Can Stress Really Make You Lose Your Hair?

The sad answer is yes.  Stress can make your lose hair.  Telogen Effluvium is a common type of hair loss that is brought on by any stressor to the body including pregnancy, surgery, significant weight loss, severe illness and even extreme emotional stress.  Hair growth occurs in stages.   The anagen phase is the growth phase of the hair cycle where hair cells are dividing rapidly.  During this phase hair grows 1 cm every 28 days.  The catagen phase is the transitional stage between the active and resting phase of the growth cycle.  Finally the telogen phase is the resting period of the hair cycle where the hair follicle is completely at rest.  Stress can trigger hair cells to stay in the Telogen or resting phase of the hair cycle longer than normal causing hair to thin and fall out.   The good news is that this type of hair loss is rarely permanent and hair will regrow once your body has gotten over the stressor.  Over the counter Rogaine combined with prescription medications can be used to maintain hair growth until your body bounces back.  In addition, baseline blood work to check for anemia, thyroid disorders and autoimmune conditions should be ruled out as a cause for this type of hair loss.