It might sound like a cop out to say that excessive stress and/or an inability to deal effectively with stress could be the cause of your hair loss - but it’s true.
Women who are stressed are 11 times more likely to develop hair loss during their lifetime than those who are not stressed (https://journals.sagepub.com/…/a…/10.2466/pr0.1998.82.3.1044)
Unfortunately reducing our stress isn’t always possible; but improving the way we deal with it is.
Let's start off by looking at some simple lifestyle modifications that can have a dramatic impact on stress reduction and, in turn stress induced hair loss. ✨Magnesium/Epsom salt baths or foot soaks ✨Herbal teas - chamomile, licorice, lemonbalm ✨When you wake up each morning set your intention for the day - e.g. today I will be calm, centred and energised ✨Journalling - scribble down all the negative thoughts racing around in your head and burn them or tear them up into tiny pieces ✨Gentle exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga - try to avoid anything too hard core if you’re already feeling stressed and tired as you may end up putting too much pressure on your Adrenals which will make things worse ✨Minimise caffeine consumption as this too can deplete your adrenals making stress worse ✨Meditation, there are so many great meditations available online and apps such as Calm; find the right one for you ✨Get 8 hours of sleep every night - brush your teeth, have a shower and climb straight into bed without checking your phone etc. ✨Daily Earthing/Grounding - get outside, barefoot to reconnect with the Earth and with the present ✨Burn essential oils such as lavender, bergamot, geranium or rose ✨Get a massage - if you’re feeling stressed out your muscle will be feeling it too ✨✨And, stop being so damn hard on yourself all the time! You’re doing great…Really.
Making dietary changes is often an important step in reducing the negative impacts of stress. Focus on consuming foods high in
✨Magnesium (nuts and seeds, berries, spinach, passionfruit, banana)
✨B Vitamins (silverbeet, eggplant, nuts and seeds, salmon, anchovies)
✨Vitamin C (berries, citrus, chillies)
✨Zinc (seafood, Brazil nuts, cashews, eggs, turkey, tahini, mushrooms)
✨Tryptophan (spirulina, oats, eggs, nuts and seeds)
Sometimes (or most of the time for my clients) it takes more than dietary and lifestyle modifications to deal with stress and stress associated acne. Herbal and nutritional supplements and alternative therapies such as Chakra Balancing and Australian Bush Flower Essences are fantastic additional tools for those of us who need extra support.
Want more information? Get in touch!
