Stress is a phenomenon that we encounter everyday. From your work commute to deadlines and responsibilities at home, a day rarely goes by without having feelings of stress. However, stress does not only come from external sources. Stressors are actually present within the body! Healthy levels of stress act like a fuel that boosts processes within the body. Chronic stress, however, can cause more damage than good. This damage does not only affect your emotional well-being, but it can also affect the regulatory processes that keep your body strong and healthy. As such, stress within the body can cause you to experience hair loss. The tricky part is that this can happen even when you feel emotionally well and mentally calm! In this blog post, we will help you discover three different stressors in the body that can trigger hair loss.
How Stress Affects Hair Growth
Your hair is considered as your crowning glory. Not only is it most abundant in the highest part of the body, but it is also one of the first features that people around you will see. Each strand of hair has two structural components: the hair shaft and hair follicle. The hair shaft is found above the most superficial layer of your skin and is considered a non-living structure. This may be the reason why a lot of people think that hair is dead. While partly correct, the major part of your hair is actually under the skin: your hair follicles. Your hair undergoes a natural cycle, where it grows and sheds. This cycle is regulated by multiple factors and processes within the body. The primary structure needed for this cycle to happen is the hair follicle, which is important in regulating temperature and sensing the environment.1 Hair loss happens when your hair follicles are damaged by stress, hormonal problems, or unregulated inflammation, which affect the balance between the growth and shedding of hair.1
Hidden Stressor #1: High Cortisol Levels
Stress signals your adrenal glands to synthesize cholesterol, which plays a major role in regulating processes within the body. This hormone is regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which consists of corticotropin-releasing hormones (CRH) produced by the hypothalamus and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary gland. Cortisol, in high amounts, can affect the formation and breakdown of proteins that regulate the activities of your hair follicles.2 These special proteins, known as proteoglycans, are essential in nurturing the abilities of your hair follicles to facilitate the natural cycle of hair growth and shedding. Additionally, the elongation of your hair shaft, which is important in maintaining long and strong hair strands, can be inhibited by the activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which happens in response to stress.
Naturopathic Solution
A counterregulatory chemical that can help counteract the effects of cortisol in the body is y-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This powerful chemical that is naturally present in the body helps minimize the secretion of CRH, thereby preventing hormonal changes and hair follicle damage associated with high levels of cortisol. The good news is nature is also rich in GABA! Natural sources of this essential chemical includes fermented milk products, barley, beans, and even brown rice!3 Additionally, supplements rich in vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, and the mineral lithium can help promote the production of GABA in the body.3 Interestingly, yoga has been shown to nurture the concentration of GABA in the brain, helping to regulate stress levels and prevent the consequences of too much cortisol to the body (especially to your hair).
Hidden Stressor #2: Gut Inflammation
Inflammation in the gastrointestinal system caused by dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, can affect the absorption of nutrients from the food you eat. Once your body is unable to properly absorb essential nutrients for hair growth, thinning and eventually hair loss can ensue. To learn more about the importance of nurturing your intestinal lining, we have the perfect blog post for you!
Naturopathic Solution
Becoming conscious of the food you eat is the first step in preventing the development of inflammation that can lead to hair loss. Optimizing your food choices and incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your meals can help nurture the balance that nurtures the overall health of your gut. Probiotics are good adjuncts to achieve your goal. Specifically, Lactobacillus reuteri, helps nurture the growth phase of your hair and increase the number of hair follicles leading to thick and silky hair strands.4 This wonderful probiotic also prevents inflammation by promoting the effects of anti-inflammatory modulators that are naturally present in the body.
Hidden Stressor #3: Unaddressed Nutrient Deficiencies
A major source of stress that comes from within happens when your body is not able to receive key vitamins and minerals it needs to function optimally. These nutrients act as raw materials that help nourish and nurture growth and function. Because your hair follicles act as tiny factories that produce and grow strands of hair, they need these raw materials to actually get their job done! Once these essential factors are missing or lacking, production and growth will eventually be suboptimal or even completely stop. Iron, zinc, biotin, and vitamin B12 make up a great bulk of these raw materials and optimal levels of these nutrients should be maintained to nurture hair production and growth.
Naturopathic Solution
Nurturing adequate levels of essential nutrients in the body is the single best step to prevent this hidden stressor. This can be done through incorporating ingredients that are rich in vitamins and minerals to your meals, such as green-leafy vegetables and seeds. Additionally, supplements containing iron, zinc, biotin, and vitamin B12 can help boost the levels of these nutrients in the body!
It is important to remember that supplements are only adjuncts to nurture optimal levels of specific nutrients in the body and should not be used as a primary source to gain these nutrients. Ultimately, natural, whole foods are your best source of nutrients. That being said, taking a blood test that screens for nutrient deficiencies under the guidance of your healthcare provider can help identify which nutrient needs supplementation and support. The unmonitored use of supplements can lead to health risks and harm your hair.5 Specifically, the oversupplementation of vitamin A, vitamin E, and selenium can cause hair loss!5 The Naturopathic Approach
The health of your hair reflects balance within. Disruptions in this balance caused by external and internal stressors can affect the natural hair growth cycle, leading to hair loss and unhealthy hair. At Natural Path to Wellness, your team of naturopathic medicine advisors will help you discover the best natural options that support the natural growth of your hair through optimizing nutrition, supplementation, and mind-body techniques. Talk to us today!
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your licensed naturopathic physician or other licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your medications or supplements. Disclosures & Policies: This and other blog posts may contain affiliate links. Please view our disclosures page for more information. REFERENCES:
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THE BLOG AT NATURAL PATH TO WELLNESSAuthorSNatural Path to Wellness values community education and welcomes contributions from writers with a background in Naturopathic Medicine, natural health and wellness, herbalism, homeopathy, Nature Cure, and more. Disclosures & Policies: This and other blog posts may contain affiliate links. Please view our disclosures page for more information.
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