Bias in Hair Cortisol Measures for Psychological Stress: Self vs. Professional Collection

January 2026 in “ Psychoneuroendocrinology ”

Heather Gatny, WILLIAM G. AXINN, Dirgha Ghimire, Brady T. West, Sabrina Hermosilla, Saman Man Pradhan, Sameer Dixit, Indra Chaudary

hair cortisol concentration chronic stress self-collected hair samples professional collection multivariable analysis

TLDR Self-collected hair samples can measure stress but may need adjustments for accuracy.

The study investigates the feasibility and potential biases of self-collected hair samples for measuring hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as an indicator of chronic stress. Conducted within the Chitwan Valley Family Study in Nepal, 478 out of 510 eligible participants provided hair samples, with no significant difference in sample provision between self-collection (93%) and professional collection (97%). The findings suggest that while self-collection could enable broader population studies, it may introduce biases related to participant characteristics. However, these biases can be corrected through multivariable analysis, making self-collection a viable method for large-scale stress studies.

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Research cited in this study

6 / 6 results

research Differences in Self-Reported Stress Versus Hair and Nail Cortisol Among Adolescent and Young Adult Males

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Hair and nail cortisol levels can show long-term stress in young males.

research Endogenous Steroid Hormones in Hair: Investigations on Different Hair Types, Pigmentation Effects, and Correlation to Nails

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Body hair isn't a good substitute for scalp hair in steroid analysis.

research Development And Validation Of Hair Specimen Collection Methods Among Extremely Short-Length Afro-Textured Hair

4 citations , February 2019 in “American Journal of Human Biology”

Collecting hair from all scalp sections works as well as the standard method for cortisol analysis.

research Hair Cortisol Analysis: An Update on Methodological Considerations and Clinical Applications

237 citations , September 2018 in “Clinical Biochemistry”

Hair cortisol analysis can help diagnose stress-related conditions but needs more refinement for widespread use.

research Comparison of Methanol and Isopropanol as Wash Solvents for Determination of Hair Cortisol Concentration in Grizzly Bears and Polar Bears

21 citations , January 2017 in “MethodsX”

Methanol is better than isopropanol for washing grizzly bear hair to measure cortisol.

Hair as a Retrospective Calendar of Cortisol Production—Increased Cortisol Incorporation into Hair in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

research Hair as a Retrospective Calendar of Cortisol Production—Increased Cortisol Incorporation into Hair in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

501 citations , October 2008 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology”

Hair cortisol levels can show increased stress during late pregnancy but only for up to six months.

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