May 2016 in “Endocrine Abstracts” Proximal hair cortisol is a reliable tool for diagnosing Cushing's Syndrome.
April 2020 in “Journal of the Endocrine Society” Hair cortisol measurement can help diagnose and monitor Cushing’s disease.
567 citations
,
October 2007 in “Clinical and investigative medicine” Hair cortisol can be used to measure long-term stress exposure.
Measuring cortisol in hair can help assess adrenal function in asthmatic children using inhaled corticosteroids.
May 2026 in “Microchemical Journal” December 2025 in “Therapeutic Drug Monitoring” Pulverization extracts more cortisol from hair, but any method works due to individual differences.
134 citations
,
March 2015 in “Clinical Endocrinology” A new method accurately measures long-term steroid levels in human hair.
May 2021 in “Journal of the Endocrine Society” A patient produced cortisol after adrenalectomy, possibly due to residual tissue or other body parts making steroids.
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.
August 2015 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” 16 citations
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March 2013 in “Clinica Chimica Acta” Cortisol and cortisone release from hair increases in steps over time during incubation.
July 1998 in “Chromatographia” Women with effluvium have higher levels of certain urinary steroids, possibly due to stress and increased adrenal activity.
157 citations
,
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.
5 citations
,
June 2020 in “Therapeutic drug monitoring” Hair sample weight is a better measure for cortisol levels in hair than hair protein concentration.
January 2026 in “Open Science Framework” Standardized procedures are needed for accurate hair cortisol analysis.
42 citations
,
November 2019 in “Frontiers in Endocrinology” The document suggests creating a validated score to diagnose Cushing's Syndrome and considers plasma steroid profiling as a simpler diagnostic method.
23 citations
,
January 2016 in “Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry” First-episode psychosis patients have higher hair cortisol levels, indicating early stress response issues.
21 citations
,
January 2020 in “Conservation Physiology” Hair follicles increase hair cortisol levels, so consistent hair collection methods are important.
April 2026 in “Frontiers in Veterinary Science” Male cats have higher stress levels than females.
50 citations
,
July 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol can indicate long-term stress levels, but hair growth rate differences may affect accuracy.
22 citations
,
January 2010 in “Clinical Medicine Insights Endocrinology and Diabetes” Forearm hair has more cortisol than lower leg hair.
80 citations
,
January 2011 in “Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)” Hair cortisol levels can reflect salivary cortisol levels in humans.
4 citations
,
September 2003 in “Livestock Production Science” Epidermal growth factor reduces hair growth, but cortisol does not.
1 citations
,
January 1978 in “PubMed” Certain chemical changes to cortisol and progesterone can increase or decrease their ability to inhibit hair growth.
237 citations
,
September 2018 in “Clinical Biochemistry” Hair cortisol analysis can help diagnose stress-related conditions but needs more refinement for widespread use.
217 citations
,
July 2009 in “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes” Hair analysis can track past cortisol levels in Cushing's Syndrome patients.
50 citations
,
June 2014 in “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes” Hair hormone levels can indicate obesity-related changes and are useful for research and clinical practice.
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.
4 citations
,
September 2024 in “Frontiers in Endocrinology” Serum steroid profiling, especially 11-deoxycortisol, helps distinguish between adrenocortical carcinoma and adenoma, considering sex and functional status.
18 citations
,
February 2020 in “Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis” The method accurately measures hormones and endocannabinoids in mice, showing gut microbiota diversity affects these levels and may influence stress and reproductive systems.