Does Stress Cause Hair Loss?

Far as I know, the only way to lose your hair is either via genetics or poor diet and nutrition. However, many people believe that you can actually lose your hair due to stress, which begs the question. Does stress cause hair loss, and if so, how?

It's difficult for medical experts to directly link stress to hair loss, simply because you can't literally stress so badly that your hair will fall out. Just like stress won't make your hair turn gray (another common myth), stress won't directly make your hair fall out either. All other things being equal or unchanged, stress entirely on its own won't make you exhibit any hair loss. However...

There is a valid indirect connection between hair loss and stress, and this lies in how stress affects the body. When people stress, they tend to change their sleeping and eating habits, and daily lifestyle care in general, pretty drastically. Essentially what happens is stress is making you eat less, and your lack of nutrition is making your hair fall out. Or stress is making you sleep a lot less (or a lot more) and your hair is falling out due to lack of care.

If your hair loss is becoming noticeable, consult your doctor to try to find ways that could be contributing to your hair loss. Stress may be a factor, but it's what stress is doing to the rest of your body that may be what is causing you to lose your hair in the first place. But stressing out every now and then is not going to make your hair fall out, nor is it going to turn you any more grayer.