Around 50% of both men and women are suffering from hair loss. Although hair loss can happen at any part of the body, this would commonly target the scalp.
The loss of hair at any part of the body, specifically the head and facial area can be depressing for some.
Experiencing hair loss can lead to physical and psychological distress. It damages in the sense that it affects relationships and even your career. Furthermore, in the extreme case scenario, hair loss may be depicted as a weakness in terms of physical appearance.
Studies on the Impact of Hair Loss
There are limited studies done on the psychosocial effects of hair loss, but the results show that this can really impact a person’s life in a negative way.
As the hair frames and defines a face, hair loss affects how a person looks, and this becomes a stressful experience or even in a person’s life.
This could lead to anxiety, distress, and depression. Also, women who are experiencing stress are more likely to develop hair loss.
More so, people suffering from severe hair loss are also subject to a wide variety of psychiatric episodes or disorders such as anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, paranoia, and social phobia.
Psychosocial Effects of Hair Loss
While having a hair loss, there could be several diagnosed problems. The most common three of them are depression, social phobia, and social anxiety disorder. With a good and regular treatment, you can get rid of all your problems.
Depression
People who have hair loss would usually feel the lack of energy and loss of interest in activities that used to be exciting for them. They would also experience frequent wakefulness. Lack of sleep is common at this stage.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Patients would experience fear of being in social functions or avoiding humiliation and judgment.
Social Phobia
This is described as having feelings of being unable to cope with the pressure of the outside world. This pertains to being anxious all the time, which leads to the inability to function in work or social settings.
Treatment for Psychosocial Effects of Hair Loss
Anxiety and depression due to hair loss would usually get better with cognitive behavioural therapy or group therapy. However, if your doctor finds it necessary, you can use medications like antidepressants.
It is important to seek professional or psychological help if you feel that your hair loss predicaments are putting a strain on your personal, social, and work relationships.
This is something that should be seriously looked into by a professional eye because the psychosocial effects do not just affect your self-perception and self-esteem but also how you function and perform on daily tasks.
A strong understanding regarding the psychosocial impact or effect of hair loss should be in place. This includes knowing the psychological responses to alopecia, stress responses, and how the immune system is affected or depressed by this psychological and emotional dilemma.
Media has a broad and deep influence on how people perceive themselves. They have that social responsibility to depict hair loss, not as a “loss” or a “flaw”. It is a normal process of ageing and should be embraced gracefully.
Hair transplants are now in vogue, so there really are many options to enhance self-image. Body image is important but knowing your value as a person has more weight than the physical appearance.
More so, knowing your worth within your lens is more important than the global view or taboos of what is acceptable or not.