Can stress cause hair loss?

Whether stress causes hair loss is debated by health experts. WebMD indicates that as of 2014, no scientific evidence provides a direct correlation between stress and hair loss. However, Mayo Clinic reports that a few factors may connect high stress with hair loss.

Telogen effluvium and alopecia areata are two stress-related conditions that cause damage to hair follicles, possibly resulting in hair falling out, according to Mayo Clinic. However, any hair loss resulting from these conditions is believed to be short-term hair loss. Trichotillomania is a stress-related condition in which people are inflicted with a compulsive urge to pull out their hair.