Stress is something that all of us experience more than a few times in our lives; indeed, it might be fair to say stress is the secret third certainty in life, after death and taxes. And stress does so much more than just affect your mood in a given moment. I can also be a trigger for systemic, physical issues in your body – including your hair.
This is why you might notice more strands than usual left in your hairbrush, during or after some high-pressure months at work or after a significant life change. There are a lot of reasons for which to get on top of your stress, of which hair health might seem a strange one to prioritize. But no one chooses thinning hair. And there’s no reason not to course-correct, either. Here, we’ll look specifically at techniques for reversing the damage stress can do to your hair.
Understanding the Cortisol Connection
In order to understand stress-related hair loss and how to treat it, it would first be helpful to go over the mechanisms behind stress itself. Again, stress is not just a series of impactful feelings, but a hormonal response with appropriate real-world bodily consequences.
When your body enters “fight or flight” mode, it prioritizes essential organ functions over non-essential processes – like, unsurprisingly enough, the production of hair. The key hormone behind stress response is cortisol, high levels of which can negatively impact the skin membrane which anchors your hair to its respective follicles.
Incorporating Nutrient-Dense Topicals
So how do you tackle hair health directly, in the face of stress-related hair weakness and hair loss? A good start would be to engage with your scalp from the outside; external care provides a vital support system for follicles struggling under the weight of internal stress.
From a treatment standpoint, you could benefit from integrating natural hair growth products into your daily routine – products designed to focus on scalp pH balance and follicle stimulation without the use of harsh synthetic chemicals. Consistent application ensures that your scalp remains a fertile environment for new strands to emerge.
Implementing a Scalp Massage Routine
Sticking with external treatments, something as simple as physical stimulation can be crucial to improving hair health and growth. Massaging your scalp helps to increase local blood circulation, ensuring that oxygen and nutrients reach the hair bulb efficiently.
Regularize this by performing a four-minute scalp massage each day, just using your fingertips to apply firm, circular pressure across your entire head. It’s easy enough to perform yourself, and can also have stress-relieving benefits beyond the medical.
Adopting “Micro-Rest” Breaks Throughout the Day
As a final note and reminder, stress is something you can tackle at the root (pun intended). Dealing with the impacts of stress is fine – but shouldn’t be where you stop. By tackling the root cause, you can reduce the impacts of stress over time. This should start with the day-to-day; you might try the “60-second breathing” technique every hour to lower your baseline anxiety levels, reducing the compounding effects of chronic stress.