Does stress make you lose hair? YES! Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realise it yet. You may think illness or extreme fatigue are to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent insomnia, losing hair or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the cause.Generally speaking, it is not the stress, but the ability to deal with stress that makes the difference in people losing hair due to stress.

How can you reduce stress?

1.Let out your feelings – If you are stressed or feeling negative about your hair call a friend or join a group. Otherwise, there is always your Doctor or Counsellor.

2.Visualisation and affirmation – Before going to sleep every night visualise the type of hair you would want to have. In bed close your eyes look about 30 degrees (1 o’ clock position of a clock) in an upward direction. It is thought that we look at the future in an optimistic light doing this. Make the vision in colour – bright, large and alive – almost as though you could touch, feel and see it.Add as much clarity to it as you can – including the colour of the hair you would like, its texture, thickness and style. If you are struggling with this – just remember it is only a dream, a goal. Remember a belief is strong but a conviction has more certainty – that is what it must be! Dream of your vision last thing before sleeping. Affirm to yourself, ideally speaking aloud “I have lovely healthy, strong hair.”

3.Relax more – Find an activity that makes you feel happy. If you don’t know what they are, make a list of possible activities, even small ones such as reading. Try laughing more as a way of relaxing.

4.Associate with happy people or those who have a positive outlook to life. Read books and articles that are positive in nature. Going to self-development seminars can help too.

5.Write out your complaints or troubles on one page and on the other side of the page write the answer(s) to your problem.

6.Have a Massage –To find a masseur visit www.yell.co.uk or www.ayurvedainstitute.org or use your local telephone directory or do an Internet search for a list of Therapists. Massage therapy can relax muscles and increase blood flow to skin and muscles. This would also help relieve mental and emotional stress.

7.Learn to say no when you don’t want to do something or you have imposed unrealistic demands on yourself. Be honest with yourself.

8.It is not what you say but how you say it – learn to say something effectively without offending others or feeling ignored.

9.You can only change yourself – avoid saying or thinking “if only he, if only she, if only they”. Rather think more “what can I change about myself to make my situation better.”

10. Sometimes accepting that things are the way they are and you cannot do anything about the situation helps.