New study finds stress hormone causes hair loss

Can Stress Reduction Be The Secret To Hair Growth?

Generally speaking, a person has three stages of the hair growth cycle: growth, degeneration and rest. In the first stage, the hair is a continuously growing stalk, while the hair stops growing and its lower part shrinks while remaining in place in the second stage. In the third stage, however, the hair eventually falls out.

While it has been known for some time that stress is related to hair entering stage three prematurely and falling out, as is the overall link between hair loss and chronic stress itself, the exact mechanism behind this link had remained a mystery.

What is known is that hair follicle stem cells (HFSC) play an essential role in hair growth by interpreting internal and external signals. Knowing this, Cho and the other researchers tested the role played in the cycle by another area of ​​the body, specifically the stress hormone-producing adrenal gland. To do this, they removed them from the mice by surgery.

Without the adrenal glands to produce stress hormones, the mice ‘resting phase in their hair cycles was much shorter, while their hair follicles grew about three times longer than normal. But when they were fed the hormone corticosterone, the stress hormone produced by the animal adrenal glands, their hair growth was suppressed.

So, does corticosterone play a role in hair loss? This is what it implies. HFSCs detect the stress hormone by signals, not by detecting the hormone itself. This was determined when researchers selectively suppressed the protein known as glucocorticoid receptors in the skin papillae. These receptors are the means by which the hormone signals HFSCs.

But how do the skin taste buds transmit the signal? According to the study, this is done via another protein, specific growth stop 6 (GAS6). Thanks to this protein, the signal is transmitted to the HFSCs via another protein, the AXL receptor.

However, the study warns that multiple issues still need to be further explored. For example, corticosterone is not the human stress hormone, but is simply considered the rodent equivalent of human cortisol. As such, it is not known if the process is exactly the same. Second, the phases of the hair cycle have different lengths in humans, so it’s not clear if hormones influence it in the same way. Third, the GAS6 protein is not limited to this one particular signal. In fact, the researchers found that it was involved in the expression of several different genes involved in HFSCs. As such, forgery could have other unintended effects. In particular, there is concern that this may unintentionally lead to the growth of potentially mutant HFSCs.

One of these, known as trichotillomania, is the condition in which stress, frustration, and other negative emotions form an overwhelming compulsion to pull your hair out, the literal definition of “pulling your hair out.” hair”.

The third form is very different. Known as alopecia areata, this disease is an autoimmune disease and sees hair loss caused by the body’s immune system attacking the hair follicles. There are a number of potential causes for this condition, with high stress being one of them, although the condition itself is also known to be a cause of significant psychological stress.

Nonetheless, the study results revealed valuable links between stress and hair loss, which may pave the way for future studies that may explore these links further.