Hair loss impairs people's everyday routines, causes them to cover their scalps with hats or scarves, avoid social meetings, and severely restricts their ability to engage in social activities. Here are some mental health conditions linked to hair thinning and loss, along with professional advice for treating them.
The expression "a good hair day" is one that most people have used at some point in their lives, and it serves as a reminder of the significance of hair for both men and women's emotional and mental health. However, because of the lack of acceptance for their appearance, women experience more distress and sadness than men.
Others now more than ever judge someone by how they look, and hair loss or baldness is one of the first physical characteristics that people notice. The freedom to flaunt and style your hair whatever you like is equated with having good hair.
In terms of psychology, hair is a component of "body image," and any changes therein are closely related to a person's thoughts, feelings, and even behavioural changes. Youngness, vitality, and sexual attractiveness are all associated with having good hair on the head, while the most common psychological problems associated with hair loss include stress, anxiety, depression, loss of confidence, low self-esteem, low sexual drive, social phobia, and even suicidal thoughts.
Hair thinning has a negative effect on a person's mental health and frequently results in frustration, jealousy, embarrassment, and consciousness. All of these things happen primarily as a result of social pressure, and they get worse as a result of all the false advertisements for quick hair growth in print and online media. Dr. Rinky Kapoor, a consultant dermatologist, cosmetic dermatologist, and dermatologosurgeon at The Esthetic Clinics, stated in an interview with HT Lifestyle that "a variety of reasons can cause hair fall, such as genetic disorders, hormonal changes, ageing, childbirth, menopause, thyroid, chronic diseases, cancer treatments, insulin resistance, emotional and mental stress, lack of a healthy diet, etc. The reason and symptom of hair loss are frequently emotional and mental stress.
The majority of patients who have hair loss find that it has a significant influence on their daily lives. Due to the cultural stigma attached to hair loss, they frequently lose their temper and perform poorly at work and at home. They also tend to avoid social events and cover their scalps with hats or scarves.
Due to hair loss and hair thinning, Dr. Rinky Kapoor highlighted that patients typically experience two sorts of disorders:
1. Adjustment disorder - This condition, which mainly affects how much hair is lost, makes people feel depressed and despondent. This alteration in the patient's look causes worry and anxiety, which interferes with daily activities.
2. Personality disorder or body dysmorphic disorder - Patients begin to feel overpowered by a physical imperfection. The physiological justification for looking better is this. Most patients choose hair treatments because they want to feel better about themselves.
According to a study on the effects of alopecia on the adult population in India, which included 800 participants (442 men and 358 women), 30% of men and 27% of women agreed that their social lives were impacted by hair loss. They acknowledged that having alopecia made them feel humiliated and frustrated.
According to Dr. Rinky Kapoor, "Hair loss exhibits an iceberg phenomenon, meaning that the clinical signs of hair loss, thinning hair, and balding that patients present to the doctor are just a small part of the many issues associated with hair loss, and the majority of the problem is actually the sociopsychological impact of hair loss on the different aspects of an individual's daily life. Women are more impacted than men because women are held to higher standards of attractiveness. Alopecia patients frequently experience difficult periods of stress and worry and avoid even routine activities.
"The first necessity is to comprehend the interaction between mental health and hair loss and its profound consequences on the patient's life," she said in her piece of advice. Each patient needs to be counselled individually and in a non-incriminating manner by the treating doctor because patients with underlying psychological disorders will never be happy with any hair fall treatment. She proposed that they be clarified:
Not all hair loss is treatable, and not every offered remedy may be effective in a particular circumstance.
Although some hair loss is irreparable, there are treatments available to stop future hair loss.
It usually takes 3-6 months for hair loss treatments to provide noticeable benefits.
To stop hair loss, some therapies may need to be continued for a long time.
A successful outcome depends on having the appropriate diagnosis and receiving the appropriate care while being supervised and guided by a skilled physician.
"Social education should also be highlighted as part of the treatment programmes for hair loss," the hair health expert stated. It is crucial that the patient, their family, friends, and society at large comprehend that hair loss is not something to be embarrassed of and can be stopped or even reversed if treated promptly by a qualified physician. The patient only requires patience.
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