Divorce, Breakups and Hair Loss

The Belgravia Centre blog recently covered the story of Kristen Stewart, after the Twilight star was photographed showing large bald patches on the side of her head. Experts agreed that the hair loss could be as a result of stress brought on by Stewart’s high profile break up with co-star Robert Pattinson and the media attention that accompanied it.

However, break-up related hair loss is not restricted to A-list Hollywood stars as the tale of Rachel Brown, which appeared recently in the Daily Mail, demonstrates.

Departing husband leads to thinning hair

Rachel Brown’s hair loss followed shortly after her husband walked out, leaving her a single mother with a five-month old baby. Postpartum hair loss is experienced by many women due to hormonal balance and normal hair growth cycles being restored. As her hair began falling out, Rachel naturally assumed that this was the case.

After several months however, when the hair loss continued unabated, it became clear that something else was happening. Rachel’s hair continued to get thinner until she realised she could clearly see the top of her scalp when she looked in the mirror.

Unhelpful advice

Still believing the hair loss would eventually correct itself, Rachel visited her local hair salon and asked whether they could do anything to help. She was shocked and disappointed when the supervisor exclaimed “There’s no way I’m touching that!”

A proper diagnosis

Rachel eventually visited her GP who ordered a blood test. The results showed unusually high levels of androgens in her bloodstream, which some people produce in excess when under stress. The doctor blamed stress caused by Rachel’s marriage breakdown for the hair loss, brought on by her abnormally high levels of androgens.

More about hair loss in women

The most common form of female hair loss is Androgenic Alopecia (also known as Pattern Baldness) which is caused by androgens. Androgens attach themselves to the hair follicles in the scalp, inhibiting growth of new hair. Eventually individual hairs thin and fall out, leading to the appearance of bald patches and a receding hairline. Hair loss caused by Androgenic Alopecia is often completely unrelated to stress. Usually the cause is a genetic predisposition to the condition, although some hair loss experts believe the first stages of pattern balding can be triggered by stress.

Hair loss caused specifically by stress is called Telogen Effluvium. The stressful event(s) cause the hair follicles to stop growing and enter instead into the telogen (resting) phase. The hairs affected by Telogen Effluvium will then stay in the resting phase for about 3 months after which time they will shed. This kind of hair loss is usually temporary, but in some cases the hair loss can continue until the underlying cause is resolved. Telogen Effluvium tends to affect more women than men.