Stress, Strands, and Survival: What Your Hair Reveals About University Life

Jesutofunmi Great Ayeni

It always starts the same. New semester, new energy. You are organised, hair well-laid, skin glowing, and planners colour-coded like you are filming a study vlog. By week three, though? Your notes are scribbles, your diet is energy drinks and instant noodles, and your hair — well, your hair has decided to tap out entirely.

Don’t say you are tired of your hair. Let us be honest. You have made your hair tired. It gave up long ago because it lacks the treatment that makes it silky and lushy. And maybe, just maybe, that messy cornrows you have been rocking for the past three weeks is crying to be unlocked.

Keeping your hair for several weeks makes it tangle and rough. It is not healthy for your hair. Hair is like that brutally honest friend who does not sugar-coat anything. While you are still convincing yourself you are going to rock the hair for one more week, your hair is already sending out signals — the roots become slack.

University life throws your body into survival mode. The shege becomes apparent in your hair and goes straight to your scalp. Your body, sensing chaos, diverts its resources from non-essentials. Unfortunately, lush, shiny hair is very much a non-essential when your brain is running on panic and instant coffee.

When stressed, the body releases cortisol — the hormone that basically tells every part of you, “This is not a drill.” Hair growth slows down or halts. In some cases, hair falls out altogether, a condition called telogen effluvium. Add fluctuating hormones, oil imbalance, tight hairstyles, and zero time for self-care, and your hair becomes the first casualty in the academic battlefield.

It is no surprise, then, that many students are cutting their hair completely, just to feel in control again. It feels like the only way when the breakage, dryness, and fallout get too much to handle but there is more to maintaining your hair than grabbing the scissors.

How to Maintain Your Hair

When your schedule is a mess, your hair does not need a ten-step routine. It just needs some love and a little strategy. Here is how to keep your hair alive (and even thriving) during the days of:

1. Wash Smart, Not Hard
Over-washing or under-washing can both cause damage. Aim for balance. If you are too busy to wash every few days, dry shampoo can help — just do not make it a permanent replacement. Clean scalp equals happy follicles.

2. Condition and Protect
Leave-in conditioners or lightweight oils can make a world of difference. They lock in moisture, reduce breakage, and make your hair easier to manage when you are too tired to detangle properly.

3. Sleep on Silk
A satin or silk pillowcase reduces friction while you sleep (even if it is just a three-hour nap). Less friction means less breakage, especially for curly or coily textures.

4. Let Go of Tight Styles
Slick-back buns may look neat, but they are putting your edges through it. Choose looser styles like braids, twists, or a relaxed puff. Protective styles are great as long as they are not pulling your hairline into a new postcode.

5. Eat (At Least a Little) Better
Your hair reflects your overall health. Try to include some protein, fruits, and water. Instant noodles are a vibe, but they do not nourish your strands.

6. Create a 5-Minute Routine
Brush. Moisturise. Style lightly. Done. You do not need perfection, just consistency. Even five minutes can make your hair feel loved and remind you to care for yourself too.

A Final Word to You (and Your Hair)

University is intense. The pressure to stay afloat academically, socially, and mentally can be overwhelming  and your hair knows it.

But remember this: your hair is not giving up on you. It is just reacting to the storm you are pushing through. Treat it as a barometer, not a burden. When it starts acting out, check in with yourself. Have you slept? Eaten something green? Had water today?

You do not need to have flawless hair every day. You just need to care for yourself enough to try, even a little because while your hair might be going through it now, it will recover. And so will you.

One day, you will laugh at the semester when you nearly chopped it all off because of stress. But for now, tie it up gently, sip some water, and keep going. You are doing the best you can and so is your hair.

Image Credit: Google