Are you so stressed that sometimes you feel like pulling your hair out? Of course, that\u2019s not the best way to deal, especially since stress can already be responsible for significant hair and scalp changes. \u201cIt\u2019s very common for people to say they\u2019re not feeling stressed, yet there\u2019s implications of the stress [in their hair],\u201d says trichologist and hair stylist Dr. Kari Williams. \u201cIt\u2019s not registering psychologically but physiologically, the body is responding.\u201d Here are three ways stress may affect your hair health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hair grows in four stages<\/a>: the growing Anagen phase, the transition Catagen phase, the resting Telogen phase and the shedding Exogen phase. One of the most common stress-related hair conditions is Telogen Effluvium<\/a>, in which stress hormones (aka cortisol) push the hair follicles prematurely to the resting phase causing excessive shedding. Some studies<\/a> have also found that elevated cortisol levels can even prevent hair follicle stem cells from regenerating and re-entering the growth phase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to treating hair thinning or shedding, first assess lifestyle interruptions caused by stress, such as changes in nutrition and sleep schedule, as well as address stress management. \u201cIdentify where those imbalances are happening. Simply getting back on that routine can significantly impact hair growth,\u201d says Dr. Williams. \u201cThe next thing I recommend is checking if you need support managing the psychological stress, whether it\u2019s talking to a counselor or therapist. That\u2019s going to be really important.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, keep your hair care routine simple while you combat the hair shedding\u2014avoid chemical applications and overloading the hair and scalp with too many products at one time<\/p>\n\n\n\n The anecdotal connection between stress and gray hair is a tale as old as time, but there is actual science that can correlate stress with premature grays. One 2020 Harvard study<\/a> linked chemicals released in our sympathetic nerve system\u2014which is responsible for the body\u2019s fight-or-flight response during stress\u2014to pigment-producing cells that affect hair color. A recent Columbia University study<\/a> also suggests that premature graying can potentially be reversible if stress is reduced. While age and genetics are primary influences for when and how thoroughly your hair turns gray, addressing stressors can certainly be a factor in slowing the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We see how stress can lead to breakouts<\/a>, so consider the number it can do to your scalp. \u201cOne of the most common scalp conditions we see is seborrheic dermatitis, which is when the sebaceous gland overproduces sebum and creates flaking in the scalp. These are autoimmune responses, and with stress, we really see the impact on the immune system,\u201d explains Dr. Williams. “I\u2019ve seen clients who\u2019ve never had issues with their scalp experience this during stressful times.\u201d She also cites that anxiety and stress can also precipitate skin conditions such as neurodermatitis, which is characterized by intense itching and scratching that can damage the scalp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To treat symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis or neurodermatitis, Dr. Williams recommends products that gently exfoliate the scalp as well medicated shampoos that contain active ingredients such as salicylic acid or ketoconazole. And resist the urge to pick your scalp. \u201cIt\u2019s important that you don\u2019t scratch these flakes. We want to be mindful of not creating abrasions in the scalp where bacteria can enter into the bloodstream then lead to an actual scalp infection,\u201d says Dr. Williams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Murad, and are for informational purposes only, even if the advice of physicians and medical practitioners are included. This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and should not be considered specific medical advice.\u202f<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n References for this information:<\/strong> Are you so stressed that sometimes you feel like pulling your hair out? Of course, that\u2019s not the best way to deal, especially since stress can already be responsible for significant hair and scalp changes. \u201cIt\u2019s very common for people to say they\u2019re not feeling stressed, yet there\u2019s implications of the stress [in their hair],\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":9727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1698793028:29"],"_edit_last":["29"],"adobe_analytics_repeatable":["a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:4:\"name\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"value\";s:0:\"\";}}"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["3"],"show_featured_image":["1"],"_show_featured_image":["field_609ee1cf1ce13"],"primary_category":["4"],"_primary_category":["field_608c33bdd26d5"],"mobile_image":[""],"_mobile_image":["field_60bf7692abe28"],"_post_views_count":["field_6107dfafd6a27"],"sidebar_products_use_global_default":["0"],"_sidebar_products_use_global_default":["field_63a349a11086a"],"sidebar_products_title":["Related Products"],"_sidebar_products_title":["field_6408d62123449"],"sidebar_products_items":[""],"_sidebar_products_items":["field_63a349a110878"],"sidebar_products":[""],"_sidebar_products":["field_63a349a0dadad"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["4"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["stress and hair loss"],"_yoast_wpseo_title":["%%title%% %%page%% %%sep%% Murad"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Gray hair? Thinning scalp? Find out what stress has to do with it, from this trichologist and hair stylist"],"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":["59"],"_thumbnail_id":["9727"],"post_views_count":["6331"]},"aioseo_notices":[],"acf":{"show_featured_image":true,"primary_category":{"term_id":4,"name":"Body","slug":"body","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":63,"filter":"raw"},"mobile_image":false,"sidebar_products":{"use_global_default":false,"title":"Related Products","items":""},"post_views_count":"6331"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9633"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9880,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9633\/revisions\/9880"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Gray hair <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Changes in scalp <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Healthline, September 2020<\/em><\/a>
Journal of Medical Science, May 2020<\/em><\/a>
The Harvard Gazette, March 2021<\/a><\/em>
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, June 2021<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"