How to emotionally deal with hair loss? Advice from a psychiatrist

Hair, especially that on the head, has biological importance, such as reducing the damage our skull receives when it is hit or protecting us from the sun's rays. But above all, hair has a social and psychological effect .

For this reason, hair loss can have a very big impact on the mood of the person who suffers from it, making it very difficult to deal with on many occasions. If this is your case, in this article I give you some advice so that you can manage it as best as possible and not affect your daily life.

How important is hair socially?

Throughout history and in all cultures, hair has had great symbolism, serving as a social signal of gender, age, status, values and belonging to a group. Hair, therefore, is a statement, whether chosen or imposed. Monks with their shaved heads, European aristocrats with their wigs and even the hippie movement have used it as a sign of identity .

Hair also plays a fundamental role in the image we convey to others through our physical appearance. That is, it participates in the perception, thoughts and feelings that we generate in other people.

For many, hair is even a physical attribute that expresses individuality and plays an important role in feeling attractive .

In fact, hair, unlike hair on other parts of the body, is easily modifiable, allowing us to have a greater degree of control over our physical appearance. We can dye it, cut it and style it to modify our image in a quick and accessible way unlike other features of our body image.

The psychological effects of hair loss

When hair loss occurs , “the alarms” are activated, that is, we begin to have fear and/or anxiety in anticipation of more hair falling out, going bald, etc… This can lead us to:

😔 Loss of self-confidence.

😔 Feelings of vulnerability or feeling less attractive.

😔 Symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Ruminative or repetitive thoughts may appear, as well as catastrophic thoughts such as “I'm going to go bald”, “I won't be attractive anymore”, “they won't accept me the same”, “my partner won't like me”…

Also, due to hair loss, compulsive checking behaviors may manifest, such as: continually looking in the mirror or in shop windows when walking down the street, frequently searching for remedies on the Internet, or falling into buying magical products.

In this situation, on the other hand, it is very normal for cognitive biases to appear (traps that our mind plays on us and that distort our reality). Because of these, we may begin to “see what we expect to see.” That is, if we look at ourselves with the idea that we are going to have less hair, even if it is not true, we are going to perceive less hair density.

Tips to deal with hair loss

These psychological effects, added to the fact that hair loss treatments require time and patience, can be very stressful for our body .

And, the changes when starting a treatment for hair loss occur in a way that is often imperceptible in the short term, leading us to think that “nothing improves” and that since “nothing changes, there is nothing to do.” , a response known as “learned helplessness.”

However, there are many things that are in our power and that can help us deal with this situation in a way that benefits our physical and mental health:

👩‍⚕️ Learn the causes behind your hair loss, as well as the hair recovery process to take control of your situation. To do this, it is best to consult with a specialist dermatologist or trichologist .

🧘‍♀️ Work on patience, these processes are slow . Stress has been associated with worsening hair loss, so it is important to better manage it. Practicing sports and meditation have proven to be of great help in achieving this.

😡 Learn to better navigate your emotions . Negative or threatening thoughts, anger and frustration lead us to blockages or victimization, all sensations that can cause hair loss to worsen. Practicing emotional regulation exercises can be a very good way to channel that internal anger and calm it down. Here are some that may be useful to you:

Learn to name your emotions.
Relate emotions to how you feel them in your body.
Relativize your situation and do not acquire a catastrophic stance.
Identify the cognitive biases you fall into.
Practice the 10-10-10 rule (how I will feel in 10 minutes, in 10 months and in 10 years).
Practice time out. If a lot of negative thoughts come to mind, try to postpone them “I'll think about it tomorrow” and write them down on paper. Take the opportunity to make a call, go outside or clear your head until the intensity of the emotion reduces.

✅ Accept that part that you cannot change and focus on what you can. For example, adopting healthy habits that have been associated with less hair loss such as:

Physical exercise that helps vascularize the area and compensate for stress hormones such as cortisol (associated with hair loss).
A healthy diet rich in iron and vitamins, containing the best foods for hair loss .
Guarantee night rest.

Additionally, if you prefer, you can also consult with a good stylist or hairdresser specialized in alopecia to help you get the most out of your hair or advise you on the best aesthetic options according to your tastes.

Hair loss is not a trivial matter and has a great effect on our mood. If you see that you cannot do everything and notice that hair loss is affecting your self-esteem and your daily life, do not hesitate to contact a therapist to help you.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you and you have verified that what is happening to you is something very normal that many people go through.

Apr 8, 2024

Dra.-Rosa-Molina-Ruiz