One in every five women today suffers from depression. Not only has depression become a part of our lives, but most of the times those suffering do not even get to know about this anomaly. Mental health in our country still mostly remains under the shadow and hence many women just remain the victims who do not get the help they need. Many researchers have come out with the facts that depression does bring physiological changes especially in women’s bodies, mostly causing hair loss and hair fall some times to the extent of baldness.
Some studies have come out with figures that state that out of nearly 200 women more than 50 percent were investigated to have a relation between depression and hair loss. Out of them nearly 30 percent had admitted to having symptoms of depression as well. There are many more statistics available that point out to direct co-relation between the two. Doctors say that Alopecia areata, an auto-immune disorder that causes the body to form antibodies that attack the hair follicles, is not directly caused by stress, but may be aggravated by it. Stress has been shown, in many cases pertaining to women, to directly affect the immune system, weakening it considerably.
However, it may be stated that there are no common genetic links between the two but reports suggest various common symptoms. Doctors believe that there can be many factors that leads to the problem and many hair care tips can take care of this. Few of the factors said to be responsible for hair loss and depression are:
LACK OF SLEEP
Women who suffer from lack of sleep causing depression undergo hormonal imbalance as well. This may cause hair loss to a certain level and hence it is always advised for at least get 8 hours of sound sleep for the mind and body to rejuvenate and function properly.
POOR DIET
Many women in a bid to look slim begin fad diets that devoid them of proper nutrition. Hence when depression sets in the body is unable to sustain itself because of starvation, causing immense hair fall. It is very important to follow a set high-nutrition, protein and vitamin rich diet that takes care of the gray areas in the body and promote a healthy hair growth as well.
STRESS
With the fast paced life, many of us are unable to cope up with the pressures of balancing work and family. Many women who suffer from stress and anxiety seldom take care of themselves and hence this neglect can lead to hair fall. According to many studies, emotional stress is known to lead to release of many pro-inflammatory mediators in the body that negatively affect hair follicle growth and sometimes even stall it permanently, causing baldness.
MEDICATION
Many women undergo medication for a lot of lifestyle problems like diabetes, stress etc. These medicines have side-effects that can cause hair fall and hair thinning. Also, some anti-depressants cause patchy hair loss and baldness in women.
According to specialists, hair loss caused by mental health problems in most cases is easily treated. The underlying reason for hair fall during depression is said to be stress and once you get over it the hair automatically regain their lost luster and begin to get back to their normal growth cycle.
What to do in case of hair fall?
It is very important to make sure to eat a good, balanced diet replete with vitamins, minerals and calcium to rejuvenate hair health. Apart from this one must try the following natural remedies:
- Regular hair oil massages will not only help relieve stress but also strengthen your hair follicles thus adding strength and natural shine to it. You can make your own hair oil or opt for Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil head massage. Enriched with the power of 7 ayurvedic herbs, it strengthens the hair from the roots and nourishes them while encouraging their growth.
- Opt for homemade hair masks and packs. You can make your own hair masks using natural ingredients like amla, honey, lemon juice, banana and reetha among others. All of these ingredients not only add natural shine to the hair but also strengthen the hair from the root while helping them grow at a faster rate.
- Exercise regularly. It will not only help reduce stress but also increase the blood flow to the head thereby stimulating hair growth.
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