Telogen effluvium is a common cause of hair loss in both men and women. It leads to hairs being shed from across the scalp, rather than in patches and can also affect the body.
Causes of telogen effluvium
Frequently, the cause is physical or hormonal stress or a reaction to medicine that is being taken. It can come about quite suddenly and afflicts people of all ages. In most cases it will tend to resolve in around six months.
How does telogen effluvium affect the hair?
The condition occurs when there is a disruption to the hair’s natural growth cycle. The normal cycle for each hair is a long period of growth that lasts around three years and then a rest period, which is typically around three months.
Ordinarily around 15 per cent of hairs are in the rest phase at any one time. However, stress can cause a far greater percentage to enter that state. Around three months after this, these hairs will be shed as new hairs grow in those follicles. At this point, the hair will once again begin to thicken.