Modern women prone to stress-induced hair loss, say experts

According to trichologists (hair and scalp experts), more than one third of young modern women aged just 25 to 35 are beginning to suffer from hair loss conditions caused by the stresses of modern life.

A high-profile example of this is Elin Nordegren, who admitted recently that the stress of finding out about golfing husband Tiger Woods’ numerous affairs caused her hair to fall out in clumps.

Speaking to the Daily Mail this week, hair transplant surgeon Dr Bessam Farjo said:

“Women are leading increasingly stressful lives, with pressures that didn’t exist for their forebears,”

“They are now having to maintain successful careers as well as fulfilling the role of wife, mother and homemaker. The body reacts to stress by producing more free radicals, which cause damage and, in some cases, hair falls out.”

Other reasons for hair loss in young women have been named as:

Hormonal changes following pregnancy
Genetics – Some people are pre-disposed to thinning hair, or even androgenic alopecia (female pattern baldness)
Poor diet – Experts say that protein and iron deficiencies could cause hair loss

Psychologist Linda Papadopoulos explains the effect female hair loss has on the self-esteem of stressed-out modern women, saying:

“In our culture, hair is bound up in notions of womanhood and sexual attractiveness,”