Women beware: Divorce can cause hair loss!

Getting divorced is tough, and adding to the heartache is a new finding that says marital break-up can also cause women to lose their hair. Age and genetics are the two most reliable predictors of both female and male hair loss. Now a new study by the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine found that has found that women who had lost a partner through divorce or death were far more likely to have thinning hair than women who were happily married or single. Dr Bahman Guyuron, chairman of the department of plastic surgery at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, has attributed it to high levels of stress. "Most likely, stress is the aspect of a troubling divorce that appears to lead to hair loss among women," The Daily Mail quoted him as telling HealthDay News. Guyuron added that other stressful situations, such as having children, could affect a woman's hairline in the same way. He also found that apart from genetics and stress, excessive drinking and smoking could contribute to women losing their locks. The conclusions were reached after studying 84 female identical twins, who completed lifestyle questionnaires, had hormone blood level testing and extensive photo analysis of their hair. The researchers also found that women who drank coffee, used sun protection and were happily married had a lower overall risk of any hair loss. The study, however, found that divorce didn't affect men's hairlines in the same way but both genders were more at risk if they smoked or drank excessively.