Stress

[Caerus]

Now I'm not sure there has ever been a good study on the effects of stress and hair loss, but I am just wondering opinions. My father lost most of his hair by the time he was in his late 20s and he was also extremely stressed from huge personal problems and a life or death job. I am similarly stressed now in my 20s to the point where a night of full sleep is very rare. So I'm wondering if this would contribute to the hair loss problem, even if it isn't really a cause. Even without my hairline I still look 5-10 years older than I am due to being so worn out and having gone so many years with such little sleep. I am worried that since it is so bad it might be damaging my hair as well.

 

[astral week]

Before we get a lot of people who would sooner die rather than admit hairloss can be caused by something other than genetics replying here, YES stress can and IS a factor for hairloss, whether physical or psychological. However, it does have to be relatively severe stress, not just a really shitty day here and there. Unless your stress is severe and debilitating in some way, it probably won't affect your hair. Don't stress about stressing b/c it can be deletrious to your hair though, just see it as another reason to employ some stress reduction techiniques which will make your life better anyway, ie more sleep. Running works for me; google it and you'll find something that works for you.

 

[JayB]

Everyone is stressed. Thats not going to do sh*t to your hair.
Chronic, constant, debilitating stress destroys hair.
Panic/Anxiety attack stress= Cortisol levels through the roof + excess testosterone from adrenal glands= hair destroyed.

 

[RaginDemon]

Everyone is stressed. Thats not going to do $#iT to your hair.
Chronic, constant, debilitating stress destroys hair.
Panic/Anxiety attack stress= Cortisol levels through the roof + excess testosterone from adrenal glands= hair destroyed.

very true

 

[Londo]

I used to work at a place that did contract tool design for Boeing. The job was very stressful, lots of pressure to get jobs out quickly and you didn't know from week to week if you would have a job or not.

There may have been other stress factors involved, but one of the guys who had been working there for a while started losing hair in tufts very quickly. Damndest thing you ever saw. His head looked like a doll's head that had been dragged through the streets. I wasn't there long enough after that to see if he got his hair back.

 

[Cassin]

who lives a stress free life? would not many more people be bald?

 

[astral week]

it's a matter of HOW MUCH stress. And hairloss from stress never leads to baldness, unless it sparked male pattern baldness much sooner than it would have come otherwise.

 

[Caerus]

it's a matter of HOW MUCH stress. And hairloss from stress never leads to baldness, unless it sparked male pattern baldness much sooner than it would have come otherwise.

see thats what I'm wondering because my hair started going when i was 16 or 17, and yeah I have been more than slightly stressed.

 

[astral week]

technically male pattern baldness starts with a telogen effluvium, but it's not to the same degree as what we normally consider a Telogen Effluvium. And each person is different; different levels of stress have different phychological and physical effects. IT sounds like your condition could not have been the typical telogen effluvium, which is more like one particular event (sudden severe stress) followed by increased shedding 3-4 months later. If it is Telogen Effluvium, it is chronic Telogen Effluvium, which is less common and therefore less likely. Basically you have to be the one to judge whether your stress was chronic and severe enough to warrant CTE. Honestly the best indicator of male pattern baldness versus anything else is the location of thinning; if you have significant thinning all over the scalp, and of course body hair etc., then something else is a factor besides male pattern baldness, (maybe in addition to). Worst case scenario is that you have DUPA, which is also pretty uncommon but still a possibility

 

[s.a.f]

I've said this before but would'nt every soldier returning from war be bald? What are the most stressful jobs going? I know that my manager at work has a job that I would'nt do for a 300%pay increase, He is constantly stressed (you can actualy see it) and has had two periods off work due to stress, he chainsmokes during breaks and constantly 'loses it' when things go wrong. I'm seriously waiting for the day he has a heart attack at work. but he has thick hair.

 

[tomas99]

Everyone is stressed. Thats not going to do $#iT to your hair.
Chronic, constant, debilitating stress destroys hair.
Panic/Anxiety attack stress= Cortisol levels through the roof + excess testosterone from adrenal glands= hair destroyed.

Well I suppose that genetic must be also considered to developed some noticable and permanent hairloss from stress. I think that if someone has really no male pattern baldness genes, he can at max suffer from Telogen Effluvium but thats all. Like my grandpa who is almost 80 years old and is vital like hell, but despite thinner hair due to his age, he has almost teenage hairline. And he had lot of stress in his life.

On the other hand, someone with strong male pattern baldness gene can face some high stress at high school and it may trigger his male pattern baldness. Each time he is stressed again (I mean really strong stress) he lose more hair, because it destroys hair through male pattern baldness much faster and also Telogen Effluvium speed up his hairloss.

 

[astral week]

I think stress is also very relative though. Some people cope with it much better than others. My stress and depression consumed my life for a good while because i hadn't experienced anything like it, and didn't know how to deal with it. By the time i'm an old man I'll bet i will have seen a few things and deal with the sh*t life throws at you a bit better.

 

[robtak]

Observation:
Just reading thru all the posts on STRESS and BALDING actually takes away the stress by knowing that YOU are not alone! :lol: