Did you know there are three different types of hair loss related to stress? Sometimes, stress-related hair loss is permanent and sometimes it’s just temporary. Read on to find out how the stress of the holidays can affect your hair growth cycle and what you can do to minimize stress, limit hair loss, and even encourage new hair growth.
How Does Stress Affect Hair Loss?
Stress can affect the hair growth cycle and cause three different types of hair loss: telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and trichotillomania. Each of these types of hair loss has been linked to stress, which can be much higher than normal around the holiday season. Stress won’t cause your hair to fall out instantly. Sometimes, the effects of the stress you experience can affect your hair follicles for months, causing gradual hair loss over an extended period of time.
Three Types of Stress-Related Hair Loss
Telogen Effluvium: This condition occurs when stress forces the hair follicles into a dormant phase. In this case, it may take a few months before the hair starts to fall out.
Alopecia Areata: In these cases, stress can force your immune system to attack hair follicles, affecting the growth cycle and resulting in significant hair loss.
Trichotillomania: This condition happens when stress leads you to physically pull out your hair or brows.
Is Stress-Related Hair Loss Permanent?
In most cases, stress-related hair loss will not be permanent. However, it can take months – and sometimes years – for the hair to grow back in to its fullest. Everyone’s hair growth cycles work differently so it is hard to say how quickly yours will grow back after a highly stressful episode of hair loss. To encourage your hair to return to its normal growth pattern, you will first have to deal with minimizing stress. Adding fitness into your lifestyle and following a healthy diet can also help prevent further hair loss.
How to Control Your Stress Levels During the Holidays
The holidays can put a lot of stress on many people. While most people look forward to vacations or time off work, there is still the stress of planning, preparing and checking everything off your to-do list. Here are a few helpful tips to help you keep your stress levels under control this holiday season:
Plan ahead. If you leave all of your tasks to the last minute, it will cause stress. Give yourself plenty of time to create a plan of action and spread your tasks out over a few weeks instead of a few days. Learn to say no. Taking on too much is often the reason most people feel so much stress during this already busy time of year.
Practice yoga, pilates or any other physical activity that helps you relieve stress. A healthy outlet for your stress can help prevent side effects like hair loss.
How to Encourage Hair Regrowth
If you’re suffering from unwanted hair loss due to stress and want to help your hair grow back in faster, there are a few things you can do. Besides the stress-relieving tips mentioned above, you can also seek help from a professional hair loss treatment center. Here you’ll find treatment options like:
Laser hair loss treatment
PRP (Platelet-Rich-Plasma) Therapy
Hair transplant
Hair replacement services
Wigs or hairpieces
Prescription hair loss medications
Meet with an experienced hair loss treatment specialist at Custom Hair Tampa Bay today to find out your hair restoration options. To schedule a free consultation at one of our three locations click here.
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