Leading a high-profile life in this day and age brings with it stress in so many forms, so imagine if you’re Kim Kardashian West: You’re a media personality, model, and businesswoman, among many other titles. You’ve been on an iconic reality show for no less than 20 seasons, which has exposed you to more stress and negativity than you’ve ever imagined, including a robbery at gunpoint and more flack from internet haters and trolls than one person should experience in a lifetime. Your husband decides to run for president, which brings more stress and harsh criticism from all sides. All of your family drama plays out in the media, where anyone can watch, and which includes report after report on your marriage ending. This all occurs, of course, while you are raising four children.
It is no surprise, then, when all that stress builds up, and the end result is something no woman wants to be confronted with: stress-related hair loss. This is something we’ve seen from Kim Kardashian over the years, with friends and well-wishers worrying that the reality star is losing all of her hair.
So let’s take a look at stress-related hair loss and see what can be done about this aggravating condition.
What Is Stress Related Hair Loss?
Hair growth happens in ongoing phases. Normally, hair grows, then enters a resting (telogen) phase, then after a time it will be shed, only to be replaced by new hair. Growing and shedding are a part of the normal life span of hair – in fact, humans can lose about one hundred strands of hair a day!
However, major stress can signal your body to shift approximately 30% of hair into the resting phase, and then shedding phase, due to a condition call Telogen Effluvium. This shifts the normal amount of hair loss you can experience from one hundred strands of hair a day to a whopping three hundred. Those effected may notice a startling amount of hair in the sink after a normal brushing. It’s easy to understand how upsetting this sudden loss of hair can be.
This type of hair loss is normally seen in patches, or bald spots, particularly around the middle of the scalp or top of your head. Telogen Effluvium normally doesn’t cause total hair loss. It is a common type of hair loss which both men and women can experience.
Please note that other, major traumas to your body can cause Telogen Effluvium, such as surgery, illness, drastic weight loss, sudden changes to diet, fluctuating hormones, thyroid conditions, and some medications.
Is Stress Related Hair Loss Permanent?
While Telogen Effluvium can become a chronic condition in some cases, the good news for those affected is that the hair loss is not permanent – indeed this type of hair loss is absolutely reversible, with the hair follicle not having sustained any permanent damage. Your hair actually starts growing again once it falls out, but it may be a few months before you notice your hair returning to its original fullness.
The initial cause of the hair loss is, of course, paramount in determining how long the hair loss will last. If stress caused you to develop the Telogen Effluvium to begin with, then you may need to incorporate a stress management plan into your overall recovery. Keep in mind, though, that as hair can remain in the telogen phase for a couple of months, you may actually experience the hair loss two to four months later – a reminder of the lasting effects of stress on your body.
Diagnosis of telogen effluvium is done through a review of your medical history and an examination of your hair and scalp. Your doctor will likely give a gentle tug on a tiny portion of your hair to see how much hair the scalp will shed. A visual examine of the hair that has been shed can also signal to your doctor whether or not your hair is in the telogen phase, an essential determining factor in the diagnosis of telogen effluvium.
Diagnosis of telogen effluvium may also involve other diagnostic tests, such as blood tests that will check for thyroid conditions or other issues that could contribute to hair loss.
Treatments for Telogen Effluvium
Treatments for Telogen Effluvium include topical minoxidil, which is an over-the-counter medication available at most drugstores. Minoxidil is a hair loss treatment that comes in various forms – cream, spray and foams. It is typically applied to the scalp once or twice a day. You will notice that there are types of minoxidil specifically formulated for men and women. Keep in mind that it could take a few months after you start using minoxidil before you start to notice results.
One homemade remedy for this and other types of hair loss is to use castor oil on your scalp. Please note, though, that although you may hear word of mouth praises for this type of treatment, results have not been confirmed or verified with laboratory testing.
Our Products
If you are experiencing the type of hair loss seen with Telogen Effluvium, and you’ve been told it may be months before you see significant results in the journey to regaining the full body of your hair, there are a couple of shining stars on the horizon.
The first is our high-performance, hair stimulating shampoo called Revita.
Revita is packed with compounds that are key to stimulating faster hair growth and new hair growth after you’ve suffered hair loss from a condition like Telogen Effluvium. The compounds include dihydrotestosterone blockers (DHT blockers), caffeine, and ketoconazole. It also contains biotin, which is a key nutrient for hair growth. Revita starts acting on your hair from the first use. Revita not only stimulates new hair growth, but it also aids in maintaining scalp health, which will protect against further hair loss, and it can be used on all hair types.
Spectral.F7 is another powerful weapon in the fight against stress-related hair loss. Spectral.F7 is a breakthrough hair-boosting formula that utilizes Astressin-B, a potent peptide that nourishes hair with 33 amino acids, to stop stress-related hair loss. Spectral.F7 also contains Proharin-B4, which revitalizes hair, leaving it healthier and stronger. The beauty of this gentle, water-based formula is that it not only can be used with treatments like Minoxidil and Nanoxidil, but it also boosts the effectiveness of these treatments.
Both Revita and Spectral.F7 are proven formulas that are essential in the fight against stress-related hair loss.