Does stress cause hair loss?

11/11/2025

Is there any connection between hair loss and stress? 

If you are wondering whether stress or anxiety results in hair loss, the answer is yes, it does cause hair loss. Stress is a potential contributing factor in a wide range of health complications, including hair loss. If the stress is short-term, it is not a matter of concern. It may slightly affect different aspects of health, but that’s okay and manageable. If it, on the other hand, starts causing bald spots, hair thinning, and slow hair growth, it may further elevate your stress, making it important to get in touch with a certified medical professional who can help you get through this phase.

Stress leads to hair loss through three major phases: effluvium, alopecia areata, and trichotillomania. In addition, chronic stress augments cortisol levels, which, in turn, interferes with the hair growth cycle by pushing it into the resting and shedding phases. This whole process causes premature hair loss and bald spots.

Can stress cause hair to fall out?

Stress is not the sole trigger of hair loss; myriad factors can contribute to it. Identifying the root cause is imperative to developing a treatment plan. Types of hair loss that are connected to high levels of stress are:

Telogen effluvium:

Telogen effluvium usually happens when there is a change to the number of hair follicles that are actively growing hair. If this change happens during the telogen phase of hair growth, you may possibly experience hair loss. This hair loss is not seen across the head; it generally occurs in patches, especially targeting the center of the scalp. People who experience TE don’t lose all their hair. In extreme cases, you may even stumble upon hair thinning on other body parts, such as the genital area and eyebrows. Hair shedding due to Telogen effluvium is reversible, meaning your hair will grow back.

Alopecia areata:

AA is the acronym for alopecia areata, which is seen as an autoimmune condition. This condition happens when your immune system begins to attack your hair follicles. A vast range of factors can trigger it, and stress is one of them. In this condition, you lose hair in round patches across the scalp. In severe cases, it may urge the entire body to lose hair. In this condition, your hair may grow and fall back from time to time.  Over 6 million people in the United States are living with it.  There is no permanent cure for it, but certain prescription medications may help people with hair loss of 50 percent or more. 

Trichotillomania:

Trichotillomania is also popularly known as hair-pulling disorder, wherein you feel the constant urge to pull out hair from your head and other parts of the body. People with this condition can be seen pulling out their hair when they are bored or distracted. It can be voluntary or involuntary, depending on the specific case. Hair pulling from eyebrows, eyelashes, and scalp is usually noticeable, which may further increase your stress. This condition usually develops in preteens and may last forever. 

The exact cause is unknown, but a few studies suggest it may be genetic. 

Does stress cause permanent hair loss? 

You may be wondering whether your hair will grow back if the cause of your hair loss is stress. So, the answer is yes. The hair will grow once stress subsides, but the rate of growth may vary from one person to another. Human hair goes through a cycle of four phases to grow. The human scalp has approximately 100,000 hair follicles, and each follicle is in a distinct phase of the cycle. The four phases of this cycle are the following:

Anagen phase:

This phase is seen as the growing phase of hair, which may last from several years, such as two to seven years.

Catagen phase:

This phase is very short, lasting only two weeks. It usually occurs when hair follicles start to shrink. 

Telogen phase:

This phase is also identified as the resting phase, lasting for only 3 months.

If stress is the primary cause of hair loss, addressing stress is one of the key factors to stimulate hair growth.

The takeaway:

Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is not a cause for concern. However, if you are shedding more than this, it may lead to overthinking. Hair loss can be triggered by a broad range of factors, ranging from stress to nutritional deficiency. Work with your healthcare provider in order to determine the exact cause of hair loss. If it is happening due to stress, you can opt for a wide range of techniques to alleviate stress, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising daily, practicing mindfulness, jotting down thoughts, etc. This will help you to overcome hair loss and stimulate new hair growth. Hair loss caused by stress is reversible and manageable. In severe cases, prescription medications may also be prescribed to reduce hair loss.