The stresses of modern life have left
one in three women over the age of 25
suffering from hair loss, research has
revealed.
Experts believe a major cause is society's obsession with being thin.
This leads women to eat less as they try to imitate the skinny frames of celebrities, which means they are not getting enough nutrients which, in turn, is causing their hair to thin or even fall out.
A survey found that 37 per cent of women have experienced hair loss to some degree, with serious thinning a problem for 4.8million women in the UK.
Researchers argue that because the phenomenon is regarded as something that happens only to women in old age, the hair loss itself is adding to stress levels, accelerating the process.
Almost all of the 3,000 women aged 25 and over who were polled said they would be ashamed to say they were losing their hair.
A third of the women said hair loss made them depressed, while a quarter said their personal lives had been affected.
Trichologist Sara Allison said: 'We are all leading more emotionally stressful lives and are more nutritionally deficient than previous generations.
'The pressure on women to stay thin often means that they simply don't eat enough to get all the nutrients or they are not eating the right foods.
'Hair is essentially the least important tissue of your body; therefore, your hair only receives nutrients if there are any remaining in the body after your vital organs have taken what they need.'
Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist, said: 'In Western culture, hair is bound up in notions of femininity, youth and sexual attractiveness.
'Because a woman's hair plays a big part in value judgments made about youth and attractiveness, the experience of thinning hair is bound to be anxiety provoking.'
In some cases there are medical causes of hair loss, such as chemotherapy. Women are also more likely to lose hair after pregnancy and during menopause, although it grows back.
But there are conditions where the loss can be permanent, such as alopecia, in which the immune system attacks hair follicles.
The survey was commissioned by vitamin supplement specialists Vitabiotics Wellwoman Tricologic.
Experts believe a major cause is society's obsession with being thin.
This leads women to eat less as they try to imitate the skinny frames of celebrities, which means they are not getting enough nutrients which, in turn, is causing their hair to thin or even fall out.
A survey found that 37 per cent of women have experienced hair loss to some degree, with serious thinning a problem for 4.8million women in the UK.
Researchers argue that because the phenomenon is regarded as something that happens only to women in old age, the hair loss itself is adding to stress levels, accelerating the process.
Almost all of the 3,000 women aged 25 and over who were polled said they would be ashamed to say they were losing their hair.
A third of the women said hair loss made them depressed, while a quarter said their personal lives had been affected.
Trichologist Sara Allison said: 'We are all leading more emotionally stressful lives and are more nutritionally deficient than previous generations.
'The pressure on women to stay thin often means that they simply don't eat enough to get all the nutrients or they are not eating the right foods.
'Hair is essentially the least important tissue of your body; therefore, your hair only receives nutrients if there are any remaining in the body after your vital organs have taken what they need.'
Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist, said: 'In Western culture, hair is bound up in notions of femininity, youth and sexual attractiveness.
'Because a woman's hair plays a big part in value judgments made about youth and attractiveness, the experience of thinning hair is bound to be anxiety provoking.'
In some cases there are medical causes of hair loss, such as chemotherapy. Women are also more likely to lose hair after pregnancy and during menopause, although it grows back.
But there are conditions where the loss can be permanent, such as alopecia, in which the immune system attacks hair follicles.
The survey was commissioned by vitamin supplement specialists Vitabiotics Wellwoman Tricologic.
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