Can depressing cause a lot of shedding?

[Yasmine91]

I've been depressed for a good month or so and my hair has just been falling out way too much. I have never seen so much hair come out before, it's so bad to the point where I can easily pull it out. What's goin on?

[ravenreed]

Stress makes my hair fall out. My first major shed, when I was losing clumps of hair, was when I was very little and my family was going through a horrible time. I haven't lost hair just from depression, but I could see it happening. However, there are medical causes for both hair loss and depression, so if you haven't talked to your doctor yet, you might want to ask to have your thyroid checked and get a check up.

[spitfire511]

I don't know about just being able to easily pull it out, but I am under a ridiculous amount of stress right now and have been noticing quite a bit more shed. I'm agreed with ravenreed, you might want to go get a check-up!

[torrilin]

Depression can easily cause hair loss, depending on how it expresses in you. When I am seriously depressed, I tend to forget to eat, or decide that eating is too much work. This is obviously really bad for your body, and if it goes on for more than a few days, it can have a lot of effect on your health.

Depression also can be associated with mistreating your hair, or with skipping the steps you need to take care of yourself so much that you get skin infections or other physical ailments.

If you can come up with a way depression might make you feel worse, odds are there's someone who has had depression do just that.

Ravenreed's point about getting a checkup is important too. Very often depression comes as the result of some other underlying physical cause, and the more physical symptoms your depression has the more likely it is that your depression has a physical cause. And yes, depression can definitely be a side effect of a hormone imbalance or of heart trouble or lung trouble.

[Tuntenut]

Depression definitely isn't good for your hair. I suffered from a heavy depression for three years, and my hair barely grew an inch in that time, and lost all its shine.

Remember that a lot of things that are good for yoru hair are also good for you, and you need to take extra care of yourself when you're depressed. Remember your vitamins, eat as healthy as you can, exercise if you are able, all that. I found that taking ultra good care of my hair would help me relax and keep the bad thoughts at bay.

Also, I hope you get better make sure you get the help you need. Depression is no joke. You have all my best wishes. :)

[Anje]

Like others said, stress and bad diet tend to go hand-in-hand with depression and can definitely cause shedding.

All the same, it might be worth checking for physical causes. Low thyroid function can lead to a lot of hairloss and depressed mood.

[Firefox7275]

Agree with everyone else, get checked by your doctor. Stress, depression, poor eating patterns and physical health problems are chicken and egg, it's tough to work out what is causing what without medical assistance.

[ange1ito]

Hope you get through it for the sake of your hair. I had a major shed due to stress. Once I started loosing lots of hair it really made me review all my stress factors and eating patterns. I went to my doctor too and have started seeing a difference since I have been following LHC and the recommendations from the doctor.

[mistik]

Definitely get a check up. Thyroid and hormone problems also cause hair to shed.

[owlathena]

I have been under a lot of stress the past month or so and I have had excessive shedding. I'm not depressed, just overly worked up about all the things that I have to deal with to the point of having severe insomnia and panic attacks. I've been meaning to schedule an appointment with my doctor, but thats just ANOTHER thing on top of everything I have to do, which stresses me out even more. I recently started taking iron supplements in addition to my multi vitamin because its possible that a deficiency is adding to the hair loss (I'm vegan, and get very little iron in my diet.).

Now, when I'm stressed, and in the past when I was depressed, I'll go several days without sleep. I've noticed that lack of sleep might be triggering the hair loss.

[bondeandeebowl]

I was pretty stressed at one point and my hair was coming out to the point I thought I was balding. I was at my DBF's parent's house for Christmas in late 2009 and I'd lose so much hair in the bathroom, the sink and counters would be covered. I kept cleaning it up after, but forgot one morning to clean out the sink. His mom freaked out, thinking it was him balding (my hair was a short pixie, about the same length and color as his). It was so embarrassing. Luckily it didn't last too long.....

I wish I could offer more advice. Just try to get in a better place if possible :)

[Madora]

Excessive shedding can be the result of anemia! It happened to me! Get in touch with your doctor and have a complete blood panel done!

If you don't have anemia, then get in touch with a trichologist (hair doctor) and obtain a diagnosis. A faulty thryoid can also lead to hair problems.

Good luck!

[BranwenWolf]

Yes. I just broke up with my boyfriend and my shedding stepped up a lot. I'm getting better now... not sure what the solution is other than to find an inner balance and peace.