Easy Home Remedies for Hair Fall from Stress

Losing a few strands of hair every day is completely natural. However, losing more than usual is a cause for worry. This ‘worry’ further adds to the stress you may be under, which is a major reason for hair loss. To help you combat it, we have listed a few simple home remedies for hair fall.First, let’s look at the link between stress and hair fall.

How does stress lead to hair fall problems?

Hair fall can be related to anxiety or emotional stress. Usually, there is a gap of 3 months between the period of hair falling out and the stressful event. The problem typically lasts for as long as you are going through the stressful phase unless there is some other underlying cause for hair loss.

During this phase, the hair on your scalp is in the ‘resting stage’. This means, the hair follicles are temporarily dead and hair stops growing. However, the usual pattern of hair growth returns to normal a couple of months after your stress levels go down to normal. When you are anxious or stressed, the body produces the ‘fight or flight response’ – it secretes hormones to prepare itself to fight off anything that it perceives as a potential threat. The changes in your hormone levels affect your body, including the growth pattern of the hair follicles on the scalp.

Types of stress-induced hair fall

Three types of hair fall can result from stress.

Telogen effluvium

This occurs when there is a change in the number of hair follicles that are growing hair. If the change happens during the resting stage of hair growth, you may notice considerable shedding or thinning of hair in patches, particularly at the centre of your scalp.

Alopecia areata

This is an autoimmune condition where your immune system attacks the hair follicles. You may lose patches of hair on particular sections of the scalp or across the entire scalp. A more severe form of this condition causes hair to fall out of the whole body.

Trichotillomania

This refers to a hair-pulling disorder, characterized by an urge to pull out hair from the scalp or other body parts. You may notice that hair pulling occurs without much thought, especially when you are distracted or bored. It may also be intentional and can be used as a means to relieve stress.Worrying about hair fall can be a vicious cycle. People often get anxious about losing a huge volume of hair, which in turn, increases stress levels and cause more hair to fall out.

Tips to reduce stress to prevent hair fall

If you are losing hair due to stress or anxiety, you can follow these tips to keep your stress levels under control –

• Aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night
• Drink plenty of water and eat healthy
• Avoid consumption of excess caffeine or sugar
• Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption
• Exercise regularly
• Practice meditation and yoga

Few home remedies for hair fall

In addition to the above measures, there are a few home remedies for hair fall regardless of its cause. These natural home remedies can help prevent hair fall by nourishing the scalp and hair follicles –

• Take some aloe vera gel and gently massage it onto the scalp with fingertips for about 5-7 minutes before washing off.
• Form a smooth mixture using olive oil or coconut oil and egg and apply it on the scalp and along the length of your hair. Leave it on for about half an hour. Wash it off with cool water after shampoo.
• Add 2 teaspoon of lime juice and amla powder to prepare a smooth mixture. Apply the mixture on your scalp and hair from the roots to the tips. Leave it on until it dries. Rinse off with shampoo and cool water.

Conclusion

If hair loss is stress-induced, work towards reducing your stress levels and take good care of your health.