People who work longer hours are more likely to go bald, researchers say

A new study has found that people who work longer hours are twice as likely to go bald.

According to the research, if you're working more than 52 hours a week, it could be the reason your hair is thinning. Now, while most people don't work more than 40 hours a week, long hours like this aren't that uncommon, especially in countries like South Korea.

The study, which examined 13,000 men, found that hormone changes in parts of the body including the scalp can be triggered by stress.

In the video below, Donald Trump's combover falls victim to strong winds: 

This hormonal change reportedly inhibits the growth of hair follicles; however, the exact science behind the phenomenon remains unknown.

The study also found that stress can cause the hair to prematurely enter the 'catagen' or resting phase - aka when it stops growing altogether.

The research published in the Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal also took into consideration the impact which marital status, income, smoking, and more can have on the likelihood of male baldness.

Credit: 1642

Lead author Kyung-Hun Son said: "The results of this study demonstrate that long working hours is significantly associated with the increased development of alopecia in male workers.

"Limitation of working hours in order to prevent alopecia development may be more necessary from younger workers, such as those in the 20s and 30s, at which hair loss symptoms start to appear."

"Preventive interventions to promote appropriate and reasonable working hours are required in our society."

Credit: 2362

Son added: "A lot of studies have revealed the mechanism of alopecia development by stress.

"In mice experiments, stress was significantly related to the inhibition of hair growth, induction of catagen cycle, and damage of hair follicles.

"Other researches have also suggested that stress can affect injuries and inflammations of hair follicles, cell deaths, and inhibit hair growth.

"Based on these previous researches, we can cautiously assume that the relationship between long working hours and the development of alopecia is likely to be mediated by job-related stress."

So the next time things get too much at the office, or if you're feeling a bit under the weather, don't feel guilty about taking a day off. Your hairline will thank you.