Stress Related Hair Loss Recovery?

[MarPreciosa]

Since starting to take proper care of my hair (thanks LHC) and leaving a stressfull office/life behind, I've been experiencing very minimal hair loss - in fact, I'm ecstatic to see regrowth on areas of my scalp/hairline I haven't seen it in in years. My hair is thin and fine so this is a huge deal to me.

It's caused me to realize that I likely suffered from chronic stress/anxiety related hair loss from college all the way through my early 30s. I was losing clumps and did not even know it was abnormal.

Has anyone else here experienced this and recovered?

[lapushka]

ii = not thin, if you're in the middle of the range. Just FYI. :)

[kitcatsmeow]

Well it sounds too me like you are recovering! Less hair loss and new growth. Yay!

I have gone through post traumatic stress hair loss. When I have major crohns flares and they start to get under control, my hair sheds like crazy. Last time it recovered and grew back thick and beautiful and I’m hoping that will happen again as I’m goinf through another loss.

[MarPreciosa]

ii = not thin, if you're in the middle of the range. Just FYI. :)

Thanks for the info! When I signed up I think I was required to respond to that question but honestly I wasn't sure what it meant so just chose the one in the middle. I should fix that - thanks for pointing it out!

[MarPreciosa]

[QUOTE=kitcatsmeow;3614953]Well it sounds too me like you are recovering! Less hair loss and new growth. Yay!

I have gone through post traumatic stress hair loss. When I have major crohns flares and they start to get under control, my hair sheds like crazy. Last time it recovered and grew back thick and beautiful and I’m hoping that will happen again as I’m goinf through another loss.[/QUOTE

Wow I wish you a recovery soon!! It sounds like it will happen for you again from your last experience.

[Doreen]

Around early 2015 I had gone through a big stress shed and I'm just now feeling like my hair is mostly recovered. I didn't do anything specific to get it to grow faster, but I've done about 4 trims to let it all catch up.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I'm currently recovering from a stress loss in April of this year. I was very ill in February and the strain on my body caused a big stress shed to happen in April. My regrowth is now about four inches long :)

[MarPreciosa]

Around early 2015 I had gone through a big stress shed and I'm just now feeling like my hair is mostly recovered. I didn't do anything specific to get it to grow faster, but I've done about 4 trims to let it all catch up.

Really glad you had a recovery too. Do you feel like you are now fully back to where you were?

[MarPreciosa]

I'm currently recovering from a stress loss in April of this year. I was very ill in February and the strain on my body caused a big stress shed to happen in April. My regrowth is now about four inches long :)

I'm really sorry to hear that but am glad you have got some awesome regrowth! 4" is fantastic!!

[lapushka]

I'm currently recovering from a stress loss in April of this year. I was very ill in February and the strain on my body caused a big stress shed to happen in April. My regrowth is now about four inches long :)

That is good news! And 4 inches already. Seems like it was just yesterday you were going through this all. Good for you for recovering so fast! :)

[Flagg]

Glad to hear everyone is growing back! Stress sheds are the worst. It's uncontrollable, affecting one of the things we love to control - our hair!
I had massive shedding due to 2017 - 2018 events. I don't think I'm recovering well. It'll be a long time before I don't see the signs of stress on my hair.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I'm really sorry to hear that but am glad you have got some awesome regrowth! 4" is fantastic!!


That is good news! And 4 inches already. Seems like it was just yesterday you were going through this all. Good for you for recovering so fast! :)

Thank you both! Now that 4 inches of hair has to zoom down and reach my hemline :p Seriously though, I'm very happy that it's growing back. I'm patiently waiting until the hair will go into a bun/braid and I stop looking like a dandelion!

[Hailwidis]

My stress shed (or at least that's what my GP thinks it is) started in the summer of 2016. It slowed down after a year and a half, but I have lost so much thickness. Sometimes I wonder if it's still ongoing because my bun still seems to be getting smaller.

On the bright side, I've been having lots of regrowth, some of it is now a year old and 6" long. Most of it is in the range of 1-3" long though. So I have weird regrowth bangs and my updos look messy fast, but I can only be happy about it! :o

I hope I recover, it looks like it's going to take a long time before the regrowth catches up, and I'm not sure I'll ever fully get my thickness back. :(

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I'm really sorry to hear that but am glad you have got some awesome regrowth! 4" is fantastic!!


My stress shed (or at least that's what my GP thinks it is) started in the summer of 2016. It slowed down after a year and a half, but I have lost so much thickness. Sometimes I wonder if it's still ongoing because my bun still seems to be getting smaller.

On the bright side, I've been having lots of regrowth, some of it is now a year old and 6" long. Most of it is in the range of 1-3" long though. So I have weird regrowth bangs and my updos look messy fast, but I can only be happy about it! :o

I hope I recover, it looks like it's going to take a long time before the regrowth catches up, and I'm not sure I'll ever fully get my thickness back. :(

I'm sure you'll get your thickness back, you are only 25. But you are right in that it takes time for regrowth to catch up.

[MarPreciosa]

Thank you both! Now that 4 inches of hair has to zoom down and reach my hemline :p Seriously though, I'm very happy that it's growing back. I'm patiently waiting until the hair will go into a bun/braid and I stop looking like a dandelion!

Hahahaha, feeling that way right now about my now lower lip length bangs! Not the same... but totally getting where you are coming from.

[MarPreciosa]

My stress shed (or at least that's what my GP thinks it is) started in the summer of 2016. It slowed down after a year and a half, but I have lost so much thickness. Sometimes I wonder if it's still ongoing because my bun still seems to be getting smaller.

On the bright side, I've been having lots of regrowth, some of it is now a year old and 6" long. Most of it is in the range of 1-3" long though. So I have weird regrowth bangs and my updos look messy fast, but I can only be happy about it! :o

I hope I recover, it looks like it's going to take a long time before the regrowth catches up, and I'm not sure I'll ever fully get my thickness back. :(

It's so good that it is coming back! Sounds like you have two rounds of regrowth so I bet you will :)

[aethyra]

Flagg: Me as well... 2018 wreaked havoc on my hair. Severe trauma based stress and the city adding tons of chlorine to the water supply. I have cut 7 inches off in total this year and am still getting matted hair and still have shed that has my scalp showing in the front, on my widening top part, massive thinning down both sides, and down a new ugly back part. I have lost 50% of my hair this year. It is devastating to the psyche. I barely leave the house. My hair was always my best asset. Without it I have no decent physical attribute. I cry pretty much every day. I now use water filters and have spent 3k this year on the best products money can buy. They usually work for a day on the after wash comb out, but then mat my and massively dry my hair a day or 2 later. Stress is truly a killer.

[aethyra]

MarPreciosa: I too believe you will grow back your hair fully in all of it's glory. You have youth on your side. I would like to say a prayer for you for hair growth, and less stress; if you don't mind.

[maborosi]

I went off BC in 2011 and shed bigtime, although my hair wasn't in great shape to begin with.

I'm sick right now and it's hard to eat, but I am doing everything I can to make sure I get nutrients so I don't lose hair. :(
But I know I've shed before, I can shed again, and I can grow back again. :)

My mom has very thick hair (definitely iii) and she lost a lot of hair after our house flooded last year.
She says she's slowly getting some thickness back, but sometimes there's nothing that can be done...

Congrats MarPreciosa! :)

[Stray_mind]

I have been shedding hairballs during the last 6 months due to stress at work. I shed half that now, after i left and i also see baby hair all over my scalp. I hope they grow long and thicken up my hair.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

When I was shedding back in April I was losing this much hair EVERY DAY for about three weeks.

https://i.imgur.com/biSaFnl.jpg

[Stray_mind]

When I was shedding back in April I was losing this much hair EVERY DAY for about three weeks.

https://i.imgur.com/biSaFnl.jpg
I used to shed the same size hair balls during every wash day (three times a week)... And my hair is only Shoulder length.

My ponytail circumference went from 3,14 inches to only 2,7 inches...

[MarPreciosa]

When I was shedding back in April I was losing this much hair EVERY DAY for about three weeks.

https://i.imgur.com/biSaFnl.jpg

Oh my gosh, that's awful!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I used to shed the same size hair balls during every wash day (three times a week)... And my hair is only Shoulder length.

My ponytail circumference went from 3,14 inches to only 2,7 inches...

It's so horrible know there's nothing you can do but wait until it stops.


Oh my gosh, that's awful!

It was really horrible.

[Stray_mind]

It's so horrible know there's nothing you can do but wait until it stops.



It was really horrible.
Yeah. Or you can try finding a way to get rid of the stressful stuff. I have left my awfully stressful job and my hair is slowly recovering now.

[itsmaira]

Yes i had the same issue. I was taking too much due to some personal issue and due to this i was not taking proper diet and due to stress and insufficient diet my hair line is receding. I start losing my hair and I was very worried. I couldn't handle too much stress at a time. I was like a little baby crying. Then i visited doctor, he recommended me to take a hair treatment or a medicine treatment.I have a phobia of medicines but i was very afraid of hair treatment that may be it had a side effect so that left of my hair may not be lost. But doctor told me its results and the process of treatment. He also told me that not to take stress anymore as i already suffered from it. Then i took a PRP hair loss treatment and after that full treatment i recover my hair back.

[Knightly]

Yes, I've had this issue too. Stress + hormones destroyed my hair and I haven't recovered completely. My hair still falls out from stress, (not as much as it used to, luckily) but I can't help it, I'm about to go to university and that's blowing my mind atm. Even tho my hair still falls out more than it should, I always have baby hairs, which is good, but they don't grow past 8 inches or so before falling out.
I hope I can get over this stressful stage asap! I can't wait until my hair is as full as it used to!

[Dee94]

Got a question.. but, how stressed do you really have to be in order to start losing hair? I've always wondered that. Could it just be as little as stressing about not making it on time to an appointment, but you stress like that everytime you have an appointment to go to or do you gotta be like majorly stressed, like something big has happened and it took a major toll on you for months? Not sure if I'm making sense or if that even makes sense at all, but, I'm curious....

[lapushka]

Dee, I think you would have to be majorly stressed; I hardly think your average daily stresses would figure into this at all.

[Dee94]

Dee, I think you would have to be majorly stressed; I hardly think your average daily stresses would figure into this at all.

That's good to know, thanks Lapushka!

[DaniGirl]

Got a question.. but, how stressed do you really have to be in order to start losing hair? I've always wondered that. Could it just be as little as stressing about not making it on time to an appointment, but you stress like that everytime you have an appointment to go to or do you gotta be like majorly stressed, like something big has happened and it took a major toll on you for months? Not sure if I'm making sense or if that even makes sense at all, but, I'm curious....

For me it’s majorly stressed. When I was part of the management team opening a new hotel. I started losing my hair about 3 months before open and it only stopped when I left that job after 3 years. I loved it but the job was incredibly stressful and stress manifests itself in me physically. I got ulcers, acid reflux, constant skin break outs and was shedding way more hair than normal. My body did the same thing when I went through my divorce.

Once the thing stressing me goes away everything tends to clear up on its own. I’m 6 months out from my old role and far happier and less stressed now. I’m seeing piles of new baby growth which has been awesome. My hair is really thick, so the stress shedding isn’t noticeable unless you’re super familiar with my hair.

But the everyday stress occurrences have a negligible impact on my hair shedding. Nothing that shows up beyond my regular shedding.

[milosmomma]

Hormones and the stress of pregnancy on my body caused my big sheds. I got off pretty easy with just my patches at the temples thinning and some moderate loss throughout my canopy. It has been a little more than a year and things are growing back now. I can see the new growth sticking staight out between 1 and 4 inches long now so I am pleased. It is scary when it's happening because really what can you do besides wait it out and hope it doesnt take away too much thickness.

[ArabellaRose]

Last year my mum was hospitalised and diagnosed with heart failure at 52 years old, I fell out with some friends who were absolutely awful bullies, they and my ex (father of my son) set up a nice group chat to have a good old chat about me and swapping secrets about me, my ex moved away and between that and my mum's heart failure I have little in the way of childcare and subsequently had to leave my nursing degree, all of this caused me untold stress and caused a massive and prolonged shed.

[Dee94]

For me it’s majorly stressed. When I was part of the management team opening a new hotel. I started losing my hair about 3 months before open and it only stopped when I left that job after 3 years. I loved it but the job was incredibly stressful and stress manifests itself in me physically. I got ulcers, acid reflux, constant skin break outs and was shedding way more hair than normal. My body did the same thing when I went through my divorce.

Once the thing stressing me goes away everything tends to clear up on its own. I’m 6 months out from my old role and far happier and less stressed now. I’m seeing piles of new baby growth which has been awesome. My hair is really thick, so the stress shedding isn’t noticeable unless you’re super familiar with my hair.

But the everyday stress occurrences have a negligible impact on my hair shedding. Nothing that shows up beyond my regular shedding.

DaniGirl, I'm sorry to hear about that, but, I'm glad to hear you are doing much better now!! I haven't noticed anything with mine, I do have anxiety which was one of the other reasons why I was curious to know how stressed you really needed to be,because I seem to stress the little things in life sometimes but, I mean I haven't noticed anything with my hair. It would suck if I did, because I have very thin hair. I've had anxiety since I was 14 though, so I've had it for 11 years now and haven't really notice it effecting my hair.

[DaniGirl]

DaniGirl, I'm sorry to hear about that, but, I'm glad to hear you are doing much better now!! I haven't noticed anything with mine, I do have anxiety which was one of the other reasons why I was curious to know how stressed you really needed to be,because I seem to stress the little things in life sometimes but, I mean I haven't noticed anything with my hair. It would suck if I did, because I have very thin hair. I've had anxiety since I was 14 though, so I've had it for 11 years now and haven't really notice it effecting my hair.

Things are in a much better place now health wise. I don’t know why I just sucked it up and dealt with it for so long. I have anxiety and depression and had to increase my meds because it was starting to cripple me. Three months out of that job we stepped my meds down and I’ve been good. I haven’t noticed my meds affect my hair shedding. I’ve been on three different ones now and any negative affects I had we’re more than balanced out by my over all mental health being in a much better place. I probably lost more hair to huge tangles and mats from depression episodes where I couldn’t deal with having a shower and washing my hair than I have from the meds. I hid mine for quite a while and about 5 years ago it got to the point I went to my doctor for help. I just couldn’t cope any more. I really wish I’d done it much sooner. I’m very open about my mental health now and try to talk about it when I need to and to reassure others that getting help and medication isn’t wrong.

[Dee94]

Things are in a much better place now health wise. I don’t know why I just sucked it up and dealt with it for so long. I have anxiety and depression and had to increase my meds because it was starting to cripple me. Three months out of that job we stepped my meds down and I’ve been good. I haven’t noticed my meds affect my hair shedding. I’ve been on three different ones now and any negative affects I had we’re more than balanced out by my over all mental health being in a much better place. I probably lost more hair to huge tangles and mats from depression episodes where I couldn’t deal with having a shower and washing my hair than I have from the meds. I hid mine for quite a while and about 5 years ago it got to the point I went to my doctor for help. I just couldn’t cope any more. I really wish I’d done it much sooner. I’m very open about my mental health now and try to talk about it when I need to and to reassure others that getting help and medication isn’t wrong.

That's good to hear, I can't/wont take medication. Not because I think its wrong, only because It actually makes me feel worse. Ive also tried therapy, but, I felt they didnt really help or do anything for me, they were telling me things i already knew... I think that's why I was just able to cope and figure things out myself. I still got a few more things to work on, but, I know I'll get there. Social anxiety, it still sucks though... but, I'm glad you are doing good and that meds are helping you and it is nice that you are open to talking about it, not many people are so it's good to hear that I'm not the only one out there, you know? I've actually recently maybe just the past year or 2 have become more open about it as well, its definitely nice to be....

[Amelia777]

I'm glad that I've found this thread as now I know that I'm not alone. I hope you all are doing fine. I'm currently fighting hair loss caused by stress. I don't want to take meds, but I should say, SPAM oil works great for me. Also, I changed my nutrition, started doing sports, and changed my daily routine. Fortunately, I see the result, but I don't know how much time the full recovery will take.

[ipickee]

I went through a majjorrrr stress shed. Changed jobs, started spiro and cleaned up my diet. My hair has FINALLY started to recover - three years later.
I probably lost a third of my hair. And when you're used to having thick hair, it's traumatizing. I've also been doing ferm rice water washes, and minoxidil.
Mine is probably as much tied to my Hashimoto's as it is stress. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[BuddhaBelle]

I definitely went through a big stress shed around my GCSE year and my hair looked absolutely awful

[SwanFeathers]

yes, I had to move away and cut ties with some abusive family members back in 2018-2019. my hair is just now finally recovering. it takes time and getting your brain&body care to a reasonable level, but it is definitely possible to recover.