Credit: Getty
Not taking the time to decompress and relax could be having an affect on your hair and scalp. Here, a trichologist explains how.
Saying it’s been a stressful time may be a bit of an understatement. Despite measures around lockdown easing up, we still have a lot of questions: when will we be able to hug our loved ones again? What will the ‘new normal’ look like post-lockdown? When will nail salons reopen?
While stress can take its toll on your body and energy levels, it can also have a big impact on your hair, especially in relation to hair loss.
“Stress can wreak havoc on your hair growth cycle, and your scalp,” says Anabel Kingsley consultant trichologist and brand president at Philip Kingsley. “One reason for this is that stress can raise androgen (male hormone) levels, which can worsen or trigger female pattern hair loss if you have a genetic predisposition towards it. In fact, pattern hair loss occurs when hair follicles on your scalp are sensitive to even normal levels of male hormones.”
Kingsley adds: “Androgens can also increase your scalp’s production of sebum (oil) and lead to flaking and itching – which can also increase hair fall.”
As well as raising androgen levels, Kingsley says that stress can affect our diet: “this can have a knock-on effect as hair growth and diet are closely linked”.
“Stress can make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients – and can also negatively impact the way you eat,” she explains. “Anxiety may cause you to reach for foods of low nutritional value, or even to skip meals.”
Of course, everybody deals with stress differently and to counterbalance the effects, it’s important to find a way to relax that works for you.
Kingsley has found her clients benefits from a range of tools, such as yoga, pilates and mindfulness apps. “My personal favourites being Calm and Headspace,” she says. If you’re looking for ideas on how to relax, read some of our stress-relieving techniques here.
You may also like
Hair loss: why is my hair falling out?
Main image: Getty
If you’re an avid Stylist fan, you’ll know it’s not always possible to find an issue of our magazine. Often they’re gone before you head into work (they disappear fast!), or you live in a part of the UK where you can’t get your hands on a copy. Add to this the fact that millions of us are not commuting right now, and we wanted to ensure you don’t miss out on the magazine any longer.
Which is why we’re delighted to let you know that Stylist magazine is now available in a digital format, both for Apple and Android users, allowing you to download the full magazine directly to your smartphone or tablet, wherever you may be.
Pricing for our digital magazine starts at just 99p for a single issue, or £21.99 for a full year’s subscription –that’s less than 50p a week! Simply click on the link to activate your Stylist app download from either the Apple store or Google Play and enjoy!
Sign up for the latest news and must-read features from Stylist, so you don’t miss out on the conversation.
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.