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New Report Says Stress Can Cause Hair Loss in Men

It turns out that the long-held belief that bald men are simply victims is only partially true. A new study by Dove Men+Care Hair confirms there are things men can do to prevent hair loss, and according to 90 percent of the hundreds of dermatologists polled, they don’t even know it. According to the American Hair Loss Association, by the age of 35, two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss, and by the age of 50, approximately 85 percent of men have significantly thinning hair.

“Male pattern hair loss is mainly genetic and hormonal,” confirms Matthew Gass, spokesman for the British Association of Dermatologists. That said, lifestyle factors do contribute to hair loss, with the biggest one being stress — but not the kind you think. The vast majority of dermatologists consulted for the Dove study say that physical and environmental stresses are also to blame for hair fall. Related: Here’s What Fatherhood Looks Like When Men Get Generous Paternity Leave According to the study, these stressors include combing (75 percent), heat styling tools (66 percent), overstyling (60 percent) and pulling (57 percent).

In other words, typical components of everyday life. To demonstrate how life’s ups and downs can cause hair loss, Dove Men+Care released a video starring professional skateboarder Andy Shrock, who is seen swimming, playing sports, roughhousing with the family dog, and having his hair playfully pulled by his young son — ordinary activities that can slowly damage hair follicles. “I would never tell my patients they need to stop swimming in pools or playing with their kids who tug on their hair, but there are simple ways to protect against these elements’ contribution to his hair fall,” said board-certified dermatologist Glynis Ablon in a press release from Dove.

The company claims its new Dove Men+Care Fortifying shampoo and conditioner will keep a man’s hair “stronger and more resilient.” There are also lifestyle changes a man can make to ensure his hair stays healthy — and stays put. “Eat well, and include plenty of biotin and B complexes in the diet,” says Sharon Wong, consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokeswoman. She recommends plenty of green leafy vegetables, eggs, protein-rich foods, soy, and fish, which contains omega 3 oils. “Avoid overstyling especially using products that contain heavy fragrances, which can cause scalp irritation and are wax-based, which can block the hair follicles, adds Wong.

Another interesting piece of advice? “Avoid too much meat,” Wong says. Gass adds: “Hair loss can cause psychological distress. If you feel hair loss is affecting you in this way then you should talk to your general practitioner about it.” He confirms that one important element balding men often overlook is the sun. “If you are losing your hair it is very important to protect your scalp from sun damage with either a hat or with a minimum of SPF 30 sunscreen.” In the Dove study, 49 percent of dermatologists agree that UV rays can affect hair loss. And, yes, psychological and emotional stress can play a role in hair shedding too. “De-stress through regular exercise and meditation,” Wong recommends.

Is the gym making you bald? Weight-lifting and protein shakes rich in growth hormones 'speed-up hair-thinning process'

Men who actively keep fit may be inadvertently speeding-up hair loss.

According to experts, weight-lifting in the gym may play a key role in a man's receding mane - especially if combined with the consumption of popular protein powders.

The theory is based on the belief that, when combined, these two factors increase the body's testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, which are considered key causes of baldness.

Although naturally-produced, DHT - which is a converted version of testosterone - quickly attaches itself to a man's hair strand's receptor cells, blocking the absorption of essential nutrients.

Over time, this gradually causes the follicles to shrink and the hair to wither until it eventually dies.

Thus, by fitness fanatics increasing their exposure to DHI, gym-goers are also risking an earlier on-set of shedding and loss.

Dr Thomy Kouremada-Zioga told the Daily Express: 'Protein shakes will very often contain growth hormones such as Creatine and DHEA, which not only increase muscle mass, but also increase testosterone levels in the bloodstream.

'Testosterone produces a chemical known as DHT, which actually contributes to baldness when the hair follicles become exposed to too much. Sadly, this is something that most men are unaware of, until they notice that their hair loss has already become more apparent.'

However, this can be side-stepped if people swap weights for cardio - and skip the shakes.

Additionally, the issue will only manifest if a person is already predisposed to male pattern baldness.

'It is important to distinguish between cause and effect here. Protein shakes do not cause hair loss,' Dr Kouremada-Zioga continued.

'They do, however, accelerate hair loss for those men who suffer with androgenetic hair loss or alternatively, those who are predisposed to balding, as many men are.'

HAIR LOSS HEARTBREAK: Women and men struggle with emotional toll of alopecia areata

Kyleen Joan Oswskey was 14 and living in Foxboro when she first noticed bald spots behind her ears.

Now 21 and living in Pine City, Minn., “I don’t have much hair left,” Oswskey said.

She has been dating for about a year, she said, but her boyfriend has yet to see her without her wig.

“I don’t even like to look at myself with no hair,” Oswskey said. “It’s really heartbreaking to a girl not to have hair.”

Oswskey has alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease in which the individual’s white blood cells attack his or her hair follicles.

“Your autoimmune system is designed to flush out anything harmful to your body,” said Gary Sherwood, spokesman for the California-based National Alopecia Areata Foundation. “Sometimes, it works too well.”

It’s often referred to simply as alopecia, Sherwood said. Technically, though, alopecia means any hair loss. It can include male pattern baldness.

‘ALL MY HAIR CAME OUT’

Though more specific, alopecia areata affects more people than you might think: about 2.1 percent of the population, Sherwood said. About 6.6 million Americans have, have had or will have the disease, he said.

Among them is Cheryl Johnson, 55, a barber’s daughter who lives in western Duluth.

Johnson first developed what she calls pinpoint bald spots when she was a child. They weren’t really noticeable, she said.

That changed when she was in her early 30s.

“In 1993, I think it was, all my hair came out,” she said. “It was probably over the course of seven months. I would sit on the couch and run my fingers through my hair, and by the end of the night I’d have a pile of hair next to me.”

EARLY COMB-OVER

It doesn’t affect only females. Tyrone Folliard-Olson, a lawyer who lives in Northeast Minneapolis, said his barber first noticed he had a quarter-sized bald spot when he was 13.

It was bigger the next time.

“We decided to go to the doctor and have it checked out,” Folliard-Olson related.

The doctor suspected alopecia areata, and a dermatologist confirmed it.

As an adolescent, Folliard-Olson could compensate for the condition. He jokes that he has had a comb-over since he was 13. But that came to an end when he was in his early 20s.

“My first year of law school, in my early 20s, my hair started falling out a lot more,” said Folliard-Olson, who volunteers as a legislative liaison for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. “I got so many bald spots I wasn’t able to cover them with the hair I had. I had my head shaved for the first time ever. It was about the most freeing thing that I’ve gone through in my entire life.”

ADOLESCENT ANGST

It seems to affect males and females about equally, Sherwood said, and can show up at virtually any age — even in toddlers. The youngest children tend not to be bothered by it, he said, and their friends get used to it, too.

“Where it really starts to become a problem is, let’s say you’re in junior high or high school … (and) on top of all the pressure, now your hair falls out,” he said.

At that age, Sherwood said, it can be as hard for boys to deal with as girls.

Dr. Lynne Goldberg, a dermatologist who is a professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, often sees patients with the disease.

“Some of these visits, when it’s first happening, are some of the most difficult patient visits,” said Goldberg, who also directs the Hair Clinic at Boston Medical Center. “It’s distressing for the patients. They look in a mirror, and they don’t recognize themselves. It often requires counseling.”

Although having alopecia areata doesn’t threaten one’s physical health, it can be harmful in other ways, Folliard-Olson said.

“Yes, it is a physical condition, but that’s not the difficult part,” he said. “It really is the psychological and the emotional toll it takes on people.”

STRESS AND HAIR LOSS

Oswskey said it was distressing in her teenage years. Other girls at Superior High School picked on her, she said.

She was threatened via text messaging, phone calls and Facebook, Oswskey said, and she thinks the stress accelerated her hair loss. Her mother pulled her out of school during her sophomore year, she said.

Goldberg said she thinks stress can be a trigger for hair loss. “There are definitely precipitating events: emotional events, physical events, hospitalizations, too,” she said.

The cause is unknown, but there appears to be a genetic component, Goldberg said.

Esther Peterson, 80, of Cloquet said she believes her sudden hair loss resulted from a new medication she started using about five months ago.

“I was kind of losing my hair a little bit over the years,” Peterson said.

But less than a month after she started taking the medication, she said, her hair loss was noticeable to her hairdresser.

“It went on and on and on,” Peterson said. “Now there are just a few strands on top and some fuzzy stuff on the side.”

‘MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TREATMENTS’

There are no FDA-approved drugs for alopecia areata, Goldberg said, but there are treatments. What’s used depends largely on the extent of the hair loss and the age of the patient, she said. Steroids often are the treatment of choice — typically topical agents applied to the scalp for children and injections for adults.

“All of us who have had alopecia for any number of years have tried multiple different treatments,” Folliard-Olson said.

He adapted to the shaved-head look, Folliard-Olson said, but didn’t like it when his eyebrows and eyelashes started falling out. To fight that, he submits to monthly steroid injections in his eyebrows by a dermatologist, to some effect.

“I would say I have patchy eyebrows at best,” he said.

Oswskey said she tried a steroid cream when she was younger, but it didn’t work for her.

WIGS, SCARVES, HATS

For many female patients, coping with alopecia areata includes shopping for a wig.

That can be a time-consuming process, Goldberg said, so it’s a good idea to start early.

“I’ll try to counsel them on looking for wigs before they can’t leave the house,” she said.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation has a fund with which to help people who can’t afford wigs, Sherwood said. But not everyone wants to choose that route.

“A lot of people will go with wigs,” he said. “Some people will go with scarves. Some, hats. Some will go au naturel.”

Peterson said she already had a wig, but will wear a cap at home. Johnson has a wig but often chooses to wear a scarf, she said.

Oswskey, who works as a personal care assistant and is studying to be a veterinary technician,  said it’s hard for her to go out in public with her wig on. So she plans to get a nonsurgical hair replacement from Hair Club. But it costs $2,000 to join plus a $300 monthly fee, she said, and isn’t covered by insurance, so she’s saving her money.

That works for some people, Goldberg said.

“I’ve had patients who are happy with the Hair Club,” she said. “I’ve had patients who are very dissatisfied. … It can be helpful and a good service, but it’s very expensive.”

LESSON IN EMPATHY

Although as a legislative liaison Folliard-Olson advocates for spending research dollars on alopecia areata, he said he actually has become grateful that he has the disease.

“Alopecia areata has taught me at a young age to have a great sense of empathy for people who are going through difficult times in their lives,” he said.

Johnson also appears to be reconciled to the condition.

She recalled that she lived in Germany when her hair first was falling out, and she remembered another woman at church offering to pray for her.

She explained to the other woman that she had alopecia, not cancer, but she would appreciate prayer anyway.

Several years later, Johnson said, she was living in Washington state when a neighbor approached her about a friend who had alopecia, asking if Johnson would talk to her friend.

They met at a church, and Johnson saw that it was the woman who had offered to pray for her in Germany.

“Her husband, her son were all like: Mom, it’s fine; your hair isn’t who you are. We love you,” Johnson recalled. “I told her: God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle. The hard part is when you’re not willing to embrace it. Just embrace it and trust God.”

Oswskey said it’s a hard thing to live with because people are so judgmental. But she works to cope with it.

“I just try to live my life and think positive,” she said. “If someone has it (alopecia), they shouldn’t be ashamed because a lot of people do have it (and other people) wouldn’t know it.”

SIDEBAR: Female hair loss not uncommon

Female hair loss is a “fairly common complaint,” a Duluth physician said.

“Half of women claim some hair loss, usually after 50 to 60,” said Dr. Addie Licari, a family doctor at St. Luke’s P.S. Rudie Medical Clinic. “It’s not as visible as male pattern hair loss. It’s more the thinning of the hair.”

When hair loss occurs in younger women, it’s more likely to have specific causes, Licari said. Those can include physical or mental stress, having surgery or vitamin deficiencies.

Sometimes, women can be their own worst enemies.

“Washing hair multiple times through the day, styling, pulling on hair for a different hairstyle,” Licari explained. “We see a lot of patients who have concurrent anxiety disorders.”

A specific condition, she said, is trichotillomania, a neurotic pulling out of one’s hair. Certain areas are more commonly targeted, Licari said, such as the back of the neck and the eyebrows.

In many cases, the best prescription for hair loss in younger women is patience, Licari said.

It takes two to eight months after a hair follicle falls out to grow back to full strength, she said.

“If there’s no external cause, it’s really just time,” she said. “Making sure you’re eating and drinking well. Getting plenty of sleep. Reducing stress.”

She also suggests washing one’s hair every other day or even every third day instead of every day, and using fewer styling products.

That can be a hard sell, but it allows your hair to rest and develop its own more natural lubrication, Licari said.

And the numbers, she said, are on her side.

 “We lose about 50 to 100 hairs a day,” Licari said. “If you wash your hair, 250.”

Licari said we have approximately 90,000 to 150,000 hairs on our head.

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9 Sneaky Hair Loss Culprits

9 Sneaky Hair Loss Culprits
By Rachel Bender

If you’re noticing more hair circling your shower drain than you’re comfortable with, you may be shedding more than the typical 50 to 100 strands per day. Certain surprising factors, from not wearing a sunhat to losing more than 15 pounds, can trigger hair to fall out faster.

You’re on a crash DIET

Your body needs HEALTHY FOODS to thrive. When you don’t get your necessary nutrients — particularly, iron, zinc, and biotin, which play important roles in hair growth, as well as protein — alarm bells go off.

“Nutrients that allow the hair to grow are sensed by stem cells [in the hair follicle],” Anthony Oro, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology at Stanford School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Health. “These stem cells are surrounded by little fat cells that monitor the energy and metabolism of your body. If the nutrients are not there, they shut down [hair] production.”

Eating a healthy, BALANCED diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, can get things back up and running again. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re getting enough of the nutrients your hair needs, such as iron, as well as ruling out iron-deficiency anemia. Your dermatologist or primary care physician can check your iron levels. If they’re low, your DOCTOR can recommend iron-rich foods, such as lentils, pumpkin seeds, and spinach, and in some cases, an iron supplement.

You don’t WEAR sunhats

The sun’s UV rays don’t just accelerate skin aging and put you at higher risk for SKIN CANCER. They also damage the structure of hair follicles, making hair more fragile and likely to break off and fall out. Protect your locks by wearing a solid, wide-brimmed hat every time you step outside (even on cloudy days) or spritz on a hair sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays.

It’s in your genes

The most common cause of hair loss is hereditary thinning or baldness, affecting about 80 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). For women, the first sign is often a part that’s getting noticeably wider, which is caused by the hair thinning. Your DERMATOLOGIST can do a thorough exam and, if female pattern baldness is diagnosed, recommend medication such as topical minoxidil to stop hair loss from progressing.

You’re under a LOT of stress or recently experienced a traumatic event

Emotional and physical trauma such as going through a divorce, losing a loved one, or being in a car accident can speed up the hair’s growth cycle and increase the shedding phase, causing HAIR TO fall out faster. But this doesn’t happen right away. “If you have a stressful event now,” says Oro, “the hair follicle environment will sense it, note it, and you’ll see the effects one to three months later.” Once stress levels are back under control, your hair should return to its normal growth cycle.

Your hormone levels are out of whack

Both insufficient and excessive hormone levels, as well as the drop in estrogen that occurs around menopause, can lead to hair loss. Your physician can run a battery of tests to see what’s going on hormonally. By treating the health problem, such as in the case of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, hair loss can usually be halted or reversed, according to the AAD.

Your ponytail is too tight

Braids, cornrows, and ponytails that are too tight yank on your locks, leading to a type of HAIR LOSS that’s called traction alopecia. Try to avoid hairstyles that pull hair too tightly, or at least limit how often you wear them, and look for other styles that are gentler on the hair shaft.

There’s an autoimmune disease at play

In some cases, the immune system mistakenly identifies hair follicles as foreign entities and start attacking them, causing hair loss. The disease, called alopecia areata, tends to happen to people in their 50s and 60s, according to Oro. Those with a family history of autoimmune diseases, such as TYPE 1 DIABETES and rheumatoid arthritis, are also more likely to have it. “If someone is losing their hair and it’s associated with itching or burning, that can be a sign of autoimmune hair loss,” Oro says. “Often just by looking and doing a scalp exam the dermatologist can tell or we can take a little piece of skin, look at it under a microscope, and you can make a diagnosis.”

While there’s no cure for alopecia areata, there are medications that can help, such as anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and topical minoxidil to help promote hair growth.

You’ve lost a lot of weight

If you’ve dropped more than 15 pounds, the dramatic change in weight can be a shock to THE SYSTEM, triggering hair loss. You may notice some hair loss within three to six months after losing the weight, according to the AAD. As long as your body, including your hair, is getting the nutrients it needs, your body will adjust and your hair will eventually regrow.

You’re getting too much vitamin A

If a little is good for you, then more must be better, right? Not when it comes to vitamin A. Overdoing it, such as by taking supplements that exceed recommended amounts, can lead to hair loss, according to the AAD, as well as DIZZINESS, nausea, headaches and orange-tinted skin. For most adults ages 19 to 50, 700 micrograms for women and 900 micrograms for men is the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, and the upper limits of the vitamin for adults 19 and older is 10,000 IUs daily. The good news? Stopping vitamin A supplements reverses the problem.

Substance from honeybee hives may help with hair loss

Could honeybees help with human hair loss?acs.org

A substance from honeybee hives might contain clues for developing a potential new therapy for human baldness: a material called propolis that encouraged hair growth in mice.

Propolis is a resinlike material that honeybees use to seal small gaps in their hives. It works as a physical barrier – but also contains active compounds that fight fungal and bacterial invasions. People from ancient times had noticed propolis’ special properties and used it to treat tumors, inflammation and wounds. Research has also shown that the substance promotes the growth of certain cells involved in hair growth, though no one had yet tested whether that in turn would result in new locks.

When researcher Ken Kobayashi and colleagues tested propolis on mice that had been shaved or waxed, the mice that received the treatment regrew their fur faster than those that didn’t. The scientists also noticed that after the topical application, the number of special cells involved in the process of growing hair increased. Although they tried the material on mice that could grow fur, rather than balding mice, the researchers note that hair loss conditions often result from abnormal inflammation. Propolis contains anti-inflammatory compounds, so they expect it could help treat balding conditions.

They add that further testing is needed to see whether the beehive material affects human hair follicles. The study appears in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry .

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/01/11/4456979/substance-from-honeybee-hives.html#storylink=cpy