Articles

Stress Makes Working Women Lose Their Hair

by Cherry Norton

Thousands of young women are losing their hair because of "testosterone overload" caused by taking on traditionally male roles in the workplace.

Medical experts say the link between hair loss and stress provides the first evidence that high-flying career women are vulnerable to the same physiological problems as men.

They say women are having to adopt more aggressive and competitive working styles, and believe this results in an increased sensitivity to testosterone, the male hormone, which is present in lower levels in women.

The rising sensitivity means that women in their twenties and thirties suffer thinning of their hair and have widening centre partings, revealing bald patches.

The number of women in professional jobs has risen by 20% in the last 15 years. Among those who feel they have suffered as a result is Tracey Webb, 28, who started losing her hair two years ago. She believed it was linked to the stress of a demanding job in publishing and moving house three times in a year.

"I used to have long blonde hair. I first noticed one tiny bald patch, the size of a 10p piece. I lost more and more hair, cut it short and coloured it darker to try to hide the fact. I now have very thin hair and a wear a wig when I go out in the evenings," she said.

The implications can be serious. A study by Dr. David Kingsley, a trichologist, found that three-quarters of women suffering hair loss felt less attractive; one in five said it had limited their sexual activity, and more than a third felt that losing their hair was the most disturbing event of their lives.