Sometimes stress can play a role in diffuse loss. Stress-induced loss ordinarily regrows within a year of eliminating the cause. In the absence of any prolonged emotional or physical trauma that has noticeably affected your overall health, stress is not likely the cause. Crash dieting, medical conditions, certain medications, pregnancy, and other major life changes can initiate stress-shedding however. In some cases extreme emotional tension for prolonged periods of time can have an effect as well.

However if you are a male between the ages of 18 and 35 and you are seeing thinning hair or hair loss in the traditional patterns, you are most likely experiencing male pattern baldness, and should consider a treatment regimen.

Thinning hair in women often reverses itself with time, or if the imbalance is detected and resolved, but may also require traditional antiandrogen or growth stimulant treatments. Please view our Women's Guide to Hair Loss Treatment and our Men's Guide to Hair Loss Treatment for specifics.

Individuals with Alopecia Areata (patchy hair loss), Alopecia Universalis or Alopecia Totalis, can typically be struggling with an autoimmune condition. These could be considered stress triggers, as an overactive immune system is akin to a stress response, but the true condition is autoimmune, versus "stress". You may wish to read more about these conditions in our Alopecia Guide, or talk with others also experiencing these more extreme forms of Alopecia in our Alopecia Community.