Hirsutism – Can Anxiety Cause Excessive Hair Growth?

Video Transcript

I am female, and I know anxiety and hyperstimulation can cause hair to stop growing, loss, and balding, but can it also do the opposite? Can anxiety and hyperstimulation cause your hair to grow more, especially on the face?

This condition is often referred to as Hirsutism – excessive male-pattern growth of dark or coarse hair, primarily in women.[1][2][3][4]

Because there are many causes of hirsutism, it’s wise to discuss it with your doctor. If your doctor attributes excessive hair growth to stress, including anxiety-caused stress, yes, stress can cause excessive dark and coarse hair growth.

While most people experience hair loss due to stress, some people notice their hair grows more, it’s darker, and grows more on the face. This is especially true for women.

Hirsutism occurs because cortisol, the body’s most powerful stress hormone, affects the body in many ways, including affecting other hormones, such as androgens.

Androgens are growth and reproduction hormones, which are often referred to as “sex hormones.” Elevated cortisol, typical for overly anxious behavior and hyperstimulation, can increase circulating androgen levels, causing excessive hair growth for some people.

So again, yes, anxiety and hyperstimulation can cause excessive hair growth. But as mentioned, it’s important to discuss this with your doctor so other causes can be ruled out.

When hirsutism is caused solely by stress, eliminating unhealthy stress should resolve this symptom in time. Faithfully practicing your recovery strategies and containing anxiety will allow your body to recover from chronic stress and its symptoms, including excessive hair growth.