Stress, Hair Growth Control, and the Neuro-Endocrine-Immune Connection

The document from 2000 reviews the connection between stress and hair growth, suggesting that stress can influence hair follicle development and cycling through the release of various mediators such as neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and neurotrophins. It highlights that hair follicles are innervated and express receptors for stress-related mediators, which can be produced by the follicles themselves, indicating a local stress response system. The review also discusses evidence from murine models showing that stress can inhibit hair growth by increasing perifollicular mast cell degranulation and macrophage infiltration, leading to more telogen hair follicles and fewer proliferating keratinocytes. While the document suggests that stress may contribute to hair loss, it is not considered the major cause and advises doctors to consider stress as a contributing factor but to follow standard treatments. It calls for more research to confirm the role of stress in hair growth control and suggests that future clinical studies should standardize conditions to reduce variability. The potential for treatments targeting stress-related pathways, such as substance P receptor antagonists, is also mentioned.