23 citations
,
August 2017 in “Scientific Reports” Darker hair may lead to higher cortisol readings, suggesting a need to adjust for hair color in studies.
21 citations
,
January 2017 in “MethodsX” Methanol is better than isopropanol for washing grizzly bear hair to measure cortisol.
21 citations
,
June 2016 in “Journal of Medical Primatology” Captive management practices affect hair loss and stress in rhesus monkeys, with differences between facilities.
11 citations
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April 2020 in “Animals” Moving horses to new places can increase their stress levels, as shown by higher stress hormone in their hair.
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.
7 citations
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September 2025 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair analytes decrease with storage, so analyze within six months.
4 citations
,
June 2025 in “JMIR Formative Research” Hair cortisol concentration may reflect some physiological stress but doesn't strongly correlate with perceived stress.
2 citations
,
June 2022 in “Scientific reports” Women with PCOS have higher hair cortisol levels, which are linked to worse metabolic and inflammatory conditions.
1 citations
,
July 2019 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” 1 citations
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September 2016 in “Brain Behavior and Immunity” Hair cortisol levels can indicate stress and are affected by washing frequency, not cosmetic treatments.
June 2026 in “Scientific Reports” Open-label placebos can reduce stress and improve exam performance.
April 2026 in “Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol levels may be linked to stress, but results are inconsistent.
April 2026 in “Journal of Experimental Psychopathology” Hair cortisol levels may not reliably indicate psychological distress.
March 2026 in “Journal of Pain” Preoperative stress markers alone don't predict chronic post-surgical pain.
February 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Lower family income is linked to more stress in parents and more behavior problems in children.
Gender-diverse individuals face more depression and anxiety, possibly due to unique stress profiles.
January 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Self-collected hair samples can measure stress but may need adjustments for accuracy.
January 2026 in “Phaidra - Repository of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna” Hair cortisol levels in wolves reflect stress and vary by season and body region.
January 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Loneliness raises stress levels in older African American men but not women.
August 2025 in “Journal of Affective Disorders” Gender-diverse people face more depression and anxiety, partly due to stress and lower cortisol levels.
May 2025 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Discrimination during pregnancy affects newborn stress hormone levels.
July 2024 in “Nursing Research” Hair and nail cortisol levels can show long-term stress in young males.
February 2024 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Mothers with lower stress during pregnancy but higher stress after birth had infants with lower development scores.
February 2024 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Higher anxiety during pregnancy is linked to lower cortisol levels in newborns' hair.
February 2024 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Higher prenatal anxiety is linked to lower cortisol levels in newborns' hair.
January 2023 in “Research Square (Research Square)” Hair cortisol may be a good indicator of recent mood in people with bipolar disorder.
November 2022 in “Innovation in aging” Older adults in Puerto Rico often couldn't be tested for hair cortisol due to refusal or lack of hair, with race and hair products affecting results.
September 2021 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Nurses had higher stress levels during intense phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 2020 in “Journal of the Endocrine Society” Hair cortisol measurement can help diagnose and monitor Cushing’s disease.
February 2020 in “VSNU Open Access deal” Hair cortisol levels change with age, starting high at birth, decreasing until age 6, then rising to adult levels by age 18.