The link between mental health and hair loss is more complicated than cause and effect because each can be contributing factors to the other. It is not as simple as mental health issues causing hair loss or hair loss causing mental health issues – though both are true.
The question of how your hair can affect your mental health is fairly straightforward. As humans, most of us place a fair bit of importance on our looks. That does not mean we are vain; It means we have a biological imperative that tells us hair is important to attractiveness. Even more importantly, what we see when we look in the mirror is tied to our sense of self… so when that image changes in ways we did not choose, it can be difficult.
While a clinical psychologist can help you work through self-esteem issues, many people with hair loss suffer from anxiety and depression.
How Are Hair Loss & Mental Health Connected?
The psychology website StrongerMinds puts in this way: “Hair loss can sometimes lead to conditions such as anxiety or depression. A clinical psychologist can diagnose and provide treatment plans, therapeutic strategies, and coping mechanisms to help you manage these conditions. By learning to control anxiety and alleviate depressive symptoms, you’ll be better equipped to handle the emotional impact of hair loss.”
Talkiatry points out that the connection goes both ways. “[Depression] is a lack of motivation, feelings of worthlessness, trouble concentrating, and a slew of other symptoms and experiences that don’t necessarily seem like they’d be related to depression––such losing hair.”
Can Depression Mess With Your Hair?
Yes, and your hair can mess with depression. This study discusses the emerging field of psychodermatology and the role that mental health plays in our skin health. “While hair loss rarely presents a serious medical risk to the patient, the psychological impact is often devastating. The sociocultural significance of hair is present throughout history and transcends geographic borders.”
But how exactly does depression impact hair loss? Doctors and researchers have not yet made a definitive link between depression and hair loss, but there is significant evidence that depression can play a role in hair loss.
In some cases, that is due to the use of anti-depressants. This 2018 study shows that many drugs used to treat depression impacts hair loss, but that bupropion (Wellbutrin) was significantly more likely to increase hair loss than other medications. That does not mean that people who are concerned about their mental health should not take anti-depressants. Instead, we recommend talking with your doctor about all your health concerns including hair loss. In many cases, a simple drug substitution can help avoid unnecessary hair loss.
Can Stress and Anxiety Damage Your Hair?
We have all heard that stress can leave you pulling your hair out. But, until the pandemic, it was less widely known that it can also make your hair fall out.
Stress-induced hair loss can prematurely trigger some of your hair to jump from the growth phase to the resting phase of the hair life cycle. Typically, we shed less than 100 hairs a day, but that is with up to 95 percent of our hair in the growth state. As explained in this YouTube video from Cleveland’s WKYC 3, stress can force up to 50 percent of your hair into the resting phase.
Because it does not permanently damage the hair follicle, hair loss from stress can sometimes be corrected by dealing with the stressors and following doctor’s advice.
PNW Hair Restoration Offers a Variety of Effective Hair Loss Treatments
Whether your mental health is responsible for your hair loss or if your hair loss is simply stressing you out, PNW Hair Restoration can help. Call us today or book your consultation online and start your journey to feeling and looking better.
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