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Mellybee
January 31st, 2014, 06:36 AM
S'cuse the pun.I'm quite dramatically stressed at the moment. At the start of this year I started having panic attacks, I've never had one before and it was super scary. I am going through some stuff in my relationship at the moment, all whilst last year I've moved far away from my family and friends, and trying to keep my funds afloat so that I can afford to pay rent/bills/eat/live and it all seems pretty overwhelming.I'm taking measures to try and control my anxiety and stress levels, but I am losing A LOT of hair. Wheneveria run my fingers through my hair I get a good decent amount in there, not to mention combing or brushing or washing it.I've heard of seasonal sheds and I suppose sometimes I shed more than other times, but this is getting ridiculous.I'm really afraid because it had seemed that I'd just reached a point where my hair was actually lovely in my eyes. No damage, I've got the products on it and my wash cycle down to a T. It had been growing so well and now this.I really don't want it to thin out... It's not terribly thick as it is.After this stressful period is over, will it go back to it's fine self or will I have to chop it off again for it to look nice again? and is there anything I can do to slow down the shed?I don't think I actually realised how stressed out I was until a couple of days ago... It's taken a toll on so many aspects of me without me even realising it, it's awful :(

Mellybee
January 31st, 2014, 06:39 AM
Oh... I had that typed out in paragraphs. Now it looks clumpy and difficult to read. Sorry! Not sure what happened.

Thank you for reading, if you did.

Johannah
January 31st, 2014, 06:41 AM
First of all: I'm sorry to hear what you are going through.

This doesn't sound like a seasonal shed to me, but a shed caused by stress. When I'm having exams or anything that stresses me out, my hair definitely sheds more. Hormones, gotta love it! I don't think you can really do anything about this, except trying to relax more. When the stressing period is over, the shedding will become less. Still I need to tell you that it could take a while before your hair has stopped feeling the impact from this, so be patience.

Good luck!!

turtlelover
January 31st, 2014, 06:55 AM
I would start with taking a really good B vitamin complex, and some bloodwork to see how your Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and iron levels are. Stress can definitely increase your need for certain nutrients that are missing in your diet.

ravenheather
January 31st, 2014, 07:24 AM
Hugs to you first of all. I have had success with neelibringhadi oil to reduce shedding, but mine was not due to stress. Try to eat well and maybe take some b vitamins. Maybe try some yoga or meditation to help with stress levels.

Mellybee
January 31st, 2014, 07:41 AM
Hugs to you first of all. I have had success with neelibringhadi oil to reduce shedding, but mine was not due to stress. Try to eat well and maybe take some b vitamins. Maybe try some yoga or meditation to help with stress levels.
I've never heard of neelibringhadi oil before. I wonder where I could get some in South Africa... After a little googling, I'm assuming it's an Indian oil? It should be quite available in Dubai, where my family lives. I'll ask them to bring some if they come and visit if I can't find any.
I've started waking up early and doing stretches and breathing exercises, which I think is on it's way to helping, I also want to start running and exercising in general again, but it's difficult to find the time at the moment.
Thank you, and hugs back.


I would start with taking a really good B vitamin complex, and some bloodwork to see how your Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and iron levels are. Stress can definitely increase your need for certain nutrients that are missing in your diet.

I don't know why I haven't thought of vitamins! I haven't been eating very well recently and that's usually such a huge focus for me. Sadly, I wouldn't be able to afford a blood test at the moment, but I think my boyfriend uses some potent B vitamins for nerve damage. I'll definitely try it out. Thank you.


First of all: I'm sorry to hear what you are going through.

This doesn't sound like a seasonal shed to me, but a shed caused by stress. When I'm having exams or anything that stresses me out, my hair definitely sheds more. Hormones, gotta love it! I don't think you can really do anything about this, except trying to relax more. When the stressing period is over, the shedding will become less. Still I need to tell you that it could take a while before your hair has stopped feeling the impact from this, so be patience.

Good luck!!

Thank you. I felt a little silly reading that back once I'd posted it... every has to pay bills and rent and eat and live right? I'm very grateful I can get by, but I think it is a bunch of extra factors clumped on, coupled with the fact that living on my own is new to me, especially in a new area.
I was kind of dreading the "your hair might take a while to stop feeling the impact" response. I guess patience + the vitamins with a side of relaxation is what the hair doctor orders.

Johannah
January 31st, 2014, 07:44 AM
Thank you. I felt a little silly reading that back once I'd posted it... every has to pay bills and rent and eat and live right? I'm very grateful I can get by, but I think it is a bunch of extra factors clumped on, coupled with the fact that living on my own is new to me, especially in a new area.
I was kind of dreading the "your hair might take a while to stop feeling the impact" response. I guess patience + the vitamins with a side of relaxation is what the hair doctor orders.

Things like stress can stay for a while in your system, that's where my response was about. Off course that's not necessary! When you notice your hair keeps on shedding, don't freak out immediately. It could still be from the stress, that's what I meant :p And like the others said about the vitamins and relaxation: this surely will help you a lot! Good luck!

NativeSparrow
January 31st, 2014, 09:04 AM
Sounds like you have alot on your plate. I dont thing you should feel "silly" for being stressed over life. Life can be stressful, esspecially in periods of change & turbulance. When I was younger I struggled with terrible anxiety. Now I use exercise, a good diet, and, awareness to control my stress / anxiety.

Exercise & Cultivating awareness are probably the two main things that helped me. Exercise FLOODS your body with chemicals that make you happy, & relaxed (your body reacts to physical stress the same way it does mental / emotional stress ... it cant tell the difference between the two so exercising really helps bc it releases EXTRA chemicals that help you deal). Cultivating awareness is really just getting control over your mind, & training it to s-l-o-w down. Instead of getting so caught up in the moment that you react instead of taking time to process what is actually happening & how you feel about it. Breaking things down helps me put them in perspective. I write about stuff to help me break it down & process it. When things are in perspective they dont seem so bad.

Think / meditate about how it is really all going to work out fine in the long run. I mean really if your late on a bill what is the worse thing that can happen? In the long run paying that bill late will have no effect on your life / happieness. Letting things stress you so badly only takes away from your happiness & enjoyment of the present moment. & the present moment is ALL we are gauranteed. What will be will be. Life is a crazy, amazing, painful, beautiful adventure & you are just along for the ride so hold on & enjoy!!! The more you make the little problems little problems in your mind the less impact they will have on your mental health ... & by extension your hair :)
I know its alot of kinda weird advice; but, exercising for an hour daily, awareness & cultivating a positive happy-go-lucky mindset have all helped me more than I can say.

Once you get outta this adjustment period im sure your hair will bounce back like a champ ;)

Anje
January 31st, 2014, 10:44 AM
Stress definitely can cause shedding. I've heard (and found it fairly true for myself) that stress sheds really tend to take hold about 3 months after the stressor occurs, though I think some people get more immediate shedding as well. So take measures to try to do better, but don't be surprised if your hair is slow to respond.

That said, losing hair can also be an indicator that there's something physically wrong. It might not be a bad idea to get medically checked over. Anemia and thyroid problems are especially common causes for hairloss, though many deficiencies can cause it.

Mellybee
February 4th, 2014, 06:08 AM
Stress definitely can cause shedding. I've heard (and found it fairly true for myself) that stress sheds really tend to take hold about 3 months after the stressor occurs, though I think some people get more immediate shedding as well. So take measures to try to do better, but don't be surprised if your hair is slow to respond.

That said, losing hair can also be an indicator that there's something physically wrong. It might not be a bad idea to get medically checked over. Anemia and thyroid problems are especially common causes for hairloss, though many deficiencies can cause it.

Yeah after becoming aware of how much this was taking a toll on me I've really become conscious of taking some breather time, so hopefully I won't be experiencing it for much longer. Fingers crossed. I think if it goes on for quite a while I'll get some tests done, I really don't have the money if tests are unnecessary and being in a new country I don't have insurance at the moment either... and again, nor could I afford it for the time being. Thank you for your reply


Sounds like you have alot on your plate. I dont thing you should feel "silly" for being stressed over life. Life can be stressful, esspecially in periods of change & turbulance. When I was younger I struggled with terrible anxiety. Now I use exercise, a good diet, and, awareness to control my stress / anxiety.

Exercise & Cultivating awareness are probably the two main things that helped me. Exercise FLOODS your body with chemicals that make you happy, & relaxed (your body reacts to physical stress the same way it does mental / emotional stress ... it cant tell the difference between the two so exercising really helps bc it releases EXTRA chemicals that help you deal). Cultivating awareness is really just getting control over your mind, & training it to s-l-o-w down. Instead of getting so caught up in the moment that you react instead of taking time to process what is actually happening & how you feel about it. Breaking things down helps me put them in perspective. I write about stuff to help me break it down & process it. When things are in perspective they dont seem so bad.

Think / meditate about how it is really all going to work out fine in the long run. I mean really if your late on a bill what is the worse thing that can happen? In the long run paying that bill late will have no effect on your life / happieness. Letting things stress you so badly only takes away from your happiness & enjoyment of the present moment. & the present moment is ALL we are gauranteed. What will be will be. Life is a crazy, amazing, painful, beautiful adventure & you are just along for the ride so hold on & enjoy!!! The more you make the little problems little problems in your mind the less impact they will have on your mental health ... & by extension your hair
I know its alot of kinda weird advice; but, exercising for an hour daily, awareness & cultivating a positive happy-go-lucky mindset have all helped me more than I can say.

Once you get outta this adjustment period im sure your hair will bounce back like a champ

I used to be very active and health-conscious, I was very fit at one stage and lifting, running and stretching regularly. The move and adjusting to a new place has really eaten away at the spare time I've had, but I'm starting to feel a little more settled and am a little more used to my routine now. I'm really hoping to get my exercise in as my body has really lost the nice shape I had last year. I really must get on it.

Thank you so much to everyone who replied. I really do appreciate all the advice. I've started taking vit. B tablets daily, mindfully trying to eat healthier, trying to sleep earlier and doing breathing exercises before bed and stretching when I wake up. Hoping my hair gets back to it's healthy self again... Time will tell :)
If it doesn't, I'll try save (or maybe ask my parents to help out) for some tests, but I really hope it doesn't come down to that, though.

Firefox7275
February 4th, 2014, 08:18 AM
Please do not randomly supplement, you can WORSEN imbalances and do more harm than good. Either analyse and clean up your diet or have some blood tests done. The combination of targeted healthy eating, daily physical activity (minimum 10,000 steps not necessarily formal exercise) and stress management techniques can be very effective for anxiety.
.

hairpleasegrow
February 4th, 2014, 08:50 AM
I battle anxiety myself. I'm 37 but for me anxiety started in my late 20's. I started getting panic attacks badly in university. I also have depression that comes and goes, I used to take prescription drugs for it but now I don't take anything,

My anxiety/depression also has led me to self medicate with drugs and alcohol.

In my early 30's I ended up having a bit of a nervous breakdown and I think alot of it had to do with the stressful job I was in. I went to work and tried to be someone I wasn't. I slowly started drinking to ease the fear/pain of "being found out"as i felt undeserving of my success. then one drink after work turned into a bottle of wine. then i started doing stupid things while under the influence and i self sabotaged my career. I lost alot of friendships along the way too.

i had a major wake up call and i got a new non stressful job that paid a fraction of what i had been making in my previous career. it gave me stability, and from that stability i think it helped with my anxiety tremendously. For me taking that step led to other healthier choices that were right for me.

in a long winded way what i'm saying here is don't make the same mistakes i made. try to address your anxiety because if you don't it can take over your life. I would say analyze what stresses you have in your life and ask yourself how it would be possible to minimize or eradicate these stressors.

Consult with doctors. I suggest spending time trying to connect with your spirit inside. Yoga and meditation have been known to help with anxiety. Anxiety can make you feel disconnected with your body (at least it did for me) so try to connect with yourself as much as possible.

THe world is a very stressful place and it is no wonder depression and anxiety exist. I am sorry you are going through this but try to be strong , lots of people go through what you are going through you are not alone *hugs*

swearnsue
February 4th, 2014, 10:30 AM
Just want to add that after a big shed there's the growing back phase when you have tons of little new baby hairs growing in.

I've had anxiety and sheds and there is always the new day when things get better and you have a halo of new hairs!

Panth
February 4th, 2014, 12:46 PM
DON'T randomly start taking supplements. That can easily cause more harm than good as vitamins and minerals help and hinder each other's absorptions, so random supplementation risks both causing deficiencies and causing overdoses.

If you haven't been eating well, or you think you have a health problem, then the best thing to do is to see your doctor (GP) and mention the hairloss, poor diet and any other symptoms (e.g. tiredness, low mood) and request a full blood test. For hair loss, the primary suspects are vitamin/mineral deficiency or excess (particularly iron, B12 and folate), thyroid hormone problems and sex hormone problems. A simple blood test can measure all of those. When you get that back, request the actual numbers and what your doctor considers to be a normal range for each - this is much more useful than simply 'oh, it was all fine' as sometimes you'll be in the low end of normal but symptomatic and thus requiring supplementation (because all normal ranges are just averages for an average population).

Of course, improving your diet and lifestyle is going to be beneficial and is a very good idea.

As far as stress goes - yes, it can massively affect hair growth and hair shedding rate. Mental stress can do this, but also physical stress, e.g. restrictive diet, excessive exercise, surgery, illness (even as little as proper flu). Chronic stress, e.g. long-term poor diet, poor sleep or anxiety, can affect hair just as badly or even worse than short-term stress. As far as a time scale, what stress (of any sort) does is end the anagen (growth) phase of a hair follicle. However, that follicle still has to go through the rest of the hair cycle before it can start growing a new hair - so, first catagen (transitional) phase, lasting approx. 3 weeks, and then telogen (resting) phase which lasts about 3 months and is when the old hair is shed from the follicle. So, even after you stop all stress it'll still take about 3-4 months before the most recently stressed follicles start growing new hairs and it may take a further month or two before those baby hairs get long enough to be noticeable (and a year or more for the thickness to start to visibly travel down your length). So, that's the bad news. The good news is that in all but the most extreme, unusual cases the hair will all grow back eventually (provided you stop the stress stimulus and thus stop the shedding).

It may be a rough time and take a while to improve, but your hair will get better again. I had a similar stress-induced shed and went from about a 3 and 3/4" circumference to a 3" circumference (if you calculate the area (which, unlike circumference, is proportional to the number of hairs), that's nearly half of my hair gone). Yes, it's disappointing to have thinner hair than before. And yes, it takes a long time to improve. But it will improve - first the shedding will slow back to normal, then you'll notice baby hairs, then you'll notice thickness returning and travelling down your length. Personally, I didn't chop - IMO, what's the point? the hair will be thin whether it's short or long! I'd much prefer thin, long hair than thin, short hair.

Good luck with controlling your stress!

Mellybee
February 4th, 2014, 12:47 PM
Please do not randomly supplement, you can WORSEN imbalances and do more harm than good. Either analyse and clean up your diet or have some blood tests done. The combination of targeted healthy eating, daily physical activity (minimum 10,000 steps not necessarily formal exercise) and stress management techniques can be very effective for anxiety.
.

Would eating lots of food high in vitamin B be a better alternative? Are B vitamins particularly good for hair?.. or was that suggested for stress?


I battle anxiety myself. I'm 37 but for me anxiety started in my late 20's. I started getting panic attacks badly in university. I also have depression that comes and goes, I used to take prescription drugs for it but now I don't take anything,

My anxiety/depression also has led me to self medicate with drugs and alcohol.

In my early 30's I ended up having a bit of a nervous breakdown and I think alot of it had to do with the stressful job I was in. I went to work and tried to be someone I wasn't. I slowly started drinking to ease the fear/pain of "being found out"as i felt undeserving of my success. then one drink after work turned into a bottle of wine. then i started doing stupid things while under the influence and i self sabotaged my career. I lost alot of friendships along the way too.

i had a major wake up call and i got a new non stressful job that paid a fraction of what i had been making in my previous career. it gave me stability, and from that stability i think it helped with my anxiety tremendously. For me taking that step led to other healthier choices that were right for me.

in a long winded way what i'm saying here is don't make the same mistakes i made. try to address your anxiety because if you don't it can take over your life. I would say analyze what stresses you have in your life and ask yourself how it would be possible to minimize or eradicate these stressors.

Consult with doctors. I suggest spending time trying to connect with your spirit inside. Yoga and meditation have been known to help with anxiety. Anxiety can make you feel disconnected with your body (at least it did for me) so try to connect with yourself as much as possible.

THe world is a very stressful place and it is no wonder depression and anxiety exist. I am sorry you are going through this but try to be strong , lots of people go through what you are going through you are not alone *hugs*

Thank you so much for your supportive words. I'm sorry you had to go through so much to find your path, but you sound healthy and happy now, so there's always a silver lining. I'm not a fan on drugs and alcohol, but I suppose you never know where life might push you. I'll do my best to keep away :) *hugs*


Just want to add that after a big shed there's the growing back phase when you have tons of little new baby hairs growing in.

I've had anxiety and sheds and there is always the new day when things get better and you have a halo of new hairs!

Well that's a plus at least! A light at the end of the tunnel is nice to look forward to. I just hope that I don't lose too much hair in the meantime. :) Thanks

Mellybee
February 4th, 2014, 12:55 PM
DON'T randomly start taking supplements. That can easily cause more harm than good as vitamins and minerals help and hinder each other's absorptions, so random supplementation risks both causing deficiencies and causing overdoses.

If you haven't been eating well, or you think you have a health problem, then the best thing to do is to see your doctor (GP) and mention the hairloss, poor diet and any other symptoms (e.g. tiredness, low mood) and request a full blood test. For hair loss, the primary suspects are vitamin/mineral deficiency or excess (particularly iron, B12 and folate), thyroid hormone problems and sex hormone problems. A simple blood test can measure all of those. When you get that back, request the actual numbers and what your doctor considers to be a normal range for each - this is much more useful than simply 'oh, it was all fine' as sometimes you'll be in the low end of normal but symptomatic and thus requiring supplementation (because all normal ranges are just averages for an average population).

Of course, improving your diet and lifestyle is going to be beneficial and is a very good idea.

As far as stress goes - yes, it can massively affect hair growth and hair shedding rate. Mental stress can do this, but also physical stress, e.g. restrictive diet, excessive exercise, surgery, illness (even as little as proper flu). Chronic stress, e.g. long-term poor diet, poor sleep or anxiety, can affect hair just as badly or even worse than short-term stress. As far as a time scale, what stress (of any sort) does is end the anagen (growth) phase of a hair follicle. However, that follicle still has to go through the rest of the hair cycle before it can start growing a new hair - so, first catagen (transitional) phase, lasting approx. 3 weeks, and then telogen (resting) phase which lasts about 3 months and is when the old hair is shed from the follicle. So, even after you stop all stress it'll still take about 3-4 months before the most recently stressed follicles start growing new hairs and it may take a further month or two before those baby hairs get long enough to be noticeable (and a year or more for the thickness to start to visibly travel down your length). So, that's the bad news. The good news is that in all but the most extreme, unusual cases the hair will all grow back eventually (provided you stop the stress stimulus and thus stop the shedding).

It may be a rough time and take a while to improve, but your hair will get better again. I had a similar stress-induced shed and went from about a 3 and 3/4" circumference to a 3" circumference (if you calculate the area (which, unlike circumference, is proportional to the number of hairs), that's nearly half of my hair gone). Yes, it's disappointing to have thinner hair than before. And yes, it takes a long time to improve. But it will improve - first the shedding will slow back to normal, then you'll notice baby hairs, then you'll notice thickness returning and travelling down your length. Personally, I didn't chop - IMO, what's the point? the hair will be thin whether it's short or long! I'd much prefer thin, long hair than thin, short hair.

Good luck with controlling your stress!

Wow, what a wealth of information!
I completely agree with you on the point that I would much rather have thin, long hair than thin, short hair- so I won't be doing a chop any time soon (I have waited too long for my hair to reach a somewhat decent length!)
I hadn't measured my circumference before now, but I am at 3"... I wonder what I would have been towards the end of last year when the noticeable shedding actually started.

Thanks very much for all the info, it was very helpful indeed.

Mellybee
February 4th, 2014, 12:56 PM
DON'T randomly start taking supplements. That can easily cause more harm than good as vitamins and minerals help and hinder each other's absorptions, so random supplementation risks both causing deficiencies and causing overdoses.

If you haven't been eating well, or you think you have a health problem, then the best thing to do is to see your doctor (GP) and mention the hairloss, poor diet and any other symptoms (e.g. tiredness, low mood) and request a full blood test. For hair loss, the primary suspects are vitamin/mineral deficiency or excess (particularly iron, B12 and folate), thyroid hormone problems and sex hormone problems. A simple blood test can measure all of those. When you get that back, request the actual numbers and what your doctor considers to be a normal range for each - this is much more useful than simply 'oh, it was all fine' as sometimes you'll be in the low end of normal but symptomatic and thus requiring supplementation (because all normal ranges are just averages for an average population).

Of course, improving your diet and lifestyle is going to be beneficial and is a very good idea.

As far as stress goes - yes, it can massively affect hair growth and hair shedding rate. Mental stress can do this, but also physical stress, e.g. restrictive diet, excessive exercise, surgery, illness (even as little as proper flu). Chronic stress, e.g. long-term poor diet, poor sleep or anxiety, can affect hair just as badly or even worse than short-term stress. As far as a time scale, what stress (of any sort) does is end the anagen (growth) phase of a hair follicle. However, that follicle still has to go through the rest of the hair cycle before it can start growing a new hair - so, first catagen (transitional) phase, lasting approx. 3 weeks, and then telogen (resting) phase which lasts about 3 months and is when the old hair is shed from the follicle. So, even after you stop all stress it'll still take about 3-4 months before the most recently stressed follicles start growing new hairs and it may take a further month or two before those baby hairs get long enough to be noticeable (and a year or more for the thickness to start to visibly travel down your length). So, that's the bad news. The good news is that in all but the most extreme, unusual cases the hair will all grow back eventually (provided you stop the stress stimulus and thus stop the shedding).

It may be a rough time and take a while to improve, but your hair will get better again. I had a similar stress-induced shed and went from about a 3 and 3/4" circumference to a 3" circumference (if you calculate the area (which, unlike circumference, is proportional to the number of hairs), that's nearly half of my hair gone). Yes, it's disappointing to have thinner hair than before. And yes, it takes a long time to improve. But it will improve - first the shedding will slow back to normal, then you'll notice baby hairs, then you'll notice thickness returning and travelling down your length. Personally, I didn't chop - IMO, what's the point? the hair will be thin whether it's short or long! I'd much prefer thin, long hair than thin, short hair.

Good luck with controlling your stress!

Wow, what a wealth of information!
I completely agree with you on the point that I would much rather have thin, long hair than thin, short hair- so I won't be doing a chop any time soon (I have waited too long for my hair to reach a somewhat decent length!)
I hadn't measured my circumference before now, but I am at 3"... I wonder what I would have been towards the end of last year when the noticeable shedding actually started.

Thanks very much for all the info, it was very helpful indeed.

Firefox7275
February 4th, 2014, 01:17 PM
Would eating lots of food high in vitamin B be a better alternative? Are B vitamins particularly good for hair?.. or was that suggested for stress?


Many nutrients are important for stress management: B group vitamins, long chain omega-3s, vitamin D, magnesium for example. If you eat a balanced nutrient dense wholefood diet which is low glycaemic index you will get everything you need from it unless you have a preexisting deficiency or poor absorption. If your body and skin are healthy generally you will grow quality hair. Note that some health conditions are linked to specific micronutrient deficiencies - ask your specialist or a registered dietician or check charity websites.

We should be eating: nine servings of low sugar fruits and non starchy vegetables in the full rainbow of colours (blue/ purple, dark green, red, orange/ yellow), three servings of plain dairy a day, plenty of oily fish (ideally daily for omega-3 and vitamin D), plenty of seeds and pulses (ideally daily), other healthy fats (eg. omega enriched eggs, cocoa, avocado, olives, coconut), protein little and often from breakfast (ideally including some molluscs and organ meats).

As little sugar, caffeine, processed refined or medium to high glycaemic index carbs as possible (avoid most grains and many starchy vegetables), larger servings of land animal muscle meat. Eat little and often, never skip meals.