Understanding Stress-Induced Hair Loss: What You Need to Know

Hair loss can be frustrating, emotional, and even alarming — especially when it seems to come out of nowhere. If you’ve been experiencing thinning hair or excessive shedding lately, stress might be the culprit.

Let’s break down how stress affects your hair, what to look out for, and what you can do to restore both your hair health and your peace of mind.

What Is Stress-Induced Hair Loss?

Stress-induced hair loss, also known as telogen effluvium, occurs when significant physical or emotional stress pushes a large number of hair follicles into a resting phase (called the telogen phase). A few weeks or months later, those hairs start to fall out, often all at once, leading to noticeable shedding.

This condition is usually temporary and doesn’t lead to permanent baldness.

Common Triggers of Stress-Related Hair Loss

Telogen effluvium can be triggered by a wide range of stressors, including:

• Emotional stress: Anxiety, depression, grief, or major life changes (divorce, job loss).

• Physical stress: Illness, surgery, high fever, or childbirth.

• Nutritional deficiencies: Poor diet or sudden weight loss.

• Medications or medical treatments: Especially chemotherapy, but also some antidepressants, blood pressure meds, and others.

Hair loss typically begins 2–3 months after the stressful event — making it easy to overlook the connection.

What Does It Look Like?

Patients with stress-induced hair loss often report:

• Increased hair shedding when brushing, washing, or waking up.

• Hair coming out in clumps or leaving noticeable strands on pillows or clothes.

• Thinning all over the scalp rather than patchy bald spots.

• Hair appearing less dense or more sparse, especially around the crown.

The good news? In most cases, hair will grow back once the stressor is managed and the hair cycle resets.

Other Types of Stress-Related Hair Loss

While telogen effluvium is the most common, there are a few other ways stress can affect your hair:

• Alopecia areata: An autoimmune condition where stress may trigger the immune system to attack hair follicles, causing patchy bald spots.

• Trichotillomania: A psychological condition where individuals feel compelled to pull out their own hair due to stress or anxiety.

If you're unsure which type of hair loss you're experiencing, a mental health and medical evaluation is the best way to determine the cause and appropriate treatment. Schedule a consultation at Sewell PsycHAIRatry today.