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Stress and Hair Loss In Women

Stress and hair loss seem to go hand in hand when a woman suffers from a genetic baldness pattern.  The number of women, who suffer from stress and hair loss, is growing.  Five out of twenty will be affected by female genetic hair loss. 

Stress seems to play a part in the rising number of women with common baldness patterns.  The stress caused by illness, surgery or lifestyle can cause a hair loss problem for women.  Stress levels are higher for women who have to juggle a job and family. 

Effects Of Stress On Feminine Hormones

Chronic or acute stress can play havoc with a woman’s hormone levels.  Women have some levels of testosterone, a masculine hormone, in their body.  If chronic or acute stress have reduced the levels of estrogen greatly, the male hormone, testosterone, can affect the body, particularly when the gene for baldness runs in the family. 

The genetic predisposition of a woman is affected by the baldness genes that may be carried by her parents.  If both parents of a woman with low estrogen levels have the baldness gene, it is more likely that a woman may suffer from hair loss caused by stress.  If only one parent carries the baldness pattern gene, a woman has some chance of developing a common baldness syndrome, although it may not be as drastic as the baldness that could occur to her male relatives. 

When a woman does experience a common baldness syndrome, it usually will happen more slowly than the rate of speed at which a man may lose his hair from the same syndrome.  This is because the estrogen levels slow the hair loss process. 

Testosterone and Estrogen

When a woman suffers from stress and hair loss, it does not mean that the testosterone levels in a woman’s body have not increased.  It is believed that the hair loss occurs because there is not enough of the feminine hormone, estrogen, to prevent the influence of the male hormone, testosterone, on a woman’s body and hair.  It is in this way that the syndrome of common baldness, which is usually considered male pattern baldness, can happen to women. 

Stress and hair loss in women can be a terrible combination.  The hair loss can even cause a woman’s stress levels to go up.  Stress and hair loss, that is cause by stress, can be treated effectively when the cause of the stress is dealt with in an effective manner.