July 2025 in “International Journal of Dermatology Venereology and Leprosy Sciences” Higher stress levels may worsen alopecia areata, suggesting stress management is important for treatment.
April 2011 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” Hair cortisol is a reliable long-term stress marker during pregnancy.
January 2026 in “Western Journal of Nursing Research” Hair cortisol levels don't reliably indicate chronic stress in people with multiple sclerosis.
21 citations
,
January 2016 in “NeuroImmunoModulation” Hair cortisol levels can indicate stress over the past three months.
May 2023 in “Animal Reproduction Update” High levels of cortisol in hair show long-term stress which can lower fertility in animals.
7 citations
,
October 2015 in “American Journal of Primatology” Monkeys with hair loss during pregnancy showed higher stress hormone levels and invested differently in their offspring.
16 citations
,
January 2021 in “Frontiers in veterinary science” Pigs in farrowing crates and loose-housing systems showed no difference in chronic stress levels as measured by hair cortisol.
11 citations
,
February 2005 in “Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics/Clinical pharmacology & therapeutics” Hair cortisol could be a marker for chronic stress in pregnancy, but depression affects cortisol levels differently.
44 citations
,
February 2016 in “Zoology” Hair cortisol levels in primates are useful for stress assessment but vary by age, sex, species, and hair collection methods.
23 citations
,
March 2016 in “American Journal of Primatology” In female rhesus monkeys, hair gain is linked to reduced stress levels.
1 citations
,
December 2021 in “American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology” Hair cortisol levels peak in the third trimester and decline postpartum.
1 citations
,
September 2016 in “Brain Behavior and Immunity” Hair cortisol levels can indicate stress and are affected by washing frequency, not cosmetic treatments.
April 2026 in “Journal of Experimental Psychopathology” Hair cortisol levels may not reliably indicate psychological distress.
January 2018 in “Digital Scholarship - UNLV (University of Nevada Reno)” Hair cortisol levels can indicate chronic stress in children, with differences seen between races.
January 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Loneliness raises stress levels in older African American men but not women.
November 2025 in “Journal of Laboratory Medicine” Chronic stress increased after lockdown, especially in young adults and females.
July 2024 in “Nursing Research” Hair and nail cortisol levels can show long-term stress in young males.
October 2008 in “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes” Long-term unemployment leads to higher stress levels.
38 citations
,
September 2013 in “Therapeutic Drug Monitoring” First Nation individuals had higher hair cortisol levels, indicating more chronic stress.
November 2025 in “Anxiety Stress & Coping” Higher anxiety symptoms and social behavior affect stress levels in hair.
33 citations
,
January 2017 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair dyeing and washing frequency do not affect hair cortisol levels.
16 citations
,
May 2020 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” People with Parkinson's disease have higher levels of cortisone in their hair, which may indicate chronic stress hormone dysfunction.
December 2025 in “Biology Bulletin Reviews” Hair cortisol can indicate animal stress but varies with many factors.
3 citations
,
January 2011 in “International journal of trichology” Low DHEA-S levels might be linked to alopecia areata and could be a potential treatment target.
February 2026 in “Brazilian Journal of Implantology and Health Sciences” Chronic stress and high cortisol levels can cause hair loss by disrupting hair growth.
5 citations
,
May 2017 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” The study found no significant difference in stress hormone levels between people with alopecia areata and healthy individuals, suggesting that the disease is not caused by an overactive stress response system.
11 citations
,
May 2019 in “Journal of Medical Primatology” Alopecia in rhesus macaques is linked to pregnancy, not stress.
May 2026 in “Indian Journal of Medical Biochemistry” Hair biomarkers can help assess chronic stress in women's reproductive health but need standardized methods and regional studies.
February 2026 in “TURKISH JOURNAL OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES” Hair cortisol is better than blood cortisol for measuring long-term stress in pregnant goats.
October 2022 in “European heart journal” Higher stress levels were found about two weeks before a heart attack.