Stress-induced hair loss among students in a public Saudi University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

A BSTRACT Background: Hair loss is a general condition that can occur in many cases. Normal hair has three stages: growth, resting, and shedding. These stages can be interrupted by many factors, such as stress. Stress is a CNS phenomenon that responds to physiological and psychological conditions. The prevalence of hair fall among the general population is highly shown in different ages, genders, and races. It focuses on a specific portion of the population, university students, who face stress during their studying periods for several reasons. Our study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of stress-induced hair loss among undergraduate students at a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh using a self-report questionnaire Google form with 928 participants, including males and females from various colleges. Results: The study revealed that 627 students had moderate stress (67.6%), and 277 students had high stress (29.8%), with females exhibiting a higher proportion of high-stress levels (34.6%) compared to males (19.7%). Also, 410 (44.2%) of participants reported experiencing hair loss, with females showing a higher prevalence of 330 (80.5%) compared to males. Conclusion: This study sheds light on stress-induced hair loss among university students and provides insights into the factors associated with stress levels in this population. The findings underscore the importance of addressing stress as a significant concern for students’ wellbeing and academic success.