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Thread: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

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    Member WednesdayAddams's Avatar
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    Default Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    So...just as the title says. (Scroll to the asterisks if you want to get to the point and skip the whining, LOL)

    I have always heard, read, etc. about a sudden shocking event making people's hair fall out and I thought it was pretty much facetious.

    But I had a very bad event and now I am losing so much hair.

    Two weeks ago I was in a very bad car accident. I broke my leg. Since then I'm in a wheelchair and on crutches to get into narrower spaces, like the bathroom. I am not allowed to put any weight at all on the leg for 8-12 weeks because of the location of the fracture. I feel very isolated, here at home all the time. I can't drive, obviously (but I'm scared to right now anyway). We still have a car, but my car was totaled. I have to wheel or crutch my way around, I'm in pain and life is sort of hell right now.

    I'm sorry to whine about this. I have a newfound respect for the disabled who have to manage their lives in a chair. I am trying so hard for independence but I keep hurting my leg again (standing to do dishes, trying to get sideways into the bathroom...and on and on) and I'm so worried I'm putting my healing farther back. This is all very, very hard.

    ****

    So here's what's happening:


    I am still washing my hair as often as I used to, about every 5 days. I lean over the sink balancing on one leg. So tonight (2 weeks since the accident) I washed and...oh my God. SO MUCH hair fell out. I was shocked. Three big wads of it.

    I don't have much hair to begin with. My hair is very thin and on top of that it's fine and rather straightish so it looks like practically nothing on my head as it is.

    Can hair literally fall out from stress? Or shock? I know I was in serious shock immediately following the accident and for at least a few days afterward, when I was pretty much curled on the couch and just re-"seeing" the accident over and over.

    Even now once in a while I just start crying not even thinking about anything.

    Thoughts?
    Last edited by WednesdayAddams; December 30th, 2024 at 02:34 AM.

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    Member shayna's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?


    Yes, I think it quite well known that this can happen to people. It happened to me after I had a stroke out of the blue a few years ago. I think you can even see the demarcation line where new growth started again on my braids in my photo on the left; they go very skinny all of a sudden. And now I can report that after living in anxiety hell for several years, I am feeling better and my hair is slowly growing back. It just takes time, that is all. I'm wishing you healing thoughts.

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    Lullaby of Obliteration
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    Stress 100% can effect your hair especially after such a big shock.

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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    Oh I’m sorry, it was clearly a traumatic event as well as the injury it has caused you.

    I had a big shed in the past, a few months after a stressful time, when my dad was ill and then when he died. I’m not sure exactly when the shed started but it was probably a couple of months afterwards. Then last year, my brother died suddenly and it was a huge shock. The circumstances were also bad. I went into shock, physically shaking, and my hair was coming out in handfuls too. I was surprised the hair fall happened so quickly, but it was undeniable.

    As far as I know, events replaying in your head like that is a response to trauma. It goes around on a loop. I have experienced that before also (when my mum died). I didn’t realise at the time that it was a trauma response, it actually felt like I was going mad.

    Be kind to yourself, talk to people about it if you can. Try not to do too much so you have time to heal. I think when you first have an injury there can be an element of denial where you just want to carry on as before. There is time to regain more independence when you have healed some more, but at the moment there is nothing wrong with asking for help.

    and also to shayna (I’ve just read your response)
    Last edited by Lady Stardust; December 30th, 2024 at 06:00 AM.

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    Member shayna's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    Thank you, Lady Stardust, and the same to you for your terrible losses. We just never know what unexpected things life has in store for us. Good as well as bad, hopefully.

    WednesdayAddams, like Lady Stardust says, be kind to yourself. Healing physically and mentally takes a while. Try to enjoy some little nice things right now, I found re-reading the Harry Potter books very comforting.

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    shapenote singer embee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    I am sorry to read about your horrible accident. Many years ago I was in such a thing, car totalled, me in hospital for 10 days, in a back brace for 3 months, out of work during all that time, unable to drive, bathe, lift, bend... it was horrible. I was terrified of being in a car, of seeing cars around me.

    I don't recall any hair loss issues, other than a partly shaved head from stitches and repairs from the accident. That took out the front part of my hair all at once, bang. It did grow back eventually. The growing and the stitches both itched like crazy and I dared not scratch.

    Hang in there, it will improve with time. I'm glad you have the internet and constant new stuff to read or look at, people to chat with. My accident was before the internet existed and the isolation was Bad. Everyone was at work, busy with their own lives, and I was alone all day, just quietly going crazy.

    Shock is a type of stress, and hairloss is well known to go with stress.
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    Member lora410's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    Yes, stress can definetly do it. I went through ALOT of stress with leaving a job that was toxic and then transitioning to a new job.My hair shedding finally stopped after 2 months of losing so much hair i hated taking showers because just TONS of hair came out. My hair is about 30% thinner but finally stopped. Try and relax and de-stress. I've been there with a bad car accident where i had to learn to walk again. You will heal I promise!!!!

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    Member WednesdayAddams's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    Quote Originally Posted by shayna View Post

    Yes, I think it quite well known that this can happen to people. It happened to me after I had a stroke out of the blue a few years ago. I think you can even see the demarcation line where new growth started again on my braids in my photo on the left; they go very skinny all of a sudden. And now I can report that after living in anxiety hell for several years, I am feeling better and my hair is slowly growing back. It just takes time, that is all. I'm wishing you healing thoughts.
    Are you okay?? I know you said you're feeling better...you say 'anxiety hell'...yes, I can imagine...I am so so sorry you had to go through all that.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bat View Post
    Stress 100% can effect your hair especially after such a big shock.
    Thanks, Bat.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady Stardust View Post
    Oh I’m sorry, it was clearly a traumatic event as well as the injury it has caused you.

    I had a big shed in the past, a few months after a stressful time, when my dad was ill and then when he died. I’m not sure exactly when the shed started but it was probably a couple of months afterwards. Then last year, my brother died suddenly and it was a huge shock. The circumstances were also bad. I went into shock, physically shaking, and my hair was coming out in handfuls too. I was surprised the hair fall happened so quickly, but it was undeniable.

    As far as I know, events replaying in your head like that is a response to trauma. It goes around on a loop. I have experienced that before also (when my mum died). I didn’t realise at the time that it was a trauma response, it actually felt like I was going mad.

    Be kind to yourself, talk to people about it if you can. Try not to do too much so you have time to heal. I think when you first have an injury there can be an element of denial where you just want to carry on as before. There is time to regain more independence when you have healed some more, but at the moment there is nothing wrong with asking for help.

    and also to shayna (I’ve just read your response)
    I cried reading this. Sending all my love. That's way too much for anybody to handle.


    WednesdayAddams, like Lady Stardust says, be kind to yourself. Healing physically and mentally takes a while. Try to enjoy some little nice things right now, I found re-reading the Harry Potter books very comforting. [/QUOTE]

    I love HP.

    Quote Originally Posted by embee View Post
    I am sorry to read about your horrible accident. Many years ago I was in such a thing, car totalled, me in hospital for 10 days, in a back brace for 3 months, out of work during all that time, unable to drive, bathe, lift, bend... it was horrible. I was terrified of being in a car, of seeing cars around me.

    I don't recall any hair loss issues, other than a partly shaved head from stitches and repairs from the accident. That took out the front part of my hair all at once, bang. It did grow back eventually. The growing and the stitches both itched like crazy and I dared not scratch.

    Hang in there, it will improve with time. I'm glad you have the internet and constant new stuff to read or look at, people to chat with. My accident was before the internet existed and the isolation was Bad. Everyone was at work, busy with their own lives, and I was alone all day, just quietly going crazy.

    Shock is a type of stress, and hairloss is well known to go with stress.
    Thanks. I remember those days, yeah. Where when you were sick, you lay in bed and read. One or two days of that was heaven. But...months of it...a back brace...that would be hell. I hope you're ok now?

    Quote Originally Posted by lora410 View Post
    Yes, stress can definetly do it. I went through ALOT of stress with leaving a job that was toxic and then transitioning to a new job.My hair shedding finally stopped after 2 months of losing so much hair i hated taking showers because just TONS of hair came out. My hair is about 30% thinner but finally stopped. Try and relax and de-stress. I've been there with a bad car accident where i had to learn to walk again. You will heal I promise!!!!
    Had to learn to walk again? Are you ok now???


    * Thank you, everyone, for your help. But most of all, thank you for sharing your experiences. My heart goes out to everyone who answered and has gone through such terrible trauma. A lot of these answers brought a more than a few tears. It's true that at least today, we can reach out to one another. Thanks so much for opening your hearts because that really really meant a lot.

    And of course thanks for the answer to the question...it makes sense.

    Love to all.

  9. #9
    shapenote singer embee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    Yes, I am fine now. Still a bit spooked about traffic and crazy drivers, but after all, that's reasonable, it's dangerous out there! Yes, I recovered. The scars on my face disappeared, the hair grew back, my poor broken body recovered just fine and I sailed through a couple of pregnancies with No Trouble At All. I have less pain than most people my age. Keep the Faith!
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    Member WednesdayAddams's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can shock actually make your hair fall out?

    Quote Originally Posted by embee View Post
    Yes, I am fine now. Still a bit spooked about traffic and crazy drivers, but after all, that's reasonable, it's dangerous out there! Yes, I recovered. The scars on my face disappeared, the hair grew back, my poor broken body recovered just fine and I sailed through a couple of pregnancies with No Trouble At All. I have less pain than most people my age. Keep the Faith!
    Thank heaven!

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