Divorce is not always a pleasant thing, and you don’t really need a study to tell you that.

While the end of a marriage isn’t an entirely abnormal circumstance, it seems that women who have endured the circumstance may be at risk for another, less expected result- hair loss. Loss of spouse through divorce isn’t the only factor that triggers hair loss- death of a spouse can cause the symptom as well. And while stress seems to be the connecting thread for the two, a new study indicates both may have a strong impact on hair loss in women.

Genetics remains the biggest factor for hair loss in women, but the second strongest predictor of the symptom of thinning hair is loss of a spouse. Dr. Bahman Guyuron, department of plastic surgery chair at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and lead author of the study commented on environmental factors versus life stressors and female hair loss:

“Most likely, stress is the aspect of a troubling divorce that appears to lead to hair loss among women… What we can say is that we identified factors that appear to both raise risk and lower risk, for both men and women, independent of genetic disposition.”

Dr. Doris Day of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City commented on the study, and was unsurprised that stressors like divorce influenced female hair loss:

“…it’s not a shock to suggest that various kinds of stress can lead to hair loss. Or that men and women don’t experience stress in the same way, so that their hair loss patterns may be different… I am a big proponent of the idea that it’s how you handle the stress that can make a difference.”

Day continued:

“Of course, you can still get treatment. You can still go for Rogaine drops or laser hair treatment, for example. There are always medical things that can be done, and one does not preclude the other. But patients also need to try and control what they can control in terms of the way they approach stress and handle situations.”

The study included 84 female identical twins, and found that in addition to divorce, heavy drinking and smoking also contributed to hair loss in participants.

Hair Loss in Women Triggered by Divorce, Study Suggests is a post from: The Inquisitr

A recent study of middle aged black women reveals that nearly 30% have sustained permanent scalp and hair damage, possibly due to taxing hairstyling practices.

Tight braids and the use of weaves have been cited as possible causes of the early hair loss, although it was added that the study “doesn’t prove” these practices are necessarily linked to permanent loss of hair. Strong chemicals to relax hair were also cited as a possible contributing factor, and dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic and study lead author Dr. Angela Kyei cautioned women:

“You have to stop and think about what you’re doing with your hair, and you have to look at your children’s hair,” Kyei said. “African Americans begin putting relaxers and chemicals in their children’s hair early. You have to start thinking about what might happen later on.”

University of British Columbia dermatologist Dr. Jerry Shapiro “pointed to many women who use relaxers who don’t have this problem,” but Dr. Kyei says of the hair loss studied:

“Once you get it, it’s permanent,” Kyei said, and the hair doesn’t come back. “That’s why a lot of African Americans wear wigs or put something on their scalp to hide their hair.”

The study was published April 11 in the journal Archives of Dermatology, and “examined the hair” of 327 black women in and around Cleveland.

Study: Black women at risk of permanent hair loss from weaves, braids is a post from: The Inquisitr