Stressed and Shedding
Hair loss can feel deeply personal and often incredibly frustrating. For many women its not just a cosmetic concern, its a signal. A signal that something deeper is off in the body’s internal rhythm.
Lately, I’ve seen more patients coming in with concerns about thinning hair, excessive shedding, or changes in texture, especially after periods of high stress, emotional burnout, or poor sleep.
As a naturopathic doctor I don’t just treat the symptoms, I search for the root cause. And when it comes to hair loss, stress and adrenal burnout are often the missing pieces of the puzzle.
When your body is under chronic stress, whether from overwork, emotional strain, lack of sleep, under-eating, or even over-exercising, it activates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the command center for your stress response.
This leads to elevated cortisol levels which is your main stress hormone. Over time, if stress becomes chronic, your adrenal glands become taxed, leading to adrenal burnout.
Here’s how that ties into your body:
High cortisol disrupts the hair growth cycle: pushing more hairs prematurely into the shedding phase. This can often be noticed 2-3 months after a stressful event or burnout phase.
Stress diverts nutrients away from hair follicles: your body prioritizes vital organs in times of stress. Hair, skin, and nails are considered “non essential” so they are the first to suffer.
Adrenal burnout impacts other hormones: it can suppress thyroid function, lower progesterone, and throw off estrogen balance, all of which influence hair growth and quality.
Support your Hair from Inside Out
Prioritize deep rest, aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per day.
Create calm pockets in your day, just 10-1min of nature time, deep breathing or meditation.
Avoid overexercising, listen to your body needs, take rest when needed, sometimes stretching and a light walk is all you need.
Eat enough protein and fat, both are essential for growth/repair and hormone production.
Eat a variety of whole foods, your body need nutrients like iron, zinc, b vitamins and other micronutrients to support hair health.
Include collagen or bone broth to help support hair structure.
Include magnesium, it helps target several areas including calming your nervous system and promote better sleep.
If you’re experiencing hair loss, know that it’s not just in your head, its your body asking for deeper support.
I’m here to help uncover what’s really going on. At my clinic, we now offer personalized hair loss assessments and targeted treatments design to address both the internal and external contributors for hair thinning and shedding.