Instagram: @nellahairartistry

Stress: noun
“A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.”

According to the NHS, stress is: “The body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure.”

When we are stressed, our body releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline (often called the “fight or flight” hormone), which usually gives us a boost or motivates us to act quickly.

Too much stress however, can cause bodily upset, consequently reflecting through many different ways in the body.

That is where the link between stress and hair loss comes in. People may enjoy the look and feel of their hair, but from a biological perspective, your hair is not necessary.

Can stress really Affect the hair and the scalp?

The short answer is yes, it can.

Nella, a trichologist, hairdresser and owner of Nella Hair Artistry, told me about the increasing number of clients she sees that are experiencing hair loss alongside developing major scalp conditions resulting from stress.

A 2023 national survey of more than 2,000 men and women conducted by award winning vegan brand, ‘Hair Gain‘, had revealed that the UK is in the grip of a women’s hair loss epidemic.

The survey expressed that 75% of UK women stated they had experienced hair thinning or underwent hair loss.

Can you guess the major reason as to why?

Stress.

The survey concluded that the biggest cause of hair fall in women by far, was that of stress and anxiety, where 50% of women claimed it was the reason as to why their hair had either fallen out or thinned.

Despite a worrying statistic, it is not surprising given the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, and recent price hike of many different things.

It is definitely a problem that could become even more acute in the future.

So with that being said, stress, amongst many other medical conditions, can have a profound impact on hair growth and the reason as to why we lose hair.

Dermatologist Dr Scott Walter, explains that it is normal to lose around “50 and 100 hairs a day”.

Walter describes that those who have underwent trauma such as “losing a job, a death in the family, illness or even surgery, people may find themselves experiencing something called ‘Telogen effluvium’ or commonly known as ‘excessive daily hair shedding’, and won’t notice it until around three months after a period of stress.”

Researchers have found one of the cortisol hormones, called ‘corticosterone‘, specifically affects the way your hair grows.

As your stress levels rise, you produce higher levels of this hormone.

It is very common that stress can definitely worsen or even cause scalp conditions such as dandruff, psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, and in today’s world, stress does not disappear.

With the constant pressure of our daily life, it is important to note that our hair is incredibly sensitive to whatever goes on internally, and this is because it is non-essential tissue, (unlike your heart or your kidneys), so the scalp is the last thing to receive the nutrients it needs in order to remain healthy.

Nella said: “So you could say, if eyes are the window to our soul, then hair is a window of our health.”

Nella always makes sure to help her clients rule out the root cause of the problem.

“I also always make sure to tell my clients [with scalp conditions] that eating the right foods, and finding out whether they have a vitamin deficiency, is imperative for the ability to properly take care and nourish their hair.”

But even if you are eating well, it’s important to realise that stress can also impact how your body is absorbing nutrients, so it’s the matter of how we deal with stress individually.

Although losing hair is horrible, its a normal body reaction to the overload of emotions, and “our body must release it one way or another”.

How can stress be kept in line?

There are multiple ways to manage stress, but what is important is finding what works best for you.

Nella recommends these few techniques to her clients:

• Mild to moderate exercise such as jogging, swimming and low to moderate pace cardio
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Finding time for ‘me’ – this can be in the form of reading, going on a walk or even listening to calming music.