Is Stress Causing Hair Loss? Here's How To Fix It

Has stress led to clumps of hair falling out? Hair loss can be a scary side effect of both acute and chronic stress. But the good news is this is something we can address with some simple natural remedies.

How stress causes hair loss

When we experience stress, the body produces more adrenalin and cortisol. This stress may be due to trauma, injury, something significant such as a job loss or death in the family. But it can also be a case of lots of little stressors adding up and leading to overwhelm.

When cortisol rises, it leads to an increase in another hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone is involved in kidney function and the balance of electrolytes including sodium, potassium and magnesium. It is this hormone that is responsible for the loss of hair under stress.

There are two main ways that stress can lead to hair loss.

The first is increased aldosterone levels leading to the retention of sodium, or salt. Sodium pools in the hair follicles, which stops nutrients from reaching the follicles. The growth phase is disrupted, leading to loss.

The second is due to aldosterone’s effect on blood pressure. Increased blood pressure can damage the smaller blood vessels, which means a reduction in the blood supply that reaches the scalp. This reduces the nutrition reaching the hair, slowing growth and increasing hair loss.

The loss is diffuse, with hair falling out all over. You may even experience clumps of hair coming out. Sometimes, loss can occur up to 3 months after a stressful event occurs.

If the cause is acute stress, the hair will typically grow back. But if you are dealing with chronic low-grade stress, it may cause ongoing diffuse hair loss.

How to address stress-induced hair loss

If you are going through a stressful period and want to reduce your risk of hair loss, there are a few simple things you can do. To prevent loss, we want to balance the high sodium levels. The easiest way to do this is:

Increase potassium – to improve the electrolyte balance. Include plenty of green juices, celery, lettuce, cucumber and other green leafy vegetables. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) also contains potassium, so you can take 10ml in a glass of water each day.

Increase magnesium – Another way to balance the sodium out. You can get magnesium through food, but in this case I typically recommend a magnesium chelate supplement. This also helps to support the body during stress.

Boost your water intake – Increasing your fluid intake can help to flush out excess sodium and improve the balance of electrolytes.