Separation from your dog can lead to hair loss…for you both!

As we delve into the final summer month, August is also Hair Loss Awareness Month – and this year, it could be you and your dog who see the effects. If you’re heading back to the office or beginning to venture further afield this month, it could be that you, and your dog, will experience some hair loss. According to Mark Blake (MIT WTS IAT), globally renowned trichologist for Nioxin, the world’s number one brand for thinning hair, the stress from the separation between us and our furry friends can lead to an element of hair loss “Due to stress and Covid, hair loss has been on the increase for the last 6 months in particular, and now, as the country begins to open up again, I think we’re going to see a whole new phase of hair loss. This time, from pet owners missing their dogs. We’ve all been used to seeing our dogs 24/7, and it’s going to be a big ordeal for many people having to leave them again,” says Mark. This is a condition that Trichologists are calling Canis Telogen Effluvium, which is traditionally found after a pet dies. However, due to being with our pets for a much longer period of time over the pandemic, Mark suspects that being apart from them again will trigger this condition.

Can dogs experience this too?

It’s not just us who can experience this stress-induced hair loss, “In the same way that stress impacts on our bodies, it impacts on a dog too. Do not be surprised if they are stressed and anxious as we start to leave them again, and as a result, start shedding more hair,” adds Mark. To help combat hair loss, Mark recommends using Nioxin’s three-step hair care regime, which compromises of a Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment. There are six kits to choose from, depending on the severity of the hair thinning, and if the hair is chemically treated. As for our four-legged friends, Mark recommends plenty of brushing and if the shedding is severe, get some veterinary advice.