I have blissfully spent the last 27 years as a hairstylist. I even dropped out of college to embrace my passion. However, this post is not about my career choices, it's about the common denominator I have discovered among my female clientele who experience chronic hair loss for no known medical reason.
And boy, oh boy, they are always shocked at the remedy I have for them.
I am not a doctor nor do I ascribe to be. (Always consult a medical professional if you are experiencing changes in your body) However, I am a tried and true researcher in my field. I was born fascinated with psychology and the human experience. By nature, I ask a lot of questions and I have come to see many connections/patterns emerge with common struggles that people have over my almost three decades working closely with the public.
What I am about to share is a fascinating tidbit I discovered along my path regarding random chronic hair loss among women, and it’s something your own hairdresser may not even know. For those of you who have experienced random chronic hair loss and have undergone extensive testing with your doctor (For example but not limited to: thyroid, adrenals and hormones) and the results were normal, I venture to say you might be suffering from chronic anxiety.
Chronic anxiety is running rampant in our society these days and many people are darn good at hiding it to the world. However, your intense desire to maintain an acceptable façade to the outside world could be causing you great internal distress.
Ladies, your hair may be telling the story you are not.
The sad part is many women are too ashamed to admit what is truly going on inside of them and their lives. They are embarrassed to admit they are scared, anxious, fearful and/or their life is imperfect. They’d prefer something biological being the problem than something emotional so they can continue to ignore and hide their shameful places.
When my clients come to me depressed and afraid because they are experiencing random chronic hair loss, I question them thoroughly about their medical testing first. When it appears that “everything is normal”, I delve into what is going on in their personal lives and how they are handling it (their emotional processing system). Across the board without fail, female clients dealing with random chronic hair loss are struggling (often secretly) with large amounts of stress and anxiety.
The cause is not something physiological, it is emotional.
But here’s the good news, my stressed-out sisters, there is a tried and true remedy to help restore your body and emotions to homeostasis and stop your hair from falling out. It is easy, highly effective and doesn’t cost a cent!
· Express your emotions, fears and worries in a healthy way
· Meditate daily
· Create and maintain healthy boundaries
· Exercise
Ladies, ladies, ladies, your body is desperately trying to get your attention. Your hair loss is only a symptom of a greater problem – chronic anxiety. And your chronic anxiety is only the symptom of an even greater problem yet… your lack of self-care.
The remedy is to make yourself a priority by taking care of you.
Give yourself permission to be scared, anxious, fearful and imperfect and to speak it out loud! I promise you are not the only one dealing with spousal, child, work or money issues. In fact, I bet if you start to share your struggle, others would be willing to share theirs with you. You’d soon discover you are not alone.
Check in with these four anxiety causing areas:
Do I hide my thoughts and emotions?
Do I withhold truth to keep the peace?
Do I tread lightly not to offend or to avoid confrontation?
Do I feel as though I have to do it all?
If you answered yes to these questions, there is a huge disconnect between your mind, body and spirit. It’s time to admit you are about to lose it and you need help. Running yourself into the ground is not going to help you or those you love.
You can start by taking a deep breath and saying these words out loud until you feel the truth of them:
I cannot do it all. It is okay to ask for help. My worth is not determined by being perfect.
You may be fooling the outside world, but you cannot fool your inside world.
To all of you trying to be perfect to deem yourself worthy of love, it’s time to stop. Living within the constructs of unworthiness will inevitably show up negatively in your life in some capacity.
Nothing "out there" is ever going to make you feel accepted and loved other than your own self-acceptance and love.
And here’s how that looks:
· Honor your feelings
· Speak your truth
· Set healthy boundaries
· Tell people how you feel
· Be authentic in word and deed
· Give authentic Yes's and No's
· Give yourself mental breaks (meditation)
· Calm your heart (deep breathe)
· Soothe your body (exercise, massage, baths, healthy food)
· Speak loving, grace-filled words to and about self
Your worth has never been about how perfect you are and it never will be. God does not make mistakes and you were not his first.
It’s time to stop hiding your truth and honor all of who you are. Stand up and say, “I need help right now and it’s okay!” Open your heart, use your voice and know there are better ways to deal with stress. The world is full of great wisdom and healing.
Go find it!
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