Does stress cause alopecia areata?

Question

Hello Hairloss expert doctors. Does stress cause or trigger alopecia areata as well? I keep getting mixed results when I read online regarding stress and alopecia areata. And if it does, is it regular emotional stress or severe stress that causes nutritional deficiencies or major illnesses to trigger the autoimmune condition? Let's say someone has anxiety and emotional stress but there nutrition is well maintained and healthy overall, can that emotional stress trigger it still? Thank you

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Hello Steven_gq! My name is Jessica, I am a physician assistant, and one of the providers at Aesthetic Skin. Thank you for your question. Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease which develops when your immune system attacks your own hair follicles. This may be triggered by stress and can thus result in hair loss. I highly recommend scheduling a consultation to discuss various treatment options to promote hair restoration and hair growth. I hope this helps!

Kulakarn Amonpattana, MD · Answer

Hello I'm Dr. Wipawan Vathananai, a co-worker of Dr. Kulakarn Amonpattana, from BHI Clinic, Bangkok, Thailand. Stress, either emotional or physical, can trigger alopecia areata. However, it's not published the stress is the direct cause of AA. It is believed that the loss of immunoprivilege of the hair follicle leads to AA.

Matt Tahsini, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease. It can be triggered by stress which could cause hair loss. I hope you have a qualified doctor that you can talk to so that you can express your concerns and come to a solution that is best for you. Good luck to you.
Dr. T

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Does stress cause alopecia areata?

Answers (3)

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