Telogen effluvium is a diffuse hair loss and is best understood by looking at your hair growth cycle. Your hair grows in 3 stages – anagen, the growing phase; catagen, a short intermediary phase; and telogen, the resting phase where the hair is released and falls out. Follicles rest for around 3 months, and then the whole process is repeated.
Due to the nature of your hair growth cycle, your hairs are not all in the same phase at the same time – some will be actively growing, others shedding etc., or else you would lose all your hair at once. It is normal to lose up to 80 hairs a day – provided the hair is growing back.
Telogen effluvium is where more hairs that usual enter the telogen phase and you experience increased diffuse shedding all over your scalp.
WHAT CAUSES TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM?
Telogen effluvium can occur when your bodies’ internal balance, and therefore your hair growth cycle, is disrupted. This can be caused by a wide number of factors ranging from physical or emotional stress, post- partum loss and dieting to illness, a high fever and certain medications. However, due to your hair growth cycle you usually won’t see increased shedding for up to 3 months after the event that caused it.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM TO CORRECT ITSELF?
The amount of time it will take your hair to recover from telogen effluvium depends largely on what caused it and for how long your system was disrupted for. However, once the underlying cause has been addressed, hairs that were lost should start to grow back within 6 – 12 weeks. Follicle shrinkage rarely occurs.
If you are concerned with the amount of hair your are losing, or have been experiencing hair loss for a prolonged period of time, please contact me to set up a consultation with DHD