Stress, Trichotillomania & Other Illness

Over thirty specific diseases, including diabetes and lupus as well as diseases of the liver, kidney, and thyroid, are known to cause permanent or long-term hair loss. But hair loss can also result from general illness: a high fever or a bad case of flu can initiate loss that is noticeable in one to four months but usually reverses itself soon thereafter, and chronic illness can cause chronic loss.

Hair loss also often occurs after surgery.

Basically, any undue stress, whether physical or emotion, can result in hair loss.

Trichotillomania, a psychological disorder that may be linked to stress, involves the compulsive pulling or twisting of hair, resulting in patchy or diffuse hair loss. This compulsion is thought to affect as much as 4 percent of the population, and it seems to affect females four times more often than males. This compulsion generally manifests itself before the age of 17 and is often limited to a period of a year or so. The earlier this compulsion appears and the sooner it is treated, the better the prognosis. Trichotillomania is not well understood, and some medical professionals believe that it is simply an ingrained bad habit, but it is sometimes treated with therapy and antidepressants.

Information on this page, provided as a service by Peggy Knight Solutions, draws upon information from the following primary sources: the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Click here for a Free Medical Guide or contact us toll-free at 800-997-7753.