning. 

Extreme stress, poor health and physical trauma can cause hair loss - even in a 25 year old. In most cases, the hair loss is only temporary (known as 'telogen effluvium') - and I think that Amanda's hair will probably regain its previous luster once she's had a few months to recover. However, she could speed up the hair recovery process by getting started on the nutritional supplement Viviscal and a regimen of Low Level Laser Therapy.