There is little doubt that one of the major possible causes of hair loss in women is stress. But the kind of stress that we are talking about here is not the common day to day kind of stress that we all experience. The kind of stress that can cause hair loss in women is usually the result of some kind of sudden and extreme shock. Sudden and severe emotional trauma or severe physical trauma is usually needed in order to create the effect of sudden hair loss in women.
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Some kinds of mental and emotional stress that can typically lead to hair loss in women can occur as a result of the death of a family member or loved one; the ending a relationship through divorce or death; an extreme financial trauma such as a bankruptcy or losing a house. And this stress doesn't even need to be occurring to the person suffering the hair loss, but they could be occurring to someone that they love or are very close to.
As far as physical stress and trauma that could cause hair loss in women is concerned, some examples could be severe and long-term illness, surgical procedures and sudden and extreme physical trauma such as a car accident or heart attack.
The scientific name for this sudden hair loss in women is "telogen effluvium". In this specific hair loss condition hair follicles that a healthy and growing hair at the normal rate become massively impeded, resulting in the severe slowing down of hair growth. The hair follicle then begins its resting phase, where hair growth is stopped altogether. In this phase the hair is relatively weak and falls out easily.
What can be confusing with this particular kind of hair loss in women is that the results of the stress are not always immediate. Sometimes several months can pass after the traumatic event before any hair loss begins to occur.
Oftentimes the woman who is experiencing their hair loss has forgotten the past dramatic event, and begins looking for answers to the sudden hair loss in events that are happening in her life right now. Unfortunately the answers are not in what's happening now but in what happened several weeks or months before.
This in itself can create stress as there may be nothing occurring in a woman's life right now that could in any way lead to her losing her hair.
Irrespective of when the true cause of the hair loss occurred, once the hair loss cycle has begun the hair can fall out at an alarming rate leading to even more stress for the woman who is losing hair, perpetuating the vicious cycle.
So in answer to the question can stress lead to hair loss in women, the answer is yes. But the stress needs to be something so far out of the ordinary that it can shock the body to the point that a woman's hair can fall out.
As with any kind of sudden hair loss it is always best to seek the appropriate medical advice. A proper case history taking and diagnosis will often identify the cause of does ketosis cause hair loss the woman's sudden hair loss, which in itself can relieve a significant amount of stress and any affect that stress may be having on the re-growth of the woman's hair.
Unexplained hair loss is becoming more common among women. Suddenly hair starts falling out for no reason, at an alarming rate-sometimes handfuls at a time. For many women, shock and panic set in as the dramatic increase in shedding continues. Some worry they may soon become completely bald.
Because routine lab work often comes back normal, the condition may be dismissed as "just a cosmetic problem" that one must learn to live with. Or, the person may be handed a one-size-fits-all prescription for a synthetic topical treatment that only deals with the symptom rather than the underlying issue.
It is important to understand that chronic excessive shedding is not normal, and will not occur when all is well. When the hair growth cycle shuts down, or stops functioning properly it is an indication that a physical or emotional imbalance exists. Telogen effluvium is the name for this condition.
A temporary increase in shedding may occur due to a minor, short-lived trigger such as infection, flu, high fever, new medication, change in diet, medical procedure, vaccination, shock or trauma, etc. If the body is otherwise healthy; and the triggering factor has been resolved or removed the hair growth cycle will spontaneously heal before any noticeable thinning occurs. Although this type of telogen effluvium is usually not cause for concern, it may be beneficial to pinpoint the trigger in order to avoid the possibility of future episodes.
When the condition is long-lasting and severe, causing an obvious decrease in volume there may be a deeper issue that must be determined and treated in order to restore normal thickness and optimal health.
Often there is more than one contributing factor. Chronic telogen effluvium occurs as a result of the body working overtime--expending extra energy in attempt to overcome the inner disturbance, imbalance or disorder. The hair growth cycle may shut down or become disrupted in order to compensate while the body deals with the difficult task of trying to re-establish balance.
Below is a list of common causes or contributing factors that can lead to chronic telogen effluvium. It's important to realize that if one of the following conditions exists, it does not necessarily imply that it is the single cause of the problem. Correcting all imbalances and improving overall health and well-being is the best line of defense.
THYROID IMBALANCE
Standard thyroid testing is often incomplete. Because even a slight imbalance can cause hair loss, thorough, highly sensitive lab work is advised-especially if thyroid symptoms exists. This should include testing for antibodies (Hashimotos thyroiditis).
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
Common deficiencies that are associated with hair loss include protein, iron, zinc, magnesium, chromium, selenium, vitamin D, etc. These deficiencies are also often associated with the underlying disorder in which hair loss is the symptom of. Rather than supplementing or increasing dietary intake of one particular nutrient, it may be more beneficial to include a wide variety of nutrients through diet and supplementation in order to provide balance to the body.
MAL-ABSORBTION
Nutritional deficiencies are often caused by mal-absorption issues such as Celiac (gluten intolerance) or Chron's disease and other digestive disorders. In addition to increasing nourishment, success will depend on determining and treating the underlying mal-absorption condition accordingly.
CANDIDIASIS ALBICANS
Candidiasis albicans is a systemic fungal/yeast infection. This under-diagnosed condition can wreak havoc of the entire system. Symptoms include an over-all feeling of un-wellness, foggy thinking, lack of energy etc. Skin symptoms and hair loss are common. If Candidiasis albicans exists, healing the infection should produce notable improvements in hair and skin health and overall wellness.
SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION
Some experts believe that chronic low-level systemic inflammation is at the root of all health disorders. Anti-inflammatory diet can be very helpful for health of hair and the underlying related disorders.
AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER
Autoimmune disorders may make a person more susceptible to chronic telogen effluvium. To keep symptoms from manifesting, great efforts must be made to keep immune system balanced. Certain autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves's disease, Celiac, Chron's and lupus are commonly associated with hair loss.
HORMONAL CHANGES/ POSTPARTUM
It's not uncommon for telogen effluvium to occur in women approximately three months after delivering a baby. In normal cases the condition subsides within six to nine months, leaving the new mother with only a slight decrease in thickness and volume. If the shedding becomes severe and long-lasting it would indicate that other factors are involved. Extreme care and extra nourishment are necessary during the postpartum period.
UNHEALTHY LIFE STYLE
Anytime an unhealthy lifestyle is present it will be more difficult to re-establish healthy hair growth. The better condition the body is in physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, the easier it will be to heal the imbalances causing the excessive shedding. Although disruption of the hair growth cycle can be the first sign of a wide variety of health disorders, it can be last to recover. The body has a built-in healing system that works on the principals or priority. It will provide healing energy to the areas that are most essential before it will bother with hair growth. The best results are achieved when the entire system is treated holistically rather than concentrating only on the symptom of hair loss.
ALOPECIA AREATA
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that specifically targets follicles of the scalp causing bald patches. This is not a form of telogen effluvium but there are variations of alopecia areata that can mimic telogen effluvium such as diffuse alopecia areata or alopecia areata incognita. Severe forms of this autoimmune disorder can cause baldness on the scalp and all over the body but the follicles remain alive so there is always potential for regrowth.