A Hair Loss Condition With an Unusual Cause
Hair loss is a normal experience which occurs to everyone, due to the fact that the hair follicles follow a regular growth cycle which takes on an interval of a few years. There are basically four phases of the cycle, and some follicles are at a certain phase at any given time. The fourth cycle, the resting phase, is the one responsible for hair shedding. So if you see a few strands of hair on your brush with every stroke, or if you are worried if the small clumps of hair in the shower drains are a sign of problematic hair loss, don’t fret – it’ll be replaced by new strands in due time.
Other people, however, experience a condition called telogen effluvium, when majority of the scalp’s hair roots are forced to enter the resting phase of the cycle. This means that more follicles are unproductive at any given time, resulting in more hair fall which is not immediately replaced by new strands. The condition may either be acute or chronic, depending on the underlying condition which causes it. Acute cases occur when as much as seventy percent of the scalp follicles are shocked into the telogen phase, resulting in as much hair loss in a matter of two months. The hair fall comes by the handful, and is drastically different from the loss experienced with genetic hair loss (or alopecia). Chronic telogen effluvium is a less severe condition, with less hair fall and faster regrowth.
There are various factors which can contribute to this kind of hair loss, but among the more common reasons include a prolonged and intense fever, a severe infection, a chronic ailment, childbirth, and a major surgery. Stress can also be a factor, especially if it is dealt with poorly by the patient; telogen effluvium is not uncommon in those who take a death in the family or a sudden change in social environment too seriously. Even crash and fad diets can cause hair loss as well, especially if it is deficient in iron or protein sources. As expected, there are also medications which have the same side effect, especially if it they are used as part of cancer treatment. Other medications such as retinoids, MAO inhibitors, antidepressant drugs, calcium channel blockers, and NSAIDS can also cause telogen effluvium.
Most of the hair which is lost with the condition is experienced on the scalp; but in other cases, total body hair loss is involved, and in varying intensities as well. Because telogen effluvium is more a symptom of a preexistent cause rather than a separate ailment in itself, there is no actual treatment for it. Hair loss decreases, and the resting follicles are ‘reawakened’ once the causes for the shock disappear. It is thus important to pinpoint the actual cause of the loss in order to deal with it properly. Once the cause is either overcome or discontinued, the shedding decreases in a matter of six to eight months. After this point the scalp follicles regain their healthy cycle, and new hair strands are pushed out from previously dormant follicles.