Chronic psychosocial stress impacts female reproductive health through hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation and increased cortisol.Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and the cortisol:Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) ratio are effective long-term biomarkers, providing a month-long record of hormone exposure.This review covers hair hormone analysis methods, biological mechanisms, and clinical uses in female reproductive health.Evidence links hair cortisol with pregnancy changes (increasing during pregnancy, decreasing after birth), inconsistent associations with postpartum depression (PPD), higher levels in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and higher levels lower the in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates.We highlight the importance of region-specific norms in India due to unique social and economic influences on stress and reproductive outcomes.Hair biomarkers are promising for noninvasive stress assessment, though standardized methods and larger regional studies are needed.
Huchegowda et al. (Sun,) studied this question.