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Conditions

Hair restoration · Hair-loss diagnosis and restoration

Telogen effluvium

Understand diffuse shedding after illness, stress or a major bodily change.

Editorial publication · Medical review pending.

Understand

Telogen effluvium is diffuse shedding caused when more follicles than usual enter the resting and shedding phase of the hair cycle together.

Possible symptoms

An unusual amount of hair is noticed during washing or brushing or on the pillow, without sharply defined patches or scarring.

Causes and associated factors

Fever or major illness, childbirth, surgery, severe stress, marked weight loss, restrictive dieting, some medicines or hormonal change can trigger it.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis uses the interval between a trigger and shedding, diffuse scalp examination and sometimes a hair-pull test.

Tests

Depending on the history, blood tests may look for anaemia, iron deficiency or thyroid disease and check for a persistent cause.

Course of the condition

Shedding often starts a few months after the trigger and usually improves as the cycle normalises, although a chronic form exists.

Care options

The identified cause should be corrected, nutrition kept adequate and confirmed deficiencies treated; transplantation is not appropriate during active diffuse shedding.

When to consult

Seek assessment if shedding persists, worsens, comes with other symptoms or has no identifiable trigger.

Urgent help

Shedding with severe illness, unexplained weight loss, bleeding, breathlessness or signs of infection requires prompt assessment.

Questions for your doctor

  • What is causing my hair loss?
  • Are the follicles still active or already scarred?
  • Which medical treatments should be tried or stabilised before a transplant?
  • Can my donor area support a realistic and lasting result?
  • Which scalp signs need prompt medical care?

Continue reading

A procedure linked to a condition does not establish an indication for your individual situation.

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