Suddenly Shedding Hair in Clumps? Could Chronic Fatigue Be the Hidden Cause of Your Alopecia?

In Korean medicine, consumptive disease can be interpreted in modern medical terms as chronic stress and the resulting systemic hypofunction. Extreme stress disrupts our body's autonomic nervous system, continuously activating the fight-or-flight response. In this process, stress hormones such as cortisol are excessively secreted, and long-term increases in cortisol directly affect the hair follicle growth cycle. Hair goes through three stages: the anagen phase, catagen phase, and telogen phase. Stress hormones either forcibly shift hairs that should be in the anagen phase into the telogen phase or cause telogen hair to shed earlier than expected. This is called telogen effluvium, and in severe cases, 30 to 50 percent of all hair can fall out simultaneously. This phenomenon can also induce or worsen alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is a type of autoimmune disease, with stress and an immune system imbalance pointed out as primary causes. Furthermore, chronic stress impairs scalp blood circulation and promotes inflammatory responses. When stress persists, capillaries constrict, preventing the smooth supply of nutrients and oxygen to the scalp. Inflammation damages the microenvironment around the hair follicle, hindering healthy hair growth and causing thin, weak hair or accelerating shedding. Scalp heat may also be associated with such inflammatory responses, blood flow changes due to autonomic nervous system imbalance, or an androgen metabolic disorder. Ultimately, it is important to understand that thinning and shedding hair is not just a scalp issue, but a warning signal from the body where various factors—including overall poor condition, hormonal imbalance, and nutritional deficiencies—act together. Caring for your body without ignoring the signals it sends is the first step toward regaining healthy hair.