From stress to baldness: myth or reality?

Stress has a negative impact on mental and physical health. Depending on the causes, various symptoms can manifest themselves. In addition to the physical stress caused by excessive sport, competitive sport or serious illness, many people suffer from constant emotional stress in their family environment, partnership or at work. In addition, there are emotional warning signals such as nervousness, anxiety, irritability and listlessness. Those affected often lose themselves in daydreams and constant ruminations, make mistakes more frequently and have problems concentrating. Many men are not aware that constant stress is not only bad for their physical and mental health, but can also lead to hair loss. Scientists have long been investigating the question of what happens when the hair roots are put under stress. In a series of research studies, they used the body’s own hormones to cause natural stress. They found that these influenced the energy balance of the hair roots. If there are periods of permanent stress in which this situation persists, this promotes hair loss and baldness. During periods of high performance, the body releases more stress hormones. These change the body’s energy balance and reduce other functions such as the feeling of hunger in order to provide sufficient capacity for performance. In the long term, this has a negative effect, as natural regeneration is reduced to a minimum. This also affects the regenerative capacity of the hair roots.