Woman's Hair Loss Advice

Stress Hair Loss in Women

Stress can lead to hair loss and 21st-century life is stressful. Life has probably never been more stressful with Blackberries, cell phones, PCs, GPS, RFID and more.

Women often also have competing demands such as primary caregiver and breadwinner, and women also experience stresses unique to their gender such as childbirth, menopause and some might argue, men. Combine these all and you have a recipe for stress.

Stress is a complex problem physiologically, with multiple negative impacts on multiple systems, and feedback loops between the systems that make things even worse. One common result is stress-related hair loss or "telogen effluvium." This condition results in a large proportion of the hair follicles of the scalp abruptly switching to the "dormant"
phase. In normal hair growth, at any given time, follicles switch back and forth between active and dormant conditions, in order to allow follicles that have produced hair to rest prior to the next hair growth cycle. What the patient will notice is an abrupt, sometimes dramatic increase in the amount of hair on the floor of the bathtub or in the sink. Normally hair growth will return to normal within a few months once the stress has been resolved, but this is not guaranteed.

Another stress-induced hair loss condition is known as alopecia areata. This condition is associated with major life stresses such as divorce, the death of a husband or child, etc. In such extreme physiological circumstances white blood cells will attack hair follicle cells that they would normally protect. Hair loss in this instance normally begins in one small patch on the scalp or crown that then expands over time. Again, if the stress is mitigated or resolved, normal hair growth will resume but this is not guaranteed. Of course, neither is it guaranteed that the stressor itself can be removed. What to do, in such cases?

It's best to try not to panic over what's admittedly a difficult circumstance, and instead focus on general health and general stress-reducing techniques. Here is a partial list of stress-reduction techniques useful whatever the situation:

• Yoga. Yoga has not been around for thousands of years because it doesn't work. There are several forms, among them hatha yoga. Recommendations from friends are useful in finding the best yoga instructor for you. Yoga will remind you to keep your focus on your body more of the time, and benefits general health, blood circulation and proper breathing as well as flexibility. Yoga can bring the same peace of mind to you and in addition, make your body more lithe.

• Guided imagery. This is a form of meditation where a coach, or trainer, assists the class or student in imagining peaceful mental locations in which to place him or herself, such as a beach or mountaintop. Guided imagery is sometimes used in acting exercises as, "the place you'd rather be." In a stressful moment, try to remember the physical location you last remember feeling content. Or attend a class in guided imagery, where a teacher can assist you with this. Guided imagery is proven to slow down or reduce traditional indicators of stress such as blood pressure and resting pulse.

• Autogenics. This newer form of guided, body-focused meditation focuses on managing the "fight-or-flight" response in which the adrenal glands flood the bloodstream with adrenaline, cortisol and other stress-related hormones. It had, and has, its place in everyday life, say if you are being chased by a mugger. Unfortunately, the body circa 2009 is not very good at distinguishing a mugger or hunger grizzly bear from, say, an obdurate boss. Autogenics can help you recognize the flight-or-fight reflex being triggered in yourself by everyday stress and help you to mitigate it.

• Eliminate caffeine. No one's going to argue that a cup of coffee or tea can help get you out the door to work in the morning. Still, the effects of excess caffeine – what used to be called "coffee nerves" – are familiar to most and not pleasant. Too much caffeine gives one the jitters. Experiment with cutting back on or eliminating caffeine from your daily routine for better hair health.

• Alcohol in moderation. The benefits of the consumption of an alcoholic beverage per day for overall health are being vindicated in studies again and again. While it's true resveratrol, the chemical agent in grapes that gives them their color, has been alleged to be the real hero in the diet, meaning we should all be drinking a glass of red wine or two per day, this association is unclear and many physicians remain convinced it is alcohol and its moderating effects that bring the health benefit.

• Do not OVER-do it with alcohol. Regrettably alcohol never solved anything except improved sales for liquor companies. A small amount can be healthful. Too much and you have entirely new problems on top of what you already had.

• Try to stop procrastinating. One helpful hint: what is guaranteed to keep you ill- at-ease? Not completing that job with the deadline staring you in the face. What IS guaranteed to make you feel not just good, but accomplished? Completing the work! Keep your mental focus on these lines and procrastination will be revealed for the false solace it is.

• Take good care of your overall health. Regular consumption of a full glass of water several times a day is not a bad way to start. Otherwise try to eat a balanced diet and when it comes to vegetables, think colors. Put simply, the more colors in the vegetables you consume daily, the more lycopenes (cancer fighters such as are found in tomato skins) you will consume. A Multi Vitamin specially formulated for Women is also a good idea.

Plenty of sleep, and regular exercise, are never a bad idea either. This list represents just a few of the things you can do yourself to combat stress-related hair loss. But try to keep the focus on your general health at all times, along with stress reduction and stress mitigation – exercise mitigates stress well – and this can only aid your eventual recovery from stress-related hair problems.