Telogen effluvium sounds a lot like something you might get diagnosed with on a super technological science fiction television show set in the far future. In reality, it is really just a fancy way of saying that you’re experiencing hair loss as a result of dietary deficiency, a medication side effect, or a non-scarring autoimmune condition..
According to the National Institutes of Health, telogen effluvium is “a reactive process, triggered by metabolic stress, hormonal changes, or medications. Common triggering events are acute febrile illness, severe infection, major surgery, severe trauma, postpartum hormonal changes, particularly a decrease in estrogen, hypothyroidism, discontinuing estrogen-containing medication, crash dieting, low protein intake, heavy metal ingestion, and iron deficiency.” In layperson’s terms, something caused your hair follicles to freak out and shed your hair all very quickly.
What Is Telogen Effluvium?
Still confused? That happens. A certain amount of hair shedding is normal. Most people lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day. Some lose more due to natural differences in hair follicles, breakage, and environmental conditions. But some people develop a condition that makes a great amount of their hair stop resting and start falling out.
To understand, you start with the stages of hair development. In the anagen phase, hair grows. In the catagen phase, it stops growing and transitions to the telogen phase where it rests. Finally, in the exogen stage it begins to fall out to prepare for the next anagen phase.
Telogen effluvium effects all the hairs in the resting phases and causes them to start falling out much more rapidly – far exceeding the 100 hairs a day typical of the exogen phase. The primary cause of this is stress to the body… but that can be mental stress, emotional stress, or physical stress.
Mental and emotional stress are ideas that we are familiar with, leading to the phrase we are “pulling our hair out.” But when work is tough, you are going through a move, a divorce, or anything that taxes you mentally and emotionally… it can cause a period of hair loss. But we often don’t think about all the things that stress our bodies. The American Academy of Dermatology says that things like giving birth, losing weight, or a severe illness can cause massive hair loss.
Do Telogen Effluvium Hairs Grow Back?
Good news! If you end the stress causing the hair loss, then your hair can regrow. Hairs that are shed during telogen effluvium will regrow when the hair follicle next enters the anagen phase, usually three to six months later.
However, it is important to note that the stress has to end. If you continue to damage your hair follicle, it can create scarring – which will prevent the hair from re-growing. Some things that might cause telogen effluvium without hair regrowth are extreme illnesses like COVID-19 and high fevers, or prolonged use of some medications (including chemotherapy or radiation treatments).
If your hair loss is due to weight loss, the key to moving into the anagen phase may be as simple as finding out what nutrients your body is lacking. Many people who choose to lose weight – especially with fad diets – end up cutting out vital proteins and nutrients required for healthy hair.
What Does Telogen Effluvium Look Like?
Telogen effluvium is diffused and happens all over your head. Signs of a thin or bald spot are one of the first indicators that you do not have telogen effluvium. Drugs.com points out that “the hairs will look like hairs in the telogen phase – they will have a white bulb at the end that was in the scalp, and will not have a gel-like covering around that end of the hair.”
The primary indicator for you will be that there is more hair fall than usual. The primary test your doctor may use is a “pull test.” If they gently pull on a small section of hair and more than three or four hairs come out, you probably have telogen effluvium.
Your doctor will talk to you about your medical history and that alone may be enough to diagnose the problem, but there could be additional testing necessary.
Precision Hair Restoration Can Diagnose and Treat Your Hair Loss
When you are concerned about your hair loss, the staff here at Precision Hair Restoration is there to help. We understand that hair loss can be confusing and scary, but our team is here to get you started on your hair restoration journey. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!
