No one likes seeing their hair circling the drain - literally. When it's at the bottom of your shower instead of on top of your head, it can cause some understandable stress. It's no surprise that hair loss can cause some very real anxiety symptoms.
Is Stress the Cause, or Effect?
This is the classic "chicken before the egg" debacle. Sometimes hair loss can indeed be attributed to stress. Your anxiety might be causing it, or at least feeding it. Of course, if the hair loss itself is feeding your anxiety, you'll find yourself in a vicious cycle.
The causes aren't limited to one - it can be from lack of nutrients, overproduction of sebum, or increased stress hormones. While anxiety can be the general cause, it can be hard to narrow down exactly what is causing your strands to fall out.
Is the stress enough to make you pull your hair out in frustration? For some people, it's an unfortunate side-effect of stress. Trichotillomania is a condition that can cause an individual to pull their own hair out as a stress response.
It's not always easy, but reducing stress from your daily life can help your hair stay put on your head. Some people benefit from therapy or even medications. Once your hair stops falling out in droves, it will be one less thing to worry about - and hopefully an end to the cycle.
It Affects Women Too
It's not fun for men to be affected. But social constraints make it even more uncomfortable for women if they experience hair loss. They often feel judged, mocked, and ridiculed. It's often incorrectly regarded as a "man's" problem.
While the causes of hair loss in women can be similar to those in men, female hormones are often to blame. Pregnant women and those on hormonal birth control can experience hair fall as a side-effect.
It's not a contest as to which gender has it worse. But some people may not fully appreciate the unique issues women face when they suffer from the condition. It can cause plenty of anxiety for women who often feel their feminity is directly linked to their tresses.
Sometimes it's in Your DNA
The genetic lottery might have shunned you in the hairline department. Male pattern baldness affects up to two-thirds of American males, with some noticing hair loss in their late teens. Making peace with baldness in old age is something most men do. But losing their hair in their prime is something many didn't bargain for.
Luckily, there are solutions to every kind of hair loss - even genetic baldness. Medical technology or hair loss medications can be very effective in slowing or even stopping hair loss.
You Have Options
If you struggle with hair loss, regardless of age or gender, you don't have to accept your thinning hair. From medical doctors to therapists, professionals can help you manage your hair loss - and the anxiety that comes with it.
