Stress can cause your hair to go gray – and even fall out. "It has to be a protracted period of stress over at least a few weeks," explains leading trichologist Eva Proudman. "A bad day at work isn't going to cause hair shedding, but a prolonged episode following a bereavement or a sudden break-up, for instance, might cause a problem – although it takes around two to three months before you start losing hair." The good news is, both stress-related hair loss and color change can be reversed. "It is about getting stress levels down," says Proudman. Here are 10 ways to repair stress-related hair loss, according to Dr. Proudman.
Everyone reacts differently to stress. Some people eat more and some eat less. So if you want to overturn damage done by stress, you should adapt your diet accordingly, she says.
When people are stressed out, sleep is often impacted. Getting a good night's sleep is highly recommended by Proudman.
A lot of people turn to the bottle when they are stressed out. If someone is drinking excessively, they should stop.
Proudman suggests amping up protein intake, because "it's important with any hair growth to make sure you're eating protein, ideally animal protein because that will give you the vitamins and minerals that your hair needs," she says
Also, she recommends cutting out sugar, as it "can exacerbate inflammation of the follicle," she says.
Like sugar, processed foods can also exacerbate inflammation, "so those are to be avoided."
If your stress is causing flare-ups of other conditions, such as IBS, which can lead to problems with absorption of minerals, "it's important to get that under control," adds Proudman.
Proudman also suggests hydration to decrease stress levels.
Proudman points out that treatments for genetic hair loss, including minoxidil and finasteride, will also work on stress-related hair loss. However, she suggests trying the other things first.
Proudman also recommends prioritizing mindfulness, meditation, journaling, knitting, gardening or just spending time with friends, to help reduce stress.
"I might also suggest a general multivitamin, if a patient's blood test comes back and shows they're deficient in vitamins or minerals," Proudman says.
