A COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION ON STRESS-INDUCED HAIR LOSS IN SAUDI ARABIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

resumen

Dhaifallah Alenizi*, Renad Lafi Alanazi, Raghad Faisal Alruwailiy, Roaa Salem Maqpal Alharbi, Dhai Nasser Almutairi, Osamh Dhaif Allah A Alenezi, Shuruq Mohsen Abdullah Alshammari, Bader Maiedh Mohsen Al Adainan

Objectives: to conduct a thorough analysis of the body of research on hair loss in Saudi Arabians caused by stress.

Methods: After an extensive search on four databases, 400 relevant publications were discovered. After removing duplicates using Rayyan QCRI and evaluating relevance, 36 full-text publications were reviewed, with only five studies meeting the inclusion criteria.

Results: We included five studies with a total of 2909 Saudi participants and 2088 (37.4%) were males. Three studies used validated questionnaires to assess stress, while two relied on self-administered questionnaires. The findings show a strong link between stress and dermatological issues, particularly hair loss, across different demographics in Saudi Arabia. Among medical students, stress led to symptoms like hair loss, with higherstressed students more likely to experience hair loss and hair-pulling behaviors. In the general population, stress was associated with conditions such as acne, eczema, and hair loss. Studies on COVID-19 patients indicated that the stress of acute illness may trigger telogen effluvium, a stress-related hair shedding condition.

Conclusion: The review highlights that stress-related hair loss affects both high-stress groups and the general population, with distinct psychological and physical symptoms. This suggests that healthcare providers should integrate stress assessment and mental health support in treating hair loss. In order to lower the prevalence of stress-induced hair loss, it also highlights the necessity of culturally appropriate therapies and public awareness campaigns that target certain stressors in Saudi Arabia. It also promotes more research and public health initiatives.