Why Do I Lose My Hair When I'm Stressed?

There are times people may pull fistfuls of hair out while in the shower. Don't panic—you're not balding. It's likely due to simply to the life cycle of your hair.

In short, your hair grows until it doesn't, at which point it falls out.

The growth phase of hair on our head can last anywhere from two to six years, which is why our hair can get so long. Our eyelashes hairs growth phase is much shorter—about 30 days. After the growth phase, the hair on our head enters the catagen phase, in which the hair follicle shrinks some. Then the hair hangs out for a while until it simply falls out.

This process is constant, and it's absolutely normal for someone to lose 50-100 hairs daily. That compares with the 90,000 to 150,000 total hairs on your head.

Scientists believe stress disrupts this natural process, causing hairs to drop prematurely during their normal growth period. All the hair reaches the resting phase together and fall out together rather than approaching and staying in the resting phase at their own pace. This effect has been shown in mice.

It isn't totally clear what sends the hairs into resting phase, but it's possible that our body's stress hormones or neurotransmitters are to blame.

Similar to the delay between when a hair no longer grows and when we lose it from our head, there is also a delay after a stressful even before we experience the hair loss. Typically, this delay is about three months for people. When you notice you're losing more than the normal amount of hair, think back to three months ago. Was work especially stressful? Did you undergo a surgery or experience a financial setback?

Hair loss is also common for women after giving birth. Scientists believe this hair loss is hormone related. Women have higher levels of hormones during pregnancy, which can prevent the regular hair loss. After they give birth and their hormones decrease, their hair lets go. Giving birth is also a stressful event on the body as well as an emotional one.