How Stress Affects Your Scalp—And What to Do About It
If you’re contending with any scalp issue—be it itchy, oily, or losing hair—there’s a decent chance it could be stress-related. (Just one more reason to commit to mindfulness during a particularly anxious time.) As trichologist and Paul Labrecque salon stylist Bridgette Hill explains it, “Stress increases the cortisol levels in our bodies and cortisol levels have a direct correlation to the hair follicle,” meaning issues at scalp-level might be hinting at overall anxiety. Hill has seen clients who complain of overly oily hair, when “there are things going on with them internally, causing stressors to trigger scalp issues that leads to different fungus and bacteria or a flaky, itchy scalp.” Luckily, there are a few ways to deal with a stressed-out scalp, both directly and holistically.
Watch What You Eat
“Our goal is to always be improving nutrients in the body through the cell tissues and blood, and they need to be addressed internally and externally,” Hill says. Up your intake of fruits and vegetables—especially dark leafy greens—and decrease red meats, sodium, caffeine, and sugar intake if hair loss is something you’re worrying about.
Tune Into Your Breath
Plan ways to reduce your anxiety and relax your brain. Meditation is one proven method for finding calm and control. “I think one thing we take for granted is our own breath. People don’t realize simply slowing down your breathing helps reduce inflammation in the body as well.”
Adjust Your Hair Habits
As someone who struggles with stress-induced alopecia areata firsthand, Hill has a few favorite scalp rejuvenating products. A hair serum by Dr. David Kingsley called British Science, is “infused with vitamin Bs, which are so great for keeping follicular activity going,” Hill notes. Although she doesn’t shampoo often, when she does, Hill loves the Design Essentials Honey Creme Moisture Retention Shampoo. She recommends those with longer strands put their shampoo products into an applicator bottle “so that the product penetrates the scalp more deeply.”
Between shampoos, rinse and condition with René Furterer Complexe 5 Detoxing Oil. “It's truly a cleansing oil, and that is a great thing for cellular turnover. It gets the blood circulating intensely and has lots of active oils that penetrate and reduce inflammation,” Hill said, “which is the end goal.”
Originally Appeared on Vogue
