Stress leading to hair loss

Dear Marilyn

I have not been myself since the COVID lockdown. I have not looked after myself and I have put on weight. I have had very little social contact and now I notice that my hair is falling out even though it has not been coloured for months. I am very worried something serious is wrong with my metabolism and my hair.

Hi Debbie

You are not alone with the COVID stress. Thankfully help is available on many levels, but let us first deal with getting your weight gain under control and determine the reason for your hair loss. Weight gain around the torso and upper body can result in higher production of male hormones. This can cause scalp hair loss from the front and sides. Stress can trigger Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (under active thyroid gland) in people with a family history of this condition. This tends to cause loss of hair from the scalp evenly.

  • Weight Loss – Please phone or email the Cabot Clinic and ask to see a naturopath.
  • Hair Loss – Certain life events can alter the hair growth rhythm and the COVID stress and your weight gain combined, could cause 30%-40% of your hair cycle to go into what is known as a Telogen phase. Three months later, hairs fall out in a massive shedding (effluvium) especially near the front of the scalp.
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