What psychiatry and trichology say about hair loss due to stress

In one of the many live events organized by Olistic through Instagram, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Rosa Molina, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, about stress, anxiety and how these situations can negatively affect our daily lives .In the live show , Rosa told us about the different types of stress that exist, how we can recognize them from certain physical or psychological symptoms and, in addition, she shared different ideas to combat it on a daily basis .

For my part, as a trichologist, I spoke with her about how stress affects hair. As we talked about in the interview, hair suffers from stress both directly and indirectly .

• Direct because it has many receptors for cortisol (hormone that is released in response to stress), which, in the event of a cortisol peak, will modify (negatively) hair growth.
• Indirect because stress modifies the body's balance, affecting hormones and the immune system, and this can cause different hair diseases.

In this post I want to tell you the most interesting parts of this conversation between a psychiatrist and a trichologist so that you know the reality of hair loss due to stress.

The relationship between stress and hair loss

Maintaining high levels of cortisol in the body over time will alter hair growth , directly affecting the cells of the hair follicle .

This was already demonstrated years ago by a group of scientists who managed to explain why. When stress modifies the immune system, inflammatory alopecia conditions such as lichen or alopecia areata may appear or worsen . And when it alters our hormones, it can worsen androgenetic alopecia. Furthermore, as both systems, the immune and the hormonal, are interconnected, sometimes we could even see alopecia in which all the factors are associated.

But we are not telling you this to scare you, but to directly reflect the importance of taking care of mental health for hair well-being , to which we must dedicate the same importance as to our physical health.

How to act in a stressful situation

Next, I want to share with you the 7 most important tips to help combat hair loss due to stress and to ensure that your hair does not “get stressed” , that is, so that you know how to deal with a stressful situation and it does not further affect you. your physical, mental and hair health.

1. Speak nice to yourself. The way you talk to yourself modifies the experience you live , if you catastrophize what happens to you you will always tolerate it worse. For example, when faced with an episode of hair loss , do not tell yourself that the fall will end in baldness , constantly think that you will lose your attractiveness and, above all, do not blame yourself. Change the affirmations with negative connotations in your self-speech for others that give you peace of mind (it doesn't matter if you deceive yourself a little at first, eventually your mind will listen to you). Take advantage of the opportunity to give yourself time to take even more care of your hair, comb it beautifully and without generating traction or tension with hairstyles that are too tight.

2. Prepare a plan to address the stressful situation . This will help you regain control and reduce stress . If you have a lot of hair loss and you are worried, take action: go to a specialist, follow our tips and start taking better care of your hair both internally and externally. Keep in mind that miracles do not exist and the result will not be immediate , but you will know that, with patience and perseverance, the improvement (even in part) is in your hands. It is important to remember that changes in hair take time to be seen, but by regaining control of the situation, you will be able to begin to stop hair loss due to stress .

3. Exercise. Sport is a great ally in controlling stress , hormones and free radicals. In stressful situations, it is essential to stimulate the formation of “good” substances for our mood and eliminate the “bad” ones. Find a sport or activity that makes you feel comfortable and practice it often. Not only will you feel better psychologically and physically, but without realizing it you will be reducing hair loss due to stress.

4. Breathe deeply and consciously . Deep breathing is a way of telling the body that everything is okay. If we get our body to send signals to our mind that it is relaxed, the mind will tolerate the stressful situation better. So, do conscious and calm breathing , and even, if you can, dedicate some time a day to mindfulness. A good time of day to do it is in the shower, while you treat yourself to hair pampering with a gentle scalp massage . This is a very relaxing way to reduce hair loss due to stress.

5. Share your time and thoughts . We are a social being whose body releases transmitters of happiness when we are in company, sharing our time and also our thoughts. Spend moments with your loved ones and enjoy them .

6. Write what you feel . Putting your symptoms in writing and making a record of your thoughts and how they make you feel is a good tool to manage stress and put your problems into perspective. This habit will take a weight off your mind and allow you to appreciate the true importance of what is happening to you . Plus, you can return to it in future times of hair loss due to stress.

7. Help yourself by taking adaptogens and lead a healthy life in general . Adaptogens are substances that, according to traditional medicine, will help the body better tolerate stressful situations and, specifically, ashwagandha is one of those that has shown the greatest effectiveness. Eating healthy and sleeping well will also prepare your body to better tolerate stress.

Remember: Tension can play tricks on you, causing hair loss due to stress and making this situation worse . Therefore, make sure to take care of both your hair and your mind to achieve the best results. I hope that these tips that Dr. Rosa Molina and I have prepared for you are useful in your daily life to better tolerate the stress caused by routine and other life situations.