Shifting weather patterns and increases in air pollution may have a greater impact on your hair than you probably realize. It might even contribute to premature balding. Sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, and constant sniffles may be obvious signs of hay fever and seasonal allergies. However, a less common, less immediately noticeable aspect can be hair loss.
Can Allergies Cause Telogen Effluvium?
Seasonal allergies do not specifically cause hair loss in the way that genetics and autoimmune conditions do. However, seasonal allergies can accelerate other forms of hair loss.
Allergists argue that “Allergies have become an increasingly prevalent health concern in America, being the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the country. From itchy eyes and sneezing to skin rashes and hives, allergies can manifest in a wide range of symptoms, but can allergies cause hair loss? While they are not commonly associated with this condition, recent research has suggested that allergies may be a contributing factor.”
Allergies contribute to hair loss by putting extra stress on the body. Excessive stress can prematurely trigger hair to enter telogen effluvium, the resting state that happens before hair shedding. Shedding is part of the normal hair growth cycle, but for people with androgenic alopecia and some other forms of hair loss, once the shedding begins, it does not continue in the cycle.
Typically, we shed about 100 hairs per day. Stress from illness, allergies, or another condition can temporarily increase shedding. In some cases, even when the stress is alleviated, the hair growth cycle may not resume. That is why allergies may cause premature balding. It is not that it causes hair loss itself. It just accelerates it.
Can Seasonal Allergies Impact Alopecia Areata?
According to a recent study in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, evidence suggests that people prone to allergies may also be more likely to develop alopecia areata than those without allergies. The study found that patients with alopecia areata had a significantly higher rate of sinus allergies and asthma compared to patients without those conditions.
It is perhaps less correct to say that seasonal allergies lead to alopecia areata than that the two go hand-in-hand. The study also found people with alopecia areata were more likely to have more than one allergy, a condition sometimes referred to as atopy.
Atopy is a genetic predisposition to “develop allergic diseases to commonly harmless substances.” If you have several allergies, you will not necessarily develop alopecia areata. Instead, those with alopecia areata are more likely to have several allergies.
Can Dust Allergies Cause Hair Loss?
While seasonal allergies are not a specific indicator for hair loss, an allergy to dust might be. This study focused on patients of Chinese origin, but it showed a fairly significant correlation between an allergy to dust mites and the early onset and severity of alopecia areata.
Dust mites are generally the cause of dust allergies, not the dust particles themselves. People with dust mite allergies appear to have a greater propensity to develop alopecia areata at younger ages and have more severe cases.
Precision Hair Restoration Are the Experts in Hair Restoration
Whether it is ragweed pollen, fall leaves, or dust mites, allergies come with a myriad of symptoms. If you think hair loss might be one of them, the staff here at Precision Hair Restoration can help. Contact us today to discuss whether your sneezing is more than just a minor annoyance.
