January 2012 in “CINECA IRIS Institutial Research Information System (University of Genoa)” Hair cortisol reliably indicates stress in rabbits.
April 2011 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” Hair cortisol is a reliable long-term stress marker during pregnancy.
October 2008 in “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes” Long-term unemployment leads to higher stress levels.
August 2021 in “Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research” Plant extracts in shampoo improved hair thickness and density in men with hair loss.
296 citations
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October 2018 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” Hair cortisol is a reliable way to measure long-term stress in animals.
157 citations
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June 2015 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol and cortisone levels increase with age, are higher in diabetics, vary by gender, decrease with frequent hair washing, and are lower in winter.
23 citations
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August 2017 in “Scientific Reports” Darker hair may lead to higher cortisol readings, suggesting a need to adjust for hair color in studies.
22 citations
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May 2019 in “Animals” High hair cortisol levels indicate stress in cows due to poor shelter conditions and health issues.
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.
2 citations
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December 2021 in “Scientific reports” Scalp hair sweating is a significant predictor of hair cortisol levels.
May 2023 in “Animal Reproduction Update” High levels of cortisol in hair show long-term stress which can lower fertility in animals.
118 citations
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October 2014 in “Journal of Dairy Science” Tail switch hair is best for measuring cortisol in Holstein cows, with white hair and multiparous cows showing higher levels.
51 citations
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November 2005 in “Journal of Medical Primatology” Alopecia in captive rhesus macaques is affected by season, sex, age, housing, and stress, with complex links between stress hormones and hair loss.
38 citations
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September 2013 in “Therapeutic Drug Monitoring” First Nation individuals had higher hair cortisol levels, indicating more chronic stress.
21 citations
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January 2017 in “MethodsX” Methanol is better than isopropanol for washing grizzly bear hair to measure cortisol.
21 citations
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June 2016 in “Journal of Medical Primatology” Captive management practices affect hair loss and stress in rhesus monkeys, with differences between facilities.
16 citations
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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
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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.
2 citations
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June 2022 in “Scientific reports” Women with PCOS have higher hair cortisol levels, which are linked to worse metabolic and inflammatory conditions.
1 citations
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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.
Higher cortisol levels might be linked to worsening keratoconus.
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.
February 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol concentration partly reflects HPA axis regulation but doesn't capture all its complexities.
January 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Self-collected hair samples can measure stress but may need adjustments for accuracy.
January 2026 in “Western Journal of Nursing Research” Hair cortisol levels don't reliably indicate chronic stress in people with multiple sclerosis.
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.