Telogen Effluvium: The Most Common Form Of Hair Loss

Telogen Effluvium is said to be the most common form of hair loss. This kind of hair loss happens when there is a change in the number of hair follicles growing. If the number of hair follicles drops significantly, it will result to shredding.

This type of hair loss condition is an outflow that characteristically affects the different phases of the hair growth cycle. Hair cycle on the scalp does not continuously produce hair. The growth cycle of the hair can last two or more years but it regress to a resting stage for up to two months, before it starts to grow a new hair fiber again. A healthy human scalp grows about eighty to ninety percent hair follicles under good conditions.

Man with Thinning Hair Telogen Effluvium is the thinning of the hair on the scalp or in serious cases it may also affect other areas, like the eyebrows, or pubic region. In some instances this condition is more prominent on the top of the scalp than its sides or back.

Three ways that lead to Telogen Effluvium

There are certain aspects that lead to the development of this condition. Three of these factors are:

Environmental insults. These affect the growing hair follicles that may lead to a resting state for a while. It may result to an increase hair shredding and diffuses thinning of the scalp.

Telogen state. This means that when the hair follicles enter the resting state, they stay in the telogen state for a prolonged period of time. This time the hair shredding is more noticeable but the thinning of the hair is slow.

Shortened growth cycles. The hair follicles do not stay in a resting state but rather hair growing is reduced. In this case the individual experiences thinning of scalp hair and persistent shredding of short, thin hair.

Causes of Telogen Effluvium

Some of the known causes of hair thinning or Telogen Effluvium may be a result of some incidences in life. One of which is the postpartum alopecia. This is a state when the sudden change of hormone after childbirth shocks hair follicles that cause it to shut down for a while.

Some other reasons may be attributed to oral medications and other physical changes. Excessive use of drugs such as anti depressants may be one reason to have this hair loss type. Vaccinations, crash dieting, physical trauma and surgery may result to stop hair growth that can result to the hibernation of scalp hair follicles. Chronic stress can also gradually exert a negative effect on hair growth and lead to persistent Telogen Effluvium.

Telogen Effluvium is only one of the many types of hair loss. We can prevent this type of hair loss if we will properly take care of our body and our scalp. You may start by trying not to worry too much and by putting more effort on your diet. It is better to practice self-discipline rather than suffer the consequences of your actions later.

If you wish to know treatments for telogen effluvium on both men and women, please go to the pages on hair loss for men and hair loss for women.

Tags: anti depressants, chronic stress, environmental insults, hair loss, hair shredding, hair thinning, postpartum alopecia, shortened growth cycles, Telogen Effluvium, telogen state

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