How to Cope With the Emotional Impact of Hair Loss
Hair loss has many potential causes from hormonal changes and stress to underlying health issues like thyroid disorders and autoimmune conditions. But no matter what the culprit behind your falling strands might be, persistent hair loss can have a serious impact on your emotional well-being.
If you’re struggling to cope with hair loss, you are not alone. And if you need support, there are several things you can do to help lessen the emotional and mental burden of losing your hair. Read on for helpful tips on coping with the emotional impact of persistent hair loss.
Talk to a Therapist
Losing hair can be a very isolating experience. Many people are hesitant to go out in public and be social when they’ve lost a considerable amount of hair, which can quickly affect emotional and social well-being.
If you’re finding it difficult to manage your emotions around hair loss and your feelings are negatively impacting your self-confidence and day-to-day life, speaking with a therapist can help. A licensed talk therapist can help you navigate the emotional challenges related to hair loss while helping you reframe your self-worth.
Talking through tough emotions with a compassionate and understanding professional can help you identify and address deep-seated concerns about your image. A trained therapist can also help you develop tools that you can use outside of therapy to manage difficult emotions or anxiety that you may deal with regularly or from time to time.
Learn More About Your Hair Loss
Developing a thorough understanding of the underlying cause(s) behind your hair loss can help you in several ways. Knowledge is power, and learning about your condition can not only empower you emotionally but also help you find ways to manage your hair loss.
If hormonal changes are prompting your hair loss, you may be able to treat the underlying cause and prompt those fallen strands to grow back. If your hair care and styling habits are the culprits behind your hair loss, you can educate yourself on healthier ways to care for your hair. And if you have an autoimmune condition that causes irreversible hair loss, you can learn about ways other people with the same condition have been able to manage it.
Chat with your doctor about getting testing to confirm the cause behind your hair loss and seek information from reputable sources, such as studies and medical sites. The more you know, the more power you have to manage your condition and move forward emotionally.
Get Involved in a Support Group
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, an estimated 80 million people in the U.S. are living with some degree of hair loss. So if you’re one of them, you are certainly not alone. And if you need a safe place to express your emotions and concerns, you can find that in a hair loss support group. Here are some helpful resources you may want to check out:
● The National Alopecia Areata Foundation support group
● The Alopecia Support Group
Social media — Facebook in particular — is another great resource for finding hair loss support groups. If you chat with your doctor about your condition, they may be able to point you in the direction of local groups, too.
Consider Hair Loss Treatments
Whether you’d like to improve the appearance of permanent hair loss or are looking for hair loss solutions that can help regrow lost strands, you’re in luck. Scalp micropigmentation is a wonderful hair loss solution that involves tattooing the scalp with super-tiny dots that give the appearance of healthy, full hair. Tricopigmentation is a similar option with temporary results, which can help you determine if a more permanent hair tattoo is right for your needs.
Another effective treatment, PRP for hair loss, involves scalp injections of platelet-rich plasma, which helps heal damaged follicles, so they can regrow healthy new hair. If you’re interested in this minimally invasive procedure, check out What Makes You a Good Candidate for Platelet-Rich Plasma Hair Loss Therapy? for more information.
Schedule a Free Hair Loss Treatment Consultation in the Twin Cities
If you’re dealing with hair loss that makes you feel uncomfortable, our team at Medical Tattoo Centers of America would love to help you. We specialize in a variety of hair loss solutions, including scalp micropigmentation, tricopigmentation, and PRP hair restoration and offer free consultations to help you determine the best treatment for your needs.
To learn more about our services or schedule a consult, feel free to call our Blaine, MN clinic at 612-770-0000 or request a free consultation online, and we’ll get in touch to get you scheduled.