Smoking is one of those insidious habits that almost no one plans to have. Usually, it starts because we think it makes us look cool or seem more grown up. Then it is an addiction that can impact both your money and your health.

But did you know that smoking can cause hair loss? Which often leads to another question that we are not as clear about – can vaping also cause hair loss?

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Hair loss is an issue that people in every nation around the world face. It affects people of all genders and ethnicities no matter where they live… but does it do so equally? Does belonging to one ethnic group or another come with increased or decreased risk of alopecia? We already know that there are differences across gender lines in the way hair loss presents, let’s take a look at what science knows about the influence of ethnicity.

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As time passes, our bodies change. While that may seem like an obvious statement, it is also true that scientists are not exactly sure why. What is known is that over time the mechanisms in our DNA which repair and restore will slowly fall into a decline.

As we get older, our hair – along with the rest of our body – also experiences changes. It can thin, fall out, change color, or even change texture in some cases. Understanding why and how to manage our hair as it changes along with us can help us navigate the stress of “aging gracefully.”

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Medical tourism is international travel whose primary purpose is receiving medical care. Sometimes this is because the procedure is less expensive than at home. Sometimes it is because the care involved is experimental and not available at home (with stem cell transplants being a good example).

Whatever the reason, medical tourism is a global, multibillion-dollar phenomenon that is projected to drastically increase over the next ten years. In fact, it has become so common that the American Medical Association has issued guidance for doctors whose patients have received medical care like this. Why? Because often patients who engage in medical tourism need follow-up care at home… especially if something went wrong.

As rocketing healthcare costs stateside cause more people to embrace medical tourism, the pros and cons bear examination. For those considering medical tourism for hair restoration procedures, the advantages are obvious – cheaper care, the ability to combine it with an overseas vacation, and so on. When making a decision of this magnitude, one should look at more than just the obvious.

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Our state of mind and mental health affect every part of our bodies. Those who experience stress, anxiety, or other psychological conditions are more likely to experience physical symptoms and side effects than those with higher levels of mental wellbeing. This even extends to the health of our hair. As Mental Health Awareness Month approaches, it’s a good time to examine the connection between mental health and hair loss.

Can Your Mental Health Affect Your Hair?

Your mental health has a significant impact on the health of your hair. Stress, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, OCD, and other psychological issues can contribute to excess shedding or permanent hair loss. As well as possibly triggering behaviors that have a negative effect on your hair.

In turn, hair loss – whether from mental health issues or some other cause – can lead to stress, anxiety, and decreased self-esteem. This creates a vicious cycle of counterproductive emotional and physical reactions that wreak havoc on your scalp.

Can Stress and Anxiety Damage Your Hair?

Stress and anxiety are primary causes of telogen effluvium – a type of excess shedding occurring when the hair’s growth cycle is disrupted by physical or emotional stressors. In telogen effluvium, larger than usual numbers of follicles are pushed into their resting phase. With increased shedding and slower regrowth, one’s hair appears significantly thinner. 

Mental illness, anxiety, and stress are also triggers for alopecia areata and other autoimmune responses that cause hair loss. Autoimmune hair loss occurs when the immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in excess hair fall and bald patches on the scalp or elsewhere on the body.

Stress may also cause individuals to develop behaviors that are detrimental to their hair and scalp. The most obvious of these is failing to care for one’s health. Inadequate sleep, lack of exercise, and poor diet multiply the effects of telogen effluvium and other types of stress-related hair loss. Stress may even cause sufferers to literally pull out their hair. Trichotillomania is a condition where an individual nervously pulls on a section of hair on their head, eyebrows, or other location on the body. If left unaddressed, it can cause permanent bald spots in the affected area.

Can Depression Mess with Your Hair?

Depression hair loss is similar to that of stress and anxiety. It may trigger telogen effluvium, hair-related autoimmune issues, and negative or hair-damaging behaviors. Additionally, some antidepressant medications have been implicated in excessive hair shedding and slow regrowth. Both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications and bupropion may cause or worsen telogen effluvium.

At Reef Hair, We Care for Your Hair While You Focus on Your Mental Health

Fortunately, many types of mental health related hair loss will grow back if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and address the root cause of the issue. This process can take months, but in the meantime, there are steps you can take to preserve your hair and stimulate its growth.

While you focus on your mental health, Reef Hair can protect your hair and maximize its growth with minimally invasive procedures like platelet rich plasma therapy and other hair preservation or replacement options. To learn how you can get slow or reverse hair loss and get a thicker, fuller head of hair… contact us today to set up a consultation. We look forward to guiding you on your hair replacement journey.

What happens in your body and in your mind has a powerful impact on the health of your hair. This is especially true in a common type of hair loss called telogen effluvium.

Telogen effluvium occurs when a physical or emotional stressor disrupts the hair’s growth cycle, forcing too many follicles into their non-productive resting phase. This results in hair loss in excess of the 50-100 strands an average person sheds each day.

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Aging, illness, injury, or years of overplucking can be unkind to our eyebrows – causing them to thin out or disappear completely. Eyebrows help to frame the face while adding shape, color, and symmetry. When they are too thin… we can look older, washed out, or even unexpressive! Especially now (when thick eyebrows are very much in fashion), we want our brows to look full and healthy.

Eyebrow transplants are a long-lasting, natural-looking alternative to cosmetics, tattoos, and other methods used to fill in thinning or missing eyebrows. While the procedure is more common among women, it is appropriate for men as well.

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It can be alarming to see loose hairs in your brush, around the shower drain, or on your pillowcase. You may wonder if you are losing your hair, or if you have a health issue.

Rest assured, losing some hair each day is a natural part of your hair’s growth cycle. Knowing what is and isn’t normal shedding can help you determine if you need to pay closer attention to what is happening with your hair and scalp.

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