As a mompreneur, I am intimately acquainted with stress. However, while doing the research for this blog, I learned much more about this foe! For starters, it's not a foe!
Stress is not the Enemy
Your stress response was actually designed to protect your body in an emergency by preparing you to react quickly. Stress triggers your body’s “fight or flight” response. Your heart races, your breath quickens, and your muscles ready for action.
The issue comes into play when we remain in this mode for too long. We can then become plagued by:
- headaches
- depression
- insomnia
- heartburn
- weakened immune system
- infertility
- and yes, hair and scalp issues!
The Effect of Stress on your Hair
It's commonly known that stress can contribute to hair loss. What I did not know, however, is that this manifestation is delayed due to the nature of our hair's growth cycle. What this means is that a stressful event that occurs today might lead to hair loss that is evident 6-12 weeks from now! You might not even be stressed when your hair starts shedding uncontrollably and could be at a total loss as to why you are losing your hair! However, there are factors that you can observe almost immediately that will let you know if your stressful lifestyle is affecting your locks:
- Itchy, flaky scalp - Stress causes an imbalance in your hormone levels, which disrupts the micro-flora of the scalp.
- Increased oiliness - Stress heightens your androgen (male hormone) levels, which in turn can increase your scalp’s production of oils.
As far as stress-related hair loss is concerned, what I found interesting is that the main culprit lies with our nutrition during these stressful times. Some of us tend to reach for comfort foods while others of us lose our appetites altogether - both of these extremes can result in depriving our bodies of vital nutrients necessary for scalp and natural hair health.
- Stay vigilant for sudden itchiness, flakiness, or oiliness, as these may be signs of your hair and scalp being affected by a stressful lifestyle.
- If you're experiencing stress or anticipate a stressful period ahead, consider enhancing your diet to support your hair health. If dietary improvements aren't feasible, supplementing with vitamins can help bridge any nutritional gaps.
- Allocate a few minutes each day for yoga or meditation. Yoga enhances your ability to calm your mind, improve focus, and alleviate stress. Likewise, meditation induces deep relaxation and tranquility.
- Make exercise a regular part of your routine. Physical activity reduces stress hormones and stimulates the release of endorphins, contributing to overall relaxation
I hope that this blog helped to shed a little light on how stress affects our bodies, including our hair! How do you guys manage stress?
I placed an order to have shipped to my shop and before I received my order, because of Covid, I had to close the shop. My order could not be delivered and it was sent back to you. Also, the PO slip says the name on it is C. Leach who is my sister(?). Could you please redeliver it to Dana Gardin….3356 Fisher Road, Roseburg, Oregon 97491. Thank you so much. I didn’t know how to get ahold of you and when I saw this space, I went for it! Please let me know if you are resending it, because I’m very anxious to try your product.