The Role of Stress in the Pathogenesis of Alopecia Areata: An Objective Assessment via Hair Cortisol Level
TLDR Stress might trigger hair loss in alopecia areata, but more research is needed.
This study investigated the role of stress in the onset of hair loss in alopecia areata (AA) by measuring hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) in 14 patients compared to 14 healthy controls. Although HCCs were higher in AA cases than controls, the differences were not statistically significant, likely due to the small sample size. There was no significant difference in HCCs between lesional and peri-lesional scalp samples, and no significant correlation between HCCs and stress questionnaires. However, HCCs showed a positive but nonsignificant correlation with disease activity. The study suggested that stress, as indicated by HCC, might trigger hair loss in AA, but a larger study would be needed to confirm these findings.
