1 citations
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July 2023 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol is a reliable marker of long-term cortisol levels and is linked to daytime saliva cortisol but not morning levels.
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.
March 2026 in “Journal of Pain” Preoperative stress markers alone don't predict chronic post-surgical pain.
50 citations
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November 2020 in “Physiology & behavior” People with depression often have higher hair cortisol levels, while those with PTSD tend to have lower levels, but more research is needed to understand this fully.
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.
21 citations
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January 2017 in “MethodsX” Methanol is better than isopropanol for washing grizzly bear hair to measure cortisol.
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.
11 citations
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May 2020 in “Frontiers in psychiatry” Child abuse is linked to higher BMI, but not because of hair cortisol or cortisone levels.
199 citations
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July 2007 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” Hair cortisol can reliably indicate chronic stress in cats and dogs.
69 citations
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May 2016 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” External factors can significantly affect hair cortisol levels, so it's not always a reliable stress marker.
1 citations
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December 2021 in “American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology” Hair cortisol levels peak in the third trimester and decline postpartum.
Higher cortisol levels might be linked to worsening keratoconus.
Gender-diverse individuals face more depression and anxiety, possibly due to unique stress profiles.
January 2026 in “Neuroscience Applied” Hair cortisol levels decrease as children age, stabilizing around age 4.
April 2020 in “Journal of the Endocrine Society” Hair cortisol measurement can help diagnose and monitor Cushing’s disease.
Hair cortisol may help identify adrenal insufficiency in sickle cell disease patients.
Distal hair cortisol is not a reliable measure of early pregnancy cortisol levels.
September 2025 in “International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)” Stress causes hair loss by disrupting hair growth cycles, and combining medical and cosmetic treatments can help manage it.
September 2024 in “Toxicology Letters” Cortisone and cortisol levels in pregnant women’s hair increase as labor approaches, indicating higher stress.
44 citations
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February 2016 in “Zoology” Hair cortisol levels in primates are useful for stress assessment but vary by age, sex, species, and hair collection methods.
24 citations
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October 2018 in “Addiction Biology” Alcohol dependence affects stress hormone levels more than childhood maltreatment.
22 citations
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August 2016 in “European Eating Disorders Review” Adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa have lower hair cortisol levels than healthy and psychiatric peers.
76 citations
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October 2011 in “Clinica Chimica Acta” Hot water and UV exposure reduce hair cortisol levels, with the back of the head showing the most consistent levels.
50 citations
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July 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol can indicate long-term stress levels, but hair growth rate differences may affect accuracy.
11 citations
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September 2020 in “Steroids” A new method accurately measures steroid hormones in a few hair strands and could help study chronic stress and hair loss.
December 2025 in “Biology Bulletin Reviews” Hair cortisol can indicate animal stress but varies with many factors.
7 citations
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October 2015 in “American Journal of Primatology” Monkeys with hair loss during pregnancy showed higher stress hormone levels and invested differently in their offspring.
February 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Lower family income is linked to more stress in parents and more behavior problems in children.
February 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Hair cortisol concentration partly reflects HPA axis regulation but doesn't capture all its complexities.
January 2026 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Loneliness raises stress levels in older African American men but not women.