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Hair loss · The bigger picture

5 factors that contribute to hair loss & thinning.

Hair changes are rarely down to one thing. Stress, diet, styling, hormones and genes often overlap — which is why we look at the whole picture before we plan SMP or a transplant.

Stress

Factor 1 of 5

Stress can push hair into its resting phase

Significant physical or emotional stress — illness, surgery, a crash diet, grief, burnout — can disrupt the normal hair-growth cycle. More follicles enter their resting phase at once, and two to three months later they shed together.

What it can look like

Sudden, diffuse shedding all over the scalp
More hair in the shower or on your pillow
Often starts two to three months after the stressful event

How we factor it in

Stress-related shedding usually settles once the trigger passes. If you are mid-shed, we often advise waiting before density SMP, so we plan around your stable hair — not a temporary dip.

Read: stress, cortisol and shedding

Educational content, not medical advice. Sudden, patchy or unexplained hair loss deserves a medical or dermatology assessment.

What are the most common causes of hair loss and thinning?

Hereditary pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) is the most common cause in both men and women. Stress, nutritional gaps, tight or heat-heavy styling, and hormonal or physical changes such as pregnancy, menopause, illness or medication can trigger or worsen shedding — and often more than one factor is involved.

Is hair loss from stress or pregnancy permanent?

Usually not. Shedding after stress, illness or childbirth (telogen effluvium) typically settles within six to twelve months once the trigger has passed. If thinning continues beyond that, an underlying pattern such as hereditary hair loss may be showing, and it is worth having it assessed.

When is SMP a good option for thinning hair?

SMP works best once your hair loss is stable and the cause is understood. It adds the look of density between existing hairs — along the part, the crown or the hairline — without surgery. During an active shed, we usually advise waiting so the result is planned around your stable hair.

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Hair Loss

Stress, Cortisol, and Shedding: Hair Loss That Isn’t Genetic

5 min readFeb 2026

Not every shedding phase is androgenetic. Understand telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and when to wait instead of treat.

Not Every Shedding Phase Is Genetic

Androgenetic alopecia — male and female pattern baldness — is the most common cause of hair loss, but it is far from the only one. Many people panic when they see sudden shedding and book a transplant before understanding what is actually happening. The wrong treatment at the wrong time wastes money and can make things worse.

Telogen Effluvium in Plain English

Telogen effluvium is stress-induced shedding. A major stressor — illness, surgery, childbirth, severe dieting, emotional trauma — pushes a large proportion of your follicles into the resting (telogen) phase at once. Two to four months later, they all shed together.

The good news: telogen effluvium is almost always reversible. Once the trigger passes, hair typically regrows within 6–12 months.

When to Wait, When to Treat

Transplanting during active, non-genetic shedding is a mistake. The transplanted hair may survive, but the native hair around it continues to shed — leading to a patchy, uneven result.

Diffuse sudden shedding: wait at least 6–12 months, investigate cause first.
Active alopecia areata: wait for at least 12 months of stability.
Stable pattern baldness (Norwood II–VI, slow progression): a transplant can be planned safely.

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