The temporary hair loss condition known as Telogen Effluvium is common for men and women. If you are experiencing this condition, you may not see any hair growth for a year, or even up to ten years depending on the reason for the hair loss.
Why Am I Losing My Hair?
When you hair begins to shed or thin it because a larger than normal section of your scalp has gone into the Telogen phase of the hair growth cycle. The Telogen phase is the resting phase in your hair’s growth cycle. When more hairs than normal enter into this hair growth cycle, there are fewer hair left to grow in the next growing phase. As our hair growth cycles begins to slow down there is less new hair growth and there is more shedding and more of your scalp is exposed.
What Can Cause This To Happen?
Shocks To Your System – When you go through something dramatic like a car crash, physical trauma or even the exposure to some toxins, your hair follicles can enter into Telogen (resting phase). When hair enters this phase, the hair loss is not immediate, and most likely it won’t be noticeable for a couple of months. Once the shock is over and your system goes back to a normal state your hair will do the same. In roughly 6 months, the resting phase will be over and hair will be as good as new in about 12 months.
Triggers – Some medications and medical treatments can be a trigger that causes hair loss. Others that can be included are some oral contraceptives and anti-depressants. It is always best to talk to your doctor if any new medication creates symptoms like hair loss. It is possible that an alternate medication may be used to get your hair and scalp back to it’s normal state. A healthy diet is far more beneficial than consuming junk food which also is a known trigger to cause an Telogen Effluvium episode. Another trigger can be a constant vitamin deficiency. It is better to simply eat healthy but when you can you should take a supplement to get the necessary nutrients. There are several vitamins and minerals that are great for hair health, like vitamins B-6 and B-12, iron, and zinc.
Additional Triggers – Other triggers of Telogen Effluvium temporary hair loss can include high stress and anxiety, excessive heat, illness, smoking and over-styling your hair. One you identify and remove or correct the trigger, then your hair will come back to it’s normal state. The hardest part is identifying the trigger. Most of us have hectic lives and you may not realize that you re even experiencing Telogen Effluvium until you see a large bald area around your scalp. This could happen over months in which you may not remember the exact stressor you were experiencing that started the process.
If you are experiencing hair loss there are several different options available to you that can assist you in lessening those bald areas and all people will see is a great head of hair. Speak to a hair loss specialist today to see the options that are available to you.