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Can stress cause hair loss?

Page last modified on: August 20, 2008
Question from Daisy: Can stress cause you to lose your hair? What can be done about it?
Answer —Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: Some individuals may respond to stress by pulling or twisting their hair. If this happens a lot, you may lose patches of hair. Less commonly, some women may experience more significant hair loss several months after a huge stress in their lives. In that situation, the shock of the experience - like childbirth or a very serious infection - may jolt the growing hair. This diffuse hair loss that can occur over a few months does resolve. Eventually, the hair grows back in. This, thank goodness, is unusual.

On Wednesday, September 19, 2001, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Stress and Your Immune System. Mitch Golant, Ph.D. and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions on how stress affects your treatment, and what you can do to boost your immune system.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Mitch Golant, Ph.D.Mitch Golant, Ph.D. is a health psychologist and senior vice president of research and development for the national office of The Wellness Community, which provides free psychological and emotional support to help people with cancer on their path to recovery. His research focuses on the benefits of online and community support groups for women with breast cancer.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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