A new research reveals that stress has an effect on human hair as well. So by looking at one’s hair one can determine whether one is suffering from mental stress or not.
Researchers examine the hair of more than 1,200 women over the age of 18 in Mexico and Iceland. And also fill out a questionnaire about mental stress and depression.
A ‘stress scale’ was also determine in the questionnaire to assess mental stress.
During this survey, it reveals that women who suffer from depression and stress had higher levels of cortisol in their hairs.
This means that if a person is stressed, the amount of cortisol in their hair will be higher than 1.4%.
Experts say that increase levels of cortisol in the hair of chronically stressed people is also a biological sign. As a clear difference between hair cortisol and depression has also been revealed.
Most of the research, conducted in Mexico and Iceland, involved school teachers who were experiencing stress.
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Meanwhile, it was also revealed that younger women had higher rates of depression than older women. As measured by the condition of their hair.
On the other hand, experts also say that mental stress can lead to many chronic diseases and premature death.
What is cortisol?
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It is a hormone that is released from the adrenal gland above the kidneys of a person suffering from mental stress and dissolves in the blood and reaches the hair roots. It first travels to the medulla where its concentration can be noted at rest.
Cortisol is a primary stress hormone which increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. It also causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure.